An early look at MVP, Rookie of the Year, and the other awards for the 2020-2021 NFL Season

As we approach Week 7 of the NFL season, more and more teams have begun to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack in terms of their skill and likelihood to make a deep playoff run. Of course, some of these teams are receiving immense help from their stars, so I figured it would be a good idea to take an early look at some of the candidates for season awards thus far.

Here’s the format: I will give the top three picks for that award and include three honorable mentions at the end of the section.

Most Valuable Player

Russell Wilson (QB, Seattle Seahawks)

Wilson has been an absolute monster on the field this season. He got off to a historic start in the first three weeks, throwing 14 touchdowns, an NFL-record. He’s added five more touchdowns in the past two weeks as well, landing himself the top spot in the league for passing touchdowns with 19. Wilson also leads the league in passer rating, averaging a whopping 129.8 rating per game, and is 3rd in the league for both passing yards and completion percentage. The point is, Russell Wilson has been stellar this season, and his play has clearly paid off with the Seahawks being 5-0 and one of the best teams in football.

Aaron Rodgers (QB, Green Bay Packers)

Aaron Rodgers is playing like he is in his prime. His stellar performance up to Week 4 (the Packers had a bye Week 5) showed that Rodgers was still an elite quarterback in the league. Though he had a subpar performance against the Bucs this week, passing it off as a fluke is a pretty viable excuse here considering the entire Packers squad fell apart following the first quarter. Rodgers is currently 5th in the league for passer rating with an average of 109.7 a game, and is averaging over 300 yards per game despite missing his elite wide receiver Davante Adams for two of the four games the Packers played. Perhaps the most astonishing thing about Rodgers is his touchdown to interception ratio. He has thrown 13 touchdowns and has had just two interceptions, the latter being only to the Bucs. It’s clear why Aaron Rodgers landed a spot so high, and he can definitely win the MVP this year if he continues putting up these kinds of numbers.

Patrick Mahomes (QB, Kansas City Chiefs)

In my opinion, Patrick Mahomes is the most talented quarterback the league has ever seen. Pair that talent with Andy Reid, and the sky's the limit for this young superstar. Mahomes is 5th in the league in passing yards, with 1699 yards (283 per game), 3rd in touchdowns, 4th in average passer rating (107.3), and has only thrown 1 interception, which is the lowest amount in the league among passers with 45+ attempts. Both Mahomes’s stats and playmaking abilities are all coming together to create a player who has a serious shot at another MVP this season.

Honorable Mentions: Josh Allen (QB, Bills), Lamar Jackson (QB, Ravens), Alvin Kamara (RB, Saints)

Rookie of the Year

Justin Herbert (QB, Los Angeles Chargers)

Justin Herbert started out the season disappointingly, not even winning the starting role for Week 1. When Tyrod Taylor went down with an injury, however, Herbert was given the starting job and never let go. Herbert is averaging 298 yards per game and a 107.1 passer rating, both of which puts him at the top among rookies. On top of that, he is leading the rookie QB class in competition percentage and has thrown the least number of interceptions this season among rookies.

CeeDee Lamb (WR, Dallas Cowboys)

The Cowboys organization has to be really excited about the future with CeeDee Lamb. CeeDee has been phenomenal this year averaging 82.8 yards per game, which is good for 7th in the league and better than notable pass-catchers like DK Metcalf, Allen Robinson, and Tyreek Hill. Dak Prescott’s horrific injury in Week 5 may lead to CeeDee regressing in production as the year goes on, but as of now, Lamb is the best rookie wide receiver in the league with the possible exception of Justin Jefferson. The stat that puts CeeDee over Jefferson for me is the fact that he leads rookies in both targets and receptions. CeeDee was clearly a steal and is paying dividends already for the Cowboys.

Antoine Winfield Jr. (S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Antoine Winfield is looking like a star safety this year. While his position may read safety on paper, his ability to put pressure everywhere on the field has helped push the Buccaneer’s defense to an elite level. Running a 4.45 40-yard dash, Winfield is able to force himself into the backfield and consistently makes huge plays for the Bucs. In just one game against the Panthers, he had two sacks, three quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss. On top of that, he forced a fumble that led to a touchdown. Winfield is averaging just under six tackles per game as well. He is the highest graded rookie safety in the NFL and is the 6th highest in the league. Antoine Winfield is the swiss army knife of the Buccaneers defense and he will continue to improve as he gets more NFL experience.

Honorable Mentions: Joe Burrow (QB, Bengals), James Robinson (RB, Jaguars), Justin Jefferson (WR, Vikings)

‍Offensive Player of the Year

I am going to omit this award for the sole reason that these awards almost always go to a quarterback, so it’s just going to be a repeat of my MVP predictions.

Defensive Player of the Year

Aaron Donald (DT, Los Angeles Rams)

Every quarterback in the league is afraid of Aaron Donald. Every lineman in the league is afraid of Aaron Donald. Standing at 6 foot 1 and made of 284 pounds of muscle, Donald is an all-around beast and he’s proved it this year. Donald recorded seven-and-a-half sacks this season (leads the league) and has nine tackles for loss (also leads the league). He also ties for second in the league for two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. It’s clear why Donald is my favorite (and Vegas’s favorite) for DPOY.

Myles Garrett (DE, Cleveland Browns)

Like Aaron Donald, Garrett is a force to be reckoned with. He is half a sack behind Donald, averaging seven sacks on the year (2nd in the league). He leads the league in forced fumbles and fumble recoveries as well. And, he leads all defensive ends and tackles in solo tackles. Garrett has been extremely effective pressuring the QB, as well as being a menace in opposing squad’s run games.

T.J. Watt (LB, Pittsburgh Steelers)

TJ Watt is on one of the best defenses in the league and has been an absolute stud this year. He is 4th among linebackers in sacks (4.5) and leads the league in tackles for loss (10). His ability to disrupt the pass and run game are both second to none, making him a scary dual threat. TJ Watt’s stellar performances this season has helped elevate the Steelers to the highest-ranked defensive line in the league, and is a big reason why the Steelers are sitting at a 5-0 record.

Honorable Mentions: Jason Pierre-Paul (LB, Buccaneers), Bud Dupree (LB, Steelers), Emmanuel Ogbah (DE, Dolphins)