Quarter-Season NFL Awards Rankings

We are about a quarter into the NFL season so you know what that means...award predictions! We will likely revisit this list every quarter of the season that passes just to give an idea of where everything stands at each point in the season. We will have the top 3 for every major award. This is also revisiting the predictions we made right before week 1.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

3. Patrick Surtain II, Cornerback, Denver Broncos
In a year where a ton of rookie CBs have looked so good, Patrick Surtain is right there for the best. The son of former NFL legend Patrick Surtain Sr. is picking up right where his dad left off. Surtain has been lockdown since entering the starting lineup for Ronald Darby in week 2. He has a pick already and has held opposing passers to a minuscule rating when he is targeted. Safe to say that Denver has it's CB1 of the future.

2. Asante Samuel Jr., Cornerback, Los Angeles Chargers
A non-first round player I was super high on going into the draft and then into the season was Asante Samuel Jr., you can now see why. He has been the best rookie CB out of this amazing class that consists of already studs like Surtain, Eric Stokes, Greg Newsome, Jaycee Horn, and more. Samuel already has 2 INTs along with 5 pass deflections. Those are elite numbers through four games for any CB let alone a rookie. He is blossoming into the Chargers next great CB1. Oh yeah, and with his 13 tackles it has been evident that he is one of the best tackling corners we've seen in awhile as well. What a steal the Chargers got with him in the second round. 

The Winner: Micah Parsons, Linebacker/Edge Rusher, Dallas Cowboys
By just a hair, we give the winning nod to Parsons over Samuel. He has been box office to say the least. Everyone watches him on the Cowboys D and is impressed. He lines up all over the place and gives elite production. He could maybe be considered a bigger version of Jamal Adams. With 2.5 sacks and 3 TFLs he is among the best pass rushers in the league so far but he also has 17 total tackles which shows his skill at LB. His numbers should soar even higher with fellow LB Jaylon Smith on his way from Dallas to Green Bay. 
Preseason top 3: Odafe Oweh (Ravens), Jamin Davis (Washington), Jaelan Phillips (Dolphins)

Offensive Rookie of the Year

3. Rashawn Slater, Tackle, Los Angeles Chargers
Slater would be higher, maybe even no. 1, if he wasn't an O-lineman. That might sound weird because that's his position by OL just don't win this award no matter how good they are. Slater has a chance to change that. Through 4 weeks he is looking like the best rookie tackle I may have ever seen. He is yet to allow a sack at the NFL level and has just 1 penalty which is all the more impressive for a rook. The Chargers have one of the best tackles in the NFL for the next decade-plus.

2. Mac Jones, Quarterback, New England Patriots
Out of all the rookie QBs in this impressive class, who would have thought Jones would be by far the best one right out of the gate. While he isn't anything insane compared to the Kyler Murray's or Justin Herbert's of the last few years, he definitely is the franchise QB of the Patriots for the future. He has looked so poised and unstressed behind center for the Pats. He went toe to toe with Tom Brady in week 4 and deserved the win. He's been that impressive. 1000+ yards passing, 4 TDs, 4 picks. 

The Winner: Ja'Marr Chase, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
No one saw this coming out of the pre-season. Chase was regarded as a joke after his drop-heavy pre-season in which some already labeled the top 5 pick a bust before touching the gridiron in a regular season game. It's safe to say everyone was very wrong on the now rising star wideout. Chase through 4 games already has 17 grabs for 297 yards and 4 TDs. He looks like he will be a top 5 WR in no time. So much for him being a bust, he is on his way to winning ROY with probably the best rookie WR season since OBJ.
Preseason top 3: Trey Lance (49ers), Najee Harris (Steelers), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)

Coach of the Year

3. Matt Rhule, Carolina Panthers
There a lot of candidates early on for this award as one can imagine so weeding it out to our top 3 was tough, but Matt Rhule barely gets our nod over some other names. The Panthers took a bit of a flier on a college coach known for rebuilding programs and bringing them to glory. They hoped he could do the same with their team. He is in the process of doing so right now. Rhule has his Panthers team off to a hot 3-1 start and looking like they will only get better. Some of the moves he has made have already paid off big-time. If he doesn't win it this year, he probably will in the future. 

2. Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals
It's taken him some time, but the Cardinals under his guidance finally look like they are taking the next step we have been waiting for. He took somewhat of a risk when he took Kyler Murray no. 1 overall a few years back and gave up on Josh Rosen so quickly but man was that a good choice. His Cardinals lead by Murray are the league's last remaining unbeaten.

The Winner: Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers
Our pre-season pick for the award remains after 4 weeks. Brandon Staley has done an amazing job so far as the Chargers' head coach. Through 4 weeks he has led the team to three wins against really good teams. We wanted to see if he really was a defensive genius and not a one-year fluke and it is turning out to be genius. The Chargers D has ascended to one of the best in the league while the Rams' D in which he coordinated last year has fallen statistically to near the bottom.
Preseason top 3: Sean Payton (Saints), Ron Rivera (Washington), Staley

Offensive Player of the Year

3. Deebo Samuel, Wide Receiver, San Fransisco 49ers
Deebo Samuel is another one of those guys that no one would have seen coming for this list back before the season. Sure, he's a good young player, but no one expected him to begin the year with this kind of production. Through just 4 games, Samuel has 490 receiving yards along with 3 TDs. That puts him on pace for over 2000 receiving yards. That would break the current NFL record in a single season (Calvin Johnson). While this pace is very unlikely to be held, there should still be something said for it. If Samuel can get to 1500+ yards, this award has a good chance of being his. Trey Lance is taking over the starting job which could bode even better for his chances.

