Check out the list of NFC sack leaders through 10 weeks and it’s hard not to notice Redskins rookie OLB-DE Brian Orakpo has moved himself into rarified air very quickly.

That’s him, tied with noted pass rushers Julius Peppers and DeMarcus Ware, with seven sacks, which is a Redskins rookie record and places him first among this year’s rookies in that category.

His seven QB takedowns rank him second on Washington behind Andre Carter’s eight and are the most by a rookie since the Bears’ Mark Anderson tallied 12 in 2006.

Orakpo, the 13th overall pick out of Texas, is on pace for a double-digit sack season, which compares very favorably to recent NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year winners Peppers (12 in 2002), Terrell Suggs (10, 2003) and Shawne Merriman (10, 2005).

More impressively, he has been a steady performer, with at least half a sack in six of the last seven games, highlighted by his game-changing performance in the Week 10 win over the Broncos. Mostly playing right end in nickel situations and outside linebacker the rest of the time, he tallied six tackles, 1½ sacks, three tackles for loss, two QB hits and made the tackle that knocked Denver QB Kyle Orton out of the game with an ankle injury.

Despite playing in the nation’s capital and making a substantial contribution to the league’s fifth-ranked defense, Orakpo’s achievements to date have been overshadowed by the drama surrounding the Redskins’ organization.

Local media have spent more time chasing owner Daniel Snyder and much-maligned executive VP of football operations Vinny Cerrato to find out about beleaguered head coach Jim Zorn’s status with the club.

Plus, the adversity-stricken Redskins offense — with generally ineffective play from QB Jason Campbell and injuries to RB Clinton Portis, TE Chris Cooley and several offensive linemen — has gotten the lion’s share of attention, too.

Which means that the Redskins’ rising defensive star has been riding under the radar so far. That will quickly change if he follows his big Week 10 game with another eye-catching effort in Week 11 against the Cowboys.

On to this week’s Rookie of the Year Meter:

1. OLB Brian Cushing, Texans (first round, 15th overall)
On bye. Ranks fifth in the league in tackles with 78, a pretty impressive accomplishment for a rookie. We’ll see how he and the Texans’ defense fare against three divisional opponents in the next three weeks.

2. WR Percy Harvin, Vikings (1, 22)
Had a relatively quiet day as Adrian Peterson and Sidney Rice were the headline-grabbers in the Vikings’ 27-10 win over the Lions. Caught three passes for 53 yards, had one carry for seven yards and one kickoff return for 29 yards. However, his 40-yard catch and run was a thing of beauty as he made a tough grab over the middle, took a huge hit from a Lion that knocked him back a couple of yards, somehow kept his feet and went from 0-60, speeding down the sideline before being knocked out of bounds.

3. QB Mark Sanchez, Jets (1, 5)
His team now has lost five of its last six games after falling in the final seconds to Jacksonville. Completed 16-of-30 passes for 212 yards with one TD and two interceptions, one of which the Jaguars turned into a touchdown. Hung in the pocket despite taking a couple of big shots and is impressing with his toughness.

4. OT Michael Oher, Ravens (1, 23)
Oher has been an effective starter at right tackle all season, and he's also shown the ability to play on the left side in the pros, too. And what a week it will be for Oher: The movie version of "The Blind Side" hits theaters Friday, and a matchup against speedy Colts DLE Robert Mathis on Sunday will be one to watch.

5. CB Jairus Byrd, Bills (2, 42)
Again was one of the few bright spots on a Bills defense that was gashed by the Titans to the tune of 378 yards and 41 points. Grabbed his league-leading eighth interception of the season, marking the fifth consecutive game in which he has had an interception — both of which are team rookie records. Became the first NFL player with interceptions in five consecutive games since Champ Bailey did it with the Broncos in 2005.

6. OLB Brian Orakpo, Redskins (1, 13)
Definitely building momentum as an edge rusher to be reckoned with after causing all kinds of trouble against the Broncos with six tackles, three for losses; 1½ sacks (minus-13½ yards) and two QB hits.

7. WR Hakeem Nicks, Giants (1, 29)
On bye. Nicks was beginning to emerge as the Giants’ second-best playmaker out wide, and it’ll be interesting to see if he unseats Mario Manningham, who has had some concentration lapses and drops, as the starting wideout opposite Steve Smith when New York lines up against the Falcons in Week 11.

8. CB Jerraud Powers, Colts (3, 92)
Was one-half of a rookie CB tandem, along with undrafted Jacob Lacey, that started for the Colts against the Patriots’ feared passing attack. Made a huge pass breakup on a pass intended for Wes Welker that likely would have resulted in a first down and allowed the Patriots to run out the clock late in the fourth quarter. Finished with five tackles and two passes defensed as the Colts lost several battles — particularly to Randy Moss, who piled up nine catches for 179 yards and two TDs — but won the war, 35-34.

9. OLT Sebastian Vollmer, Patriots (2, 58)
Started in place of the injured Matt Light for the fourth consecutive game and impressed on a national stage, holding Colts DE Dwight Freeney without a sack for the first time this season and snapping the pass rusher extraordinaire’s streak of games with at least one sack at nine. Often stalemated Freeney by himself without chip help, adding Freeney to the list of top pass rushers (joining Kyle Vanden Bosch and Joey Porter) whom he has stymied, as he has allowed only half a sack to date this season. It’ll be interesting to see what the Pats do when Light returns from injury — will Vollmer remain as the starter or go back to the bench?

10. MLB James Laurinaitis, Rams (2, 35)
Made four tackles as the Rams almost pulled off a huge upset of the still-unbeaten Saints. For the season, he leads the Rams in tackles, with 60, and is tied for second on the team in interceptions with two.

On the cusp (listed alphabetically)
WR Austin Collie, Colts (4, 127)
OLB Aaron Curry, Seahawks (1, 4)
OT Phil Loadholt, Vikings (2, 54)
WR Jeremy Maclin, Eagles (1, 19)
OLB Clay Matthews, Packers (1, 26)
OLB Rey Maualuga, Bengals (2, 38)
RB Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (1, 12)
OG Max Unger, Seahawks (2, 49)
WR Mike Wallace, Steelers (3, 84)
RB Beanie Wells, Cardinals (1, 31)

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