What would KHam have to do to get a DPOY?
It's been fifteen years since a Safety won the DPOY award. A CB did win it recently, but historically it is an award that is hard to pry from OLBs, DEs and the occasional DT. It is a pass-rushing award.
So what stats would Hamilton have to put up to get a feasible shot at it?
(Firstly he'd have to stop dropping all the interceptions that get thrown directly at his face. The guy seems like he has bricks for hands sometimes.) But he's also not known for being a ballhawk, he's known for being versatile. He shone defensively even last year when we had a terrible defensive scheme. He is well known as a top 10 defensive player in the league, at worst.
Derwin James had two sacks and three INTs for the Chargers last year under Jesse Minter, and he plays a similar role to the Chargers defense that Hamilton does to ours. I think Minter can unlock him even further and maybe even take that big leap.
Maybe some of the top pass-rushers in the league would have to have down years, but it's definitely possible, especially if the team as a whole performs better than they did last year (which I have no doubt that they will).