With the 2023 NFL season just around the corner, NFL.com's analysts predict who they think will win some of the league's most prestigious individual awards, specifically:
Participating analysts: Keegan Abdoo, Michael Baca, Mike Band, Judy Battista, Jeremy Bergman, Ali Bhanpuri, Tom Blair, Brooke Cersosimo, Jeffri Chadiha, Eric Edholm, Gennaro Filice, Michael F. Florio, Leslie Frazier, Christian Gonzales, Grant Gordon, Marcas Grant, Dan Hanzus, Anthony Holzman-Escareno, Maurice Jones-Drew, Bobby Kownack, Michelle Magdziuk, Steve Mariucci, Matt Okada, Dan Parr, Kevin Patra, Adam Rank, Chad Reuter, Gregg Rosenthal, Marc Ross, Adam Schein, Marc Sessler, Nick Shook, Brendan Walker, Lance Zierlein.
NOTE: All betting lines -- listed alongside each player's name -- are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook & Casino and are current as of 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 30.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
(14 votes: Baca, Band, Bhanpuri, Cersosimo, Filice, Gordon, Hanzus, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Rank, Reuter, Ross, Sessler, Shook.)
2) Joe Burrow (+700) | 6 votes: Battista, Chadiha, Kownack, Parr, Patra, Zierlein.
T-3) Justin Herbert (+950) | 4 votes: Edholm, Florio, Magdziuk, Rosenthal.
T-3) Jalen Hurts (+900) | 4 votes: Gonzales, Grant, Mariucci, Walker.
T-5) Josh Allen (+750) | 3 votes: Abdoo, Okada, Schein.
T-5) Aaron Rodgers (+1500) | 3 votes: Bergman, Blair, Frazier.
Why Maurice Jones-Drew chose Patrick Mahomes: He's been the best player in football over the last half-decade. As long as he's healthy -- or until another player unseats him -- Mahomes is going to be the favorite for all the hardware and in all the games.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(7 votes: Abdoo, Edholm, Filice, Mariucci, Parr, Patra, Walker.)
2) Ja'Marr Chase | (+1100) | 6 votes: Battista, Blair, Florio, Grant, Holzman-Escareno, Ross.
3) Justin Jefferson | (+1200) | 4 votes: Baca, Bergman, Gordon, Schein.
4) Tyreek Hill | (+1800) | 3 votes: Band, Chadiha, Gonzales.
T-5) Justin Fields | (+2200) | 2 votes: Bhanpuri, Magdziuk.
T-5) Jalen Hurts | (+2500) | 2 votes: Reuter, Sessler.
T-5) Aaron Rodgers | (+3000) | 2 votes: Frazier, Zierlein.
T-5) Garrett Wilson | (+2500) | 2 votes: Hanzus, Kownack.
T-9) Joe Burrow | (+2000) | 1 vote: Rank.
T-9) Derrick Henry | (+2000) | 1 vote: Cersosimo.
T-9) Lamar Jackson | (+2200) | 1 vote: Jones-Drew.
T-9) Travis Kelce | (+2500) | 1 vote: Okada.
T-9) Chris Olave | (+4000) | 1 vote: Rosenthal.
T-9) Tua Tagovailoa | (+4500) | 1 vote: Shook.
Why Eric Edholm chose Christian McCaffrey: This award often goes to the best non-QB. If McCaffrey can stay healthy and produce at the same per-game level he did with the 49ers last season following the trade, he could push for a 2,000-yard all-purpose campaign with double-digit TDs. Teams have had all offseason to draw up better game plans for Brock Purdy, so McCaffrey could be an even more critical part of this offense in 2023.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(19 votes: Baca, Battista, Bergman, Blair, Chadiha, Edholm, Filice, Grant, Holzman-Escareno, Kownack, Mariucci, Okada, Parr, Patra, Reuter, Rosenthal, Ross, Walker, Zierlein.)
2) T.J. Watt (+700) | 7 votes: Band, Cersosimo, Gordon, Jones-Drew, Magdziuk, Rank, Schein.
3) Myles Garrett (+600) | 3 votes: Abdoo, Hanzus, Shook.
4) Nick Bosa (+1100) | 2 votes: Florio, Gonzales.
T-5) Sauce Gardner (+1200) | 1 vote: Sessler.
T-5) Roquan Smith (+4000) | 1 vote: Frazier.
T-5) Pat Surtain II (+4000) | 1 vote: Bhanpuri.
Why Jeffri Chadiha chose Micah Parsons: Parsons has been one of the league's most disruptive defenders in each of his first two pro campaigns. His penchant for game-changing plays and devastating sacks will earn him the hardware in Year 3.
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
(26 votes: Abdoo, Band, Battista, Bhanpuri, Chadiha, Edholm, Filice, Frazier, Gonzales, Gordon, Grant, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew, Magdziuk, Mariucci, Okada, Parr, Patra, Rank, Reuter, Rosenthal, Schein, Sessler, Shook, Walker, Zierlein.)
