Buffalo Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander is the AFC East defensive most valuable player, as voted on by the four reporters covering the division for ESPN.com.

Mike Rodak, Buffalo Bills reporter: Alexander's 12.5 sacks jump off the stat sheet, but ask the 33-year old veteran about his sacks and he'll credit his teammates Jerry Hughes, Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams for drawing blockers' attention. Alexander came out of nowhere to have a great season for the Bills; I just did not see the play-to-play impact that would make him an MVP. Instead, I'll go with Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, whose 90.8 grade from Pro Football Focus was tied for fourth among NFL cornerbacks and the best grade of any AFC East defender. Now in his third season, the former undrafted free agent posted a career-high in interceptions (4) and passes defensed (17) as he settled into his role as the Patriots' clear-cut No. 1 cornerback. For stretches of this season, there was a clear drop off from Butler to the Patriots' next-best cornerback.

Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander finished the season as the AFC East sacks leader (12.5). Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

James Walker, Miami Dolphins reporter: There are not a lot of strong candidates for defensive MVP this season. The best defense in the division -- the New England Patriots -- is more team-oriented with its success. Alexander had the most impressive individual season. He led the Bills and the division with 12.5 sacks in addition to 76 tackles, three forced fumbles and an interception. Alexander, 33, came out of nowhere to produce a Pro Bowl season. He'd been mostly a backup and rotational player but produced the best season of his career after a decade in the NFL. Alexander deserves kudos for that alone.

Mike Reiss, New England Patriots reporter: My vote goes to Wake. One stat stands out: When Wake has at least half a sack, the Dolphins were 10-0. When Wake is held without a sack, the Dolphins were 0-6.

Rich Cimini, New York Jets reporter: This was a tough choice because I don’t think there were any truly stellar defensive performances, but my choice is Alexander, the old dude. This was an aberration for Alexander, who recorded more sacks this season (12.5) than he did in his first nine seasons combined, but so what? Let’s give the man his props. The Patriots have the best defense in the division, but they’re more about team and system than star players. The Bills were mediocre on defense, but they can’t blame that on Alexander.