ALBANY — Kenny Phillips believes teammate Jason Pierre-Paul is going to be acknowledged as the league’s best defensive player this season.
“I think he should have been Defensive Player of the Year last year,” the Giants safety said yesterday, “and I think he’s going to win it this year.”
Since the award was first given in 1971, the Giants have had a player win it four times — Lawrence Taylor took home the honor three times (1981, 1982, 1986), while Michael Strahan won it once (2001). Last year, Pierre-Paul, the team’s standout defensive end, finished fourth behind the winner, Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs.
In his second season last year, Pierre-Paul, 23, racked up 16.5 sacks, 72 tackles, two forced fumbles and a safety. Earlier in camp, he said he has reached approximately half of his potential.
“The sky’s the limit for him,” Phillips said. “He’s still learning the game, but he’s just a natural talent. Rare talent.”
Added defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, “He’s a lot more fun to coach now [than when he was a rookie] because you know that JPP’s going to do something that — you’re going to say, ‘Well, that doesn’t belong — but that’s OK. That’s JPP.’ So you don’t try to coach him too much because you don’t want to screw him up.”