Count Darius Slay among the growing chorus that believes Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland deserves to win football's individual defensive honor. The Philadelphia Eagles veteran tweeted in support of Bland's Defensive Player of the Year case after the second-year pro broke an NFL record for interception return touchdowns by notching his fifth pick-six of the season in Dallas' 45-10 Thanksgiving win over the Washington Commanders.

“DPOY Bland right now… it shouldn’t even be a debate 🔒🔒🔒,” Slay wrote on Twitter.

DaRon Bland's star turn for the Cowboys

Cowboys CB DaRon Bland

Bland entered the NFL record books as Dallas was salting away its blowout victory with just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Playing on the outside with inside leverage, Bland broke on Commanders quarterback Sam Howell's lengthy throw on an out route to Jahan Dotson, easily intercepting the pass with a head of steam the other way before juking multiple defenders en route to the end zone.

Slay was hardly the only one to fete Bland after his historic feat. Los Angeles Lakers superstar and longtime Cowboys fan LeBron James also praised Bland, tweeting his name in call caps with “history made” and a series of flaming emojis.

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Bland finished with a team-leading 10 tackles and one pass defensed in addition to his thrilling pick-six. He not only leads the NFL with seven interceptions in 2023 but also has the most picks in football dating back to last season when he first entered the league as a relatively unknown fifth-round pick out of Fresno State.

There are multiple top-tier contenders for Defensive Player of the Year this season. Myles Garrett has been an absolute terror since the season kicked off while spearheading the Cleveland Browns' elite defense, and Pittsburgh Steelers pass-rusher TJ Watt boasts a similarly strong case.

But Bland is certainly the frontrunner among players in the secondary, giving Dallas six extra points in nearly half the team's games this season. Maybe he's not a true shutdown corner, and his biggest games have come against subpar competition, but just accounting for 30 additional points alone should definitely be enough for Bland to earn DPOY votes.