A lot of attention has been paid to Heisman hopefuls Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper and the recently suspended Todd Gurley, but there hasn’t been much love shown to the defensive side of the ball.

For this edition of SEC Debate, the SDS staffers reflects on who their Defensive Player of the Year is as we approach the midway point of the season.

WHO IS THE SEC’S DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR THROUGH SIX WEEKS?

Brad Crawford (@BCrawfordSDS): Shane Ray, Missouri

It’s a toss-up between two pass rushers, one from each division. Mississippi State’s Preston Smith and Mizzou’s Shane Ray have both had monster years, but what Ray has done is irreplaceable up front for the Tigers. Thin at linebacker and in the secondary, Mizzou’s needs a leader on that side of the ball and I feel Ray’s fits that mold off the edge. Paired with Markus Golden, the two provide Gary Pinkel with the lethal bookends combo in the country, a tandem needed down the stretch against the likes of Georgia (Saturday), Florida and Texas A&M. The SEC’s leader in the category, Ray has more sacks (7) than South Carolina’s managed as a team (6) this season.

Brett Weisband (@WeisbandSDS): Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss

Robert Nkemdiche doesn’t have the gaudy tackle numbers of A.J. Johnson, nor the sack total of Myles Garrett, and he’s not a stat sheet stuffer to the degree of Preston Smith. But no player is as destructive to an offense as Nkemdiche is. The men in the middle of the trenches barely get the recognition due to the ball-watching tendencies of fans and even the media (I’m guilty here as often as anyone), but do yourself a favor and keep an eye on the Rebels star defensive tackle when you tune into the Ole Miss-Texas A&M game Saturday night. You’ll see him reducing the pocket to a pile of rubble, sucking up multiple blockers and generally making life difficult for the offense. The big uglies rarely get the recognition they deserve, but Nkemdiche is too dominant to ignore. The scary part? As a sophomore, he’s only getting better.

Christopher Smith (@CSmithSDS): Shane Ray

Mississippi State DL Preston Smith is a disruptive force. I also considered Cody Prewitt and Landon Collins. But Missouri’s defense is so dependent on Ray. LB Michael Scherer has grown up quickly, and DE Markus Golden is more or less an equal at the college level. But Golden missed a game due to a hamstring injury and didn’t look quite as explosive in his return against South Carolina. Ray is second in the country with 11.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks. The Tigers defense gives up yards pretty freely and relies on disruption in the form of sacks and takeaways. Without Ray, who also chases down ball-carriers from the back side of the play, Mizzou’s defense is pretty mediocre.

Drew Laing (@DLaingSDS): Shane Ray

No one has improved their draft stock more than Missouri’s Shane Ray this season, and he’s now considered a high first round pick. His numbers speak for themselves — seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, both tops in the SEC. He’s had three games already this season with multiple sacks, and he’s one of a few defensive players SEC offenses need to game plan around. Ray is far and away my SEC Defensive Player of the Year so far in 2014.

Ethan Levine (@EthanLevineSDS): Senquez Golson, Ole Miss

The SEC is quickly becoming a passing league, and there’s no more valuable defender to his team than Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson. The Rebels’ star in the secondary leads the SEC in interceptions and passes defended while often drawing the assignment of an opponent’s top wideout. Last week, Golson held Alabama’s Amari Cooper to under 100 yards for the first time this year, and he kept Cooper out of the end zone one game removed from his three-touchdown performance against Florida. Golson capped the performance with a game-winning interception on a jump ball in the end zone over Alabama tight end O.J. Howard, who has Golson by about nine inches. The Rebels’ senior has a knack for big plays, and he’ll be vital for Ole Miss down the stretch, beginning this weekend against the pass-happy Texas A&M Aggies.

Jason Hall (@JasonHallSDS): Senquez Golson

Golson is the statistical standout performer on one of the nation’s best defenses. He leads the Rebels with four interceptions and has 17 tackles. Golson’s interception in last week’s game capped off a major upset and propelled Ole Miss to legitimacy. Golson can further his candidacy with a strong performance against Texas A&M this weekend.

Jon Cooper (@JonSDS): Shane Ray

Several discounted Missouri to start 2014. Because bookends Michael Sam and Kony Ealy were no longer in Columbia, many thought the defensive line would take a major step backward. But all it did was improve. Shane Ray and Markus Golden are the best pass rushing duo in the country, and Shane Ray could be the first defensive player selected from the SEC in 2015’s NFL Draft. Ray is playing his way into top 10 pick status, and he leads the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss. Because of his athletic ability, Ray can play end or outside linebacker at any level, and he’s been the best defensive player through six weeks of football.

Jordan Cox (@Jordan_Cox): Senquez Golson

The best player on the SEC’s best defense has had a fantastic first six weeks. Golson’s recorded 17 total tackles, four interceptions and made the play of the year for his team picking off Blake Sims in the final minute to seal the win against Alabama. Golson doesn’t shy away from the best player on the opposing team. Amari Cooper was a relative non-impact player last week and Golson will now likely will face A&M’s Malcome Kennedy this week.