That’s not necessarily a credit to the unit, as Jairus Byrd is still not a top-tier safety. But he’s an asset to the defense. He will be on the team in 2017, and hopefully for the years following. He’s good enough to start on a dominant defense, if this unit ever reaches that point.
Byrd didn’t start off the season well. After a poor outing against Atlanta in Week 3, Sean Payton benched Byrd in favor of rookie Vonn Bell. The move, at the time, seemed justified.
But much like Ingram, Byrd came alive after his benching.