Suddenly lots of players are making a case here. Moreno was outstanding against that sieve of a Giants’ defense last night, looking like the guy the Broncos knew they drafted.

1. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills—Though he didn’t pick one off against Jacksonville last week, Byrd is still on pace for 12. That would be one heck of a season for anyone, let alone a rookie playing on a crappy team.

2. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings—Another TD catch last weekend from his new best friend Brett Favre, Harvin is making coach Brad Childress look like a genius for taking a chance on him when many others turned their heads.

3. Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos—This guy had over 100 all-purpose yards last night against the G-men, and he could steal this award if he keeps that up.

4. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams—You aren’t seeing a misprint here. Laurinaitis had 16 tackles against the Cardinals last Sunday, and has 66 solo tackles on the season. That number has him fifth in the NFL, an amazing feat for a rookie on (like Byrd) a crappy team.

5. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions—He gets a spot here solely on his guts, and for single-handedly bringing his team back last weekend against the Browns to steal a victory from the jaws of defeat. Sure, he regressed yesterday, but we’ll let that slide.

Honorable mention: Hakeem Nicks, Giants; Johnny Knox, Bears; Ryan Succop, Chiefs; Michael Oher, Ravens; LeSean McCoy, Eagles; Beanie Wells, Cardinals; Jeremy Maclin, Eagles

You’ve got Jairus Byrd on defense and Percy Harvin on offense leading the charge here, with a few others who might be considered supporting cast at this point.

1. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills—Byrd had another pick against the Titans to bring his league-leading total to 8. That was before Titans’ owner Bud Adams flipped the Bills a bird of his own. Sorry, I just couldn’t help it.

2. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings—Harvin may be the most exciting playmaker on the Vikings’ offense, and with you-know-who in the backfield, that’s saying something.

3. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles—6 catches for 76 yards and a score against the Chargers, and 72 return yards for good measure. This kid is special.

4. Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos—He had 104 all-purpose yards against Albert Haynesworth’s Redskins last Sunday, albeit in a losing effort.

5. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams—He just keeps making those tackles, now with 60 total (50 solo). Too bad he’s playing on a really bad team

Honorable mention: Hakeem Nicks, Giants; Johnny Knox, Bears; Ryan Succop, Chiefs; Michael Oher, Ravens; LeSean McCoy, Eagles; Beanie Wells, Cardinals

The first three players on this list were on bye last week, so we have to hold their places. Other than that, there have been quite a few impressive rookie performances this year so far…

1. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills—Seven picks leads all rookies and earned Byrd NFL defensive rookie of the month for October. What does he do for an encore? Vince Young might find out this Sunday in Nashville.

2. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams—He may have learned that the NFC West is not the Big Ten, but that hasn’t stopped Laurinaitis from making a lot of tackles. His 46 solo tackles leads all NFL rookies.

3. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings—One of the reasons Brad Childress is in line for coach of the year is that he foresaw Brett Favre and Percy Harvin making beautiful music together on the field, despite what all the critics were saying.

4. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles—His 115 all-purpose yards against Dallas was, dare we say it? Westbrook-esque.

5. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles—As if opposing defensive coordinators were having trouble sleeping while scheming for DeSean Jackson, now they have this kid to worry about too.

Honorable mention: Hakeem Nicks, Giants; Knowshon Moreno, Broncos; Johnny Knox, Bears; Ryan Succop, Chiefs; Michael Oher, Ravens; Mike Wallace, Steelers

The one guy we were neglecting so far was Minnesota’s Percy Harvin, who has slowly and quietly started to put up numbers and become a favorite target of Brett Favre. This is a guy Brad Childress took a big gamble on that so far is paying off. But Byrd and Laurinaitis are holding strong.

1. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills—Two more picks for this safety out of Oregon against the Texans, and now Byrd is tied with Darren Sharper for the NFL lead. That’s amazing in itself, but consider which team this guy plays for and it’s even more remarkable.

2. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams—Seven more tackles against Detroit…okay, we know, it’s Detroit….still, what Byrd has done to this point is slightly more impressive.

3. Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings—Becoming a favorite target of Brett Favre, caught 5 more passes for 84 yards and a score in Green Bay.

4. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles—Filled in quite admirably for Brian Westbrook Sunday, slicing through a suddenly sieve-like Giants’ defense.

5. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles—Everyone on the Eagles had a field day against the Giants, this rookie included (4 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD).

Honorable mention: Hakeem Nicks, Giants; Knowshon Moreno, Broncos; Johnny Knox, Bears; Ryan Succop, Chiefs; Michael Oher, Ravens; Mike Wallace, Steelers

Remember the name Jairus Byrd, because he just jumped on this list…and don’t rule out Michael Crabtree, who had a very impressive NFL opening game against Houston last weekend.

1. James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams—Four more solo tackles against the Colts last Sunday, so this kid has done nothing to hurt his standing.

2. Jairus Byrd, Buffalo Bills—This safety has been flying under our radar, but he was chosen as the NFL’s defensive rookie of the month for his 15 tackles and (yikes) 5 interceptions in October alone. Wow.

3. Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos—The bye week should have this young stallion rested and ready to face two daunting defenses in the Ravens and Steelers coming up. Can he handle it? Time will tell.

4. Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants—Did you see that lucky grab and run for a score Sunday night? Maybe it was more than luck…it was being in the right place at the right time, football instincts that can’t be taught. And along with Byrd, Nicks won NFL offensive rookie honors for October.

5. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles—This rookie has become a new favorite target of Donovan McNabb, and had 5 more catches Monday night against Washington.

Honorable mention: Matthew Stafford, Lions; Johnny Knox, Bears; Ryan Succop, Chiefs; Michael Oher, Ravens