NFL Awards Predictions

The NFL season is coming to a close, so I thought I would give my opinion on who I think should win every award. I think the biggest problem NFL fans have is that they change their vote based on the playoffs. The awards are a regular-season award, so whoever was the best in the regular season should deserve to win.

For DROTY, I think it will go to Carson Schwesinger from the Cleveland Browns. There was no standout rookie, but Schwesinger had an awesome year, despite suffering a high ankle sprain in week 8. He finished 6th in total tackles, 4th in tackles for loss against the run, and added 2 interceptions and 2.5 sacks; he is the clear frontrunner for this award.

For OROTY, the clear winner is Tetairoa McMillan from the Carolina Panthers. The 8th overall pick was the only rookie to have 1,000 receiving yards and was a huge factor in helping the Panthers make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The other QBs didn't play enough games or started later in the season, so their stats aren't enough to win the award.

Comeback Player of the Year should be Christian McCaffrey from the 49ers. CMC missed the first 8 games and then suffered a PCL injury after 4 weeks, sidelining him for the rest of the season. This year, he is a finalist for Offensive Player of the Year, and he carried the 49ers through all their injuries for a team that was one game away from securing the first seed. He was 8th in rushing yards with 1,202, 6th in receptions with 102, and third in touchdowns with 12. To me, this award shouldn't be a debate with the year CMC has.

Coach of the Year is one of the hardest awards to give out. So many coaches had great years and brought their teams to the playoffs for the first time in years. If I got a vote, I would give it to the Jaguars coach, Liam Coen. The Jaguars went from 4-13 to 13-4, and Trevor Lawrence had the year that fans were expecting out of college. They won 5 games this year against teams that qualified for the playoffs and beat the one-seeded Broncos on the road. After winning the division for the third time, I think Coen deserves the award.

Defensive Player of the Year is an easy choice: the Cleveland Browns' edge, Myles Garrett. He broke the sack record on 100 fewer snaps than the previous holder, was second all-time in combined tackles for loss, and forced three fumbles. Myles Garrett is the best player in football, and no one comes close to the impact he makes on the defensive side of the ball.

Offensive Player of the Year is debatable between Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. One player led the league in receiving yards and was on the team that had the number 1 seed in the NFC. Although the other player plays in a better offense with more star power, I would give the award to the JSN. He was impactful throughout the year, and because of the Seahawks' success, he deserves the award.

The last award, which is the most important, is the Most Valuable Player. What it has come to is just the best Quarterback award (which needs to be changed) is between Matthew Stafford from the Los Angeles Rams, and Drake Maye from the New England Patriots. Stafford led the league in Touchdown passes and yards, but I still think Maye deserves it. Maye led the league in rating, completion percentage, and QBR, so he also has great stats to back it up. What moves me towards Maye more is the fact that his team won the division, and his offense is a lot worse than Stafford's. Maye's offense being weaker makes him more valuable to his team, and I think he was this year's MVP.