2. Cooper Kupp, Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Rams
Same with Samuel, who would have predicted this before the season for Kupp. Kupp has instantly become Matt Stafford's go-to WR on the Rams. This high scoring offense gives Kupp so many opportunities for big plays and scoring chances. He has made the most of every opportunity. Kupp leads the NFL with 523 yards (through 5 games though, Samuel only has played 4) and also has 5 receiving TDs. He too is on pace for well over 1500 yards and 15 TDs. The pace will likely not continue, but Kupp has been borderline unstoppable on the Rams this season. As of now, he has a really good shot at this award.

The Winner: Derrick Henry, Running Back, Tennessee Titans
Some things never change, and Derrick Henry in the lead for OPOY is one of them. Henry takes the term 'workhorse' to new heights. He already has over 110 carries through 4 weeks. He is pretty much a lock for 100 yards every week on the ground. With 510 through 4 games, he has a good chance to go over 2k yards again. He is a future hall of famer. In this era of the NFL, what he is doing is overheard of. He put the league back on notice with his 40 touch, 200+ yard game at Seattle in week 2. Henry will not be stopped.
Preseason top 3: Henry, Travis Kelce (Chiefs), Alvin Kamara (Saints)

Defensive Player of the Year

3. Bobby Wagner, Linebacker, Seattle Seahawks
While it's been a pretty rough start to the season for Seattle, Bobby Wagner is off to potentially the best start of his hall of fame career. With 58 total tackles through 5 games, he is currently on pace to break Patrick Willis' single season tackle record. Along with his whopping 58 tackles, Wagner also has a sack and 2 pass deflections. Pretty amazing stuff from a 31 year old linebacker who many figured to be on the decline. If he breaks that tackle record, he has a great shot of winning his first DPOY of his career.

2. Trevon Diggs, Cornerback, Dallas Cowboys
I wanted to put Diggs at no. 1 so badly, but it's going to be very hard for him to continue to live up to the pace he has created for himself through 4 games. In just 4 games, Diggs already has 5 interceptions. He's had at least 1 in every game so far this season and has given Dallas their guy in a weak secondary. The second-year CB is developing into the elite ballhawk that he was drafted to be a season ago. Diggs would be on pace for 10+ picks and it can happen, but picks are pretty hard stats to continue. It's random if you will get a pickable ball thrown your way. While this start is completely unbelievable, it is unlikely to continue at such a hot level. Diggs very well could, but I don't see it happening. He has a real shot at DPOY, but there is one guy I see with better chances than him right now.

The Winner: Myles Garrett, Edge Rusher, Cleveland Browns
The former no. 1 overall pick in the draft is finally having that season in which he is just the best defensive player in the league. When you take a rusher with the top draft choice, you expect him to have many of these seasons, and it looks like it could be the first of many for Garrett. Through 4 games, Garrett has 6 sacks which leads the NFL and is well on his way to 15+ in the season. The DPOY award is dominated by EDGE rushers which gives Garrett the current slight edge over Trevon Diggs. As of now, they are neck and neck, but I expect Garrett to pull away with more elite production over the next few months of the season.
Preseason top 3: Jamal Adams (Seahawks), Garrett, TJ Watt (Steelers)

MVP

3. Josh Allen, Quarterback, Buffalo Bills
Last season's MVP runner-up is back in the thick of the race a quarter into 2021. While it's pretty much a toss-up between the Bills and Cardinals for the best team in the NFL, Allen can say he's the QB of one of the top 2 teams. That will get you far in an MVP race. He also is looking even better than he did in his breakout 2020 campaign. With already over 1000 pass yards along with 9 TD passes and just 2 picks, Allen is picking right back up where he left off last season. If the Bills keep proving they are the best team in the sport and Allen continues to deal, he will have a great case by the year's end.

2. Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs
While the Chiefs as a team have taken a clear step back this season, Mahomes has not. With a whopping 14 TD passes already, Mahomes leads the league in that important stat by a wide margin. Mahomes is still probably the best player in the NFL skill-wise and will always be in the conversation. If he continues to lead the league in TD passes by this much, he will probably end the season as the MVP if the Chiefs make the playoffs. As of this current moment, there is just one better player.

The Winner: Kyler Murray, Quarterback, Arizona Cardinals
We all saw another jump coming for Kyler Murray this season, I don't think many expected it to have him as the clear MVP favorite through the first quarter of the new season. Kyler Murray has been nothing short of extraordinary so far. He is the QB of the last unbeaten NFL team. With 9 passing TDs along with another 3 on the ground and 1270 pass yards, Murray is the obvious winner right now. If the Cardinals keep winning with him playing this well, the former no. 1 overall pick will secure his first career NFL MVP award. He is possibly the most fun player to watch in the entire league right now with his unique dual-threat ability. 
Preseason top 3: Allen, Mahomes, Russell Wilson (Seahawks)