T-2) Anthony Richardson (+650) | 3 votes: Blair, Florio, Hanzus.
T-2 Bryce Young (+450) | 3 votes: Cersosimo, Kownack, Ross.
T-4) Zay Flowers (+1600) | 1 vote: Bergman.
T-4) Jahmyr Gibbs (+1000) | 1 vote: Baca.
Why Judy Battista chose Bijan Robinson: The Falcons ran the ball quite often last season -- finishing third in rushing yards -- and that was before they spent a top-10 pick on a back, so there is no reason to think they will abandon that strategy now that they can line up Robinson behind one of the game's better offensive lines. Combine that with Robinson's ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and beat defenders in space, and the new face of the Falcons will be the first running back to win this award since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
(12 votes: Band, Florio, Frazier, Grant, Hanzus, Jones-Drew, Kownack, Magdziuk, Okada, Ross, Schein, Walker.)
2) Will Anderson Jr. (+500) | 11 votes: Battista, Blair, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Edholm, Gonzales, Holzman-Escareno, Patra, Rank, Reuter, Zierlein.
3) Brian Branch (+3000) | 3 votes: Bhanpuri, Filice, Rosenthal.
T-4) Will McDonald IV (+2500) | 2 votes: Gordon, Parr.
T-4) Joey Porter Jr. (+2200) | 2 votes: Sessler, Shook.
T-6) Deonte Banks (+2200) | 1 vote: Abdoo.
T-6) Emmanuel Forbes (+1500) | 1 vote: Bergman.
T-6) Nolan Smith (+2000) | 1 vote: Baca.
T-6) Devon Witherspoon (+700) | 1 vote: Mariucci.
Why Mike Band chose Jalen Carter: Not often does a rookie talent like Carter join an already loaded unit like the Eagles' defensive front. With Javon Hargrave now in San Francisco, Carter will see plenty of opportunities early on as a pass rusher. I went with Carter over Will Anderson Jr., specifically, because I expect Philadelphia to be playing with a lead far more regularly than Houston, thus giving the Eagles rookie a whole bunch of snaps to really pin his ears back and get after the quarterback.
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
(22 votes: Abdoo, Band, Battista, Bergman, Bhanpuri, Edholm, Florio, Gordon, Hanzus, Holzman-Escareno, Kownack, Magdziuk, Okada, Parr, Patra, Rank, Reuter, Rosenthal, Sessler, Shook, Walker, Zierlein.)
2) Calvin Ridley | 6 votes: Cersosimo, Chadiha, Filice, Grant, Jones-Drew, Schein.
3) Lamar Jackson | 2 votes: Blair, Ross.
T-4) Odell Beckham Jr. | 1 vote: Frazier.
T-4) Breece Hall | 1 vote: Mariucci.
T-4) John Metchie III | 1 vote: Baca.
T-4) Tua Tagovailoa | 1 vote: Gonzales.
*Caesars Sportsbook & Casino didn't offer betting lines on Comeback Player of the Year at publishing.
Why Nick Shook chose Damar Hamlin: Obviously, it would have been perfectly understandable if Hamlin had decided to retire after suffering a cardiac arrest on the field at Paycor Stadium last season. Instead, he’s returning to the field to finish the job he started years earlier. That determination alone makes this choice easy.
COACH OF THE YEAR
(7 votes: Bhanpuri, Blair, Cersosimo, Chadiha, Mariucci, Parr, Zierlein.)
2) Mike Tomlin (+1800) | 5 votes: Band, Filice, Hanzus, Kownack, Ross.
3) Dan Campbell (+1000) | 4 votes: Battista, Okada, Reuter, Walker.
T-4) Matt LaFleur (+1400) | 3 votes: Bergman, Gordon, Patra.
T-4) Doug Pederson (+1500) | 3 votes: Grant, Holzman-Escareno, Jones-Drew.
T-6) Mike McDaniel (+1800) | 2 votes: Gonzales, Shook.
T-6) Arthur Smith (+1000) | 2 votes: Abdoo, Sessler.
T-6) Brandon Staley (+2200) | 2 votes: Florio, Frazier.
T-9) Matt Eberflus (+1300) | 1 vote: Magdziuk.
T-9) Sean Payton (+1200) | 1 vote: Edholm.
T-9) Ron Rivera (+4000) | 1 vote: Rosenthal.
T-9) DeMeco Ryans (+2000) | 1 vote: Baca.
T-9) Kyle Shanahan (+3000) | 1 vote: Schein.
T-9) Zac Taylor (+2200) | 1 vote: Rank.
Why Steve Mariucci chose Robert Saleh: After inheriting a two-win, talent-poor team in 2021, Saleh now has the Jets in position to make major waves in 2023. Embodying the personality of this group, the passionate head man is poised to lead the franchise back to the postseason for the first time since the 2010 campaign and earn much-deserved recognition for helping turn it around in just three seasons at the helm.