Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders, whose opinion I highly respect, went over the midseason numbers of all the rookies and had this to say about Brain Cushing:

Brian Cushing of Houston is the Defensive Rookie of the Year. I'm a big fan of Aaron Curry, and Ray Maualuga is a big part of Cincinnati's surprise season, but honestly, it isn't close, and there aren't any offensive rookies who can match Cushing either.

While Texans fans have been thinking DROY for Cushing for a while, it's good to hear recognition from non-Texans sources as well. Follow the link for analysis of Cushing's numbers compared to other players.