Joey’s Midseason NFL Award Predictions

We are well over halfway through the NFL season. Many fans and analysts have begun to crown their award winners for the season, and I’d like to give my stance on who has earned each significant honor based on their performance thus far. Let’s begin with the most iconic award: MVP.

Most Valuable Player (MVP): Lamar Jackson

He couldn’t get the job done this season against the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Kansas City Chiefs and lost to low-caliber teams like the Cleveland Browns and the Las Vegas Raiders. Despite that, Jackson has been playing arguably his best football season ever. Twenty-five passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, and 3,460 scrimmage yards with only three interceptions. Jackson leads the league in passer rating at 117.3 and is second in QBR with 75.1. ESPN projects Lamar Jackson to finish the season with 39 touchdown passes and five interceptions, which is more touchdowns and fewer interceptions than in his unanimous 2019 MVP season. The only difference is that the Baltimore Ravens have already lost two more games than in 2019 and already tied the loss count from last year. Regardless, Jackson’s season has been a statistical masterpiece and he clearly is the frontrunner for MVP this year

Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY): Ja’Marr Chase

The stats don’t lie; Chase is in a league of his own this year. He leads the NFL with 73 receptions, 1,056 receiving yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns. Out of all eligible players, Chase also leads the league in yards-after-catch, first-down plays, and average receiving yards per game. He is on track for his best season yet, and much like Lamar Jackson, I envision Chase receiving a major honor for his performances. Ja’Marr Chase has OPOY locked down.

Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY): Dexter Lawrence II

The conversation for DPOY is much more complex than the previous two awards. Trey Hendrickson has a significant claim to the award this year, garnering 11.5 sacks this season. However, this season, Dexter Lawrence II is the true DPOY in the NFL. Lawrence has nine sacks, the most from any of his previous years. This number is considerably more impressive since he is only 10 games into the season. You add his 38 total tackles to the mix, along with amazing defensive pressure, and you get the best defensive player in the league.

Comeback Player of the Year (CPOY): J.K. Dobbins

After tearing his Achilles last season, J.K. Dobbins needed to prove his ability to succeed in the NFL. Under coach Jim Harbaugh, Dobbins has been given that opportunity. He has 726 rushing yards, placing him ninth in the league. Dobbins is only 80 yards away from his season high in his rookie year. He will also likely pass his receiving numbers, collecting 115 receiving yards through the ten games. Dobbins, having his probable best season yet after recovering from a season-ending injury, screams nothing but the true Comeback Player of the Year.

Rookie of the Year (ROTY): Jayden Daniels

I was all-in on Jayden Daniels earlier in the season, but his recent stagnant play has caused me minor doubts. Despite that, he has undoubtedly performed better than his fellow candidates. Daniels is the only rookie leading his team to second in their respective division. For rookies, he is second in passing touchdowns, first in passing yards, and tied for first in rushing touchdowns. In the entire league, Daniels ranks ninth in completion percentage, 11th in passer rating, and fifth in QBR. While his fantastic start to the season slightly faltered these past few weeks, he is still the leading contender for ROTY.

Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY): Brock Bowers

This pick could be highly inaccurate depending on whether Malik Nabers performs well in the latter half of the season, but I remain confident in Brock Bowers. He’s performed arguably the best out of any tight end this season. He is first in rookie receiving yards, sixth in first-down plays, second in total receptions, sixth in total targets, and seventh in yards-after-catch. His immediate success with the Las Vegas Raiders, who have not found team success, shows that Bowers’ college abilities have translated well into the NFL. All the signs point towards an OROY for Brock Bowers.

Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY): Jared Verse

Jared Verse has been the most difficult choice of any of these awards. The Philadelphia Eagles’ Quinyon Mitchell has been playing excellent football, earning 31 total tackles and eight pass deflections. However, Verse has slightly edged Mitchell in his stats this year. He’s amassed 42 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. Watching the Los Angeles Rams this season without Aaron Donald is rough, but Jared Verse has been a bright light for the defense. We should all expect to see an eventual DPOY trophy in Verse’s future as well, but for now, he’ll stick with DROY.

Coach of the Year (COTY): Dan Campbell

This choice is primarily motivated by the absurd scorelines the Detroit Lions have had throughout the year. Every player is doing their part and the Lions haven’t let off the gas from week one. They’ve averaged 33.6 points scored per game, the highest out of any NFL team. Conversely, the Lions have the fifth-lowest average points allowed per game at 17.7. Having lost only one game, the Lions look insanely disciplined and possibly on their way to the Super Bowl. While Andy Reid and Dan Quinn could take this award with continual team success, the Lions’ performances simply make Campbell look like a HOF coach. As long as Detroit doesn’t stumble their way to the playoffs, I can’t imagine a world where another NFL coach takes home this award.