A season currently consists of 18 weeks. So (if you check the math) 9 weeks is the halfway point.
So, with the season halfway through, why not base the award on roughly the first 50 percent of the 2023 campaign?
Currently, the AP Awards voting, based on the season as a whole, consists of five MVP finalists and three for other awards. Follow the same approach here.
Come on, let’s go. . . .
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Texans quarterback CJ Stroud.
Stroud performed as well as several other rookie quarterbacks in NFL history. He’s been great and seems to be getting better and better. It’s hard to imagine him winning this match without persevering.
No. 2: Rams receiver Puka Nacua.
No. 3: Vikings receiver Jordan Addison.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
He can do it all. He has already done everything. He could end up being a combination of Rondo Barber and Troy Polamalu sooner or later.
No. 2: Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
No. 3: Lions safety Brian Branch.
Offensive Player of the Year: Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill.
Hill has been phenomenal this season. He’s still on track to become the first player in NFL history with over 2,000 receiving yards. And he remains his true MVP candidate.
No. 2: Eagles receiver AJ Brown.
3rd place: 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
Defensive Player of the Year: Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
This year he was dominant. If the Browns somehow clinch the top seed in the AFC playoffs, Garrett could become the first defensive MVP since Lawrence Taylor in 1986.
2nd place: Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.
3rd place: Steelers linebacker TJ Watt.
Coach of the Year: Ravens manager John Harbaugh.
They abolished attack methods and introduced new ones. And they got better right away. Harbaugh, one of the best coaches in the NFL since 2008, has done some of his best work so far this year. In a season where too many “good” teams have barely won against lesser opponents, Harbaugh’s Ravens have recently defeated two of the NFC’s better teams, Detroit and Seattle, leading the league as a whole. It attracted attention.
No. 2: Jaguars coach Doug Pederson.
No. 3: Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell.
Comeback Player of the Year: Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
It was a given all offseason that Hamlin would be the unanimous returning player of the year if he somehow managed to return to the NFL and play just one game after suffering an on-field cardiac arrest in January. However, through half of the season, he appeared in just one game. He has a healthy scratch in Buffalo’s other eight contests. For now, he’s my first choice. If he doesn’t play much or at all in the second half of the season, it would be hard to make him a first choice for the final award.
2nd place: Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
3rd place: Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
MVP: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Jackson is making the transition from runner to pitcher and is doing incredibly well. He completed a career-best 71.5% of his passes. He remains a threat as a runner. He is perfectly orchestrating a completely new attack. And if the Ravens finish as the top seed in the AFC, he’s a solid choice for a second MVP award.
2nd place: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
No. 3: Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill.
No. 4: Eagles receiver AJ Brown.
No. 5: Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.