Way too early NFL awards predictions, major dark horse takes home the MVP

We've reach that time of the year when the NFL season is about to be in full swing. All we need to do is get through camp and preseason and then we'll be watching NFL football for the next few months. It's going to be glorious.  With that in mind, it's time to make our […]

Mike Payton Detroit Lions Beat Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Las Vegas Raiders Maxx crosby
Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

We've reach that time of the year when the NFL season is about to be in full swing. All we need to do is get through camp and preseason and then we'll be watching NFL football for the next few months. It's going to be glorious. 

With that in mind, it's time to make our way too early NFL awards predictions. Last year we came close in a few categories. We either had guys that were nominated for the award or in the case of the  Defensive Rookie of the Year category, we nailed it. So now we're overly confident about our picks. Here's who we think is taking home awards this season. Let's start with the coaches. 

Assistant Coach of the Year: Ben Johnson

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson watches warm up before the Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson watches warm up before the Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023.Image via Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s surprising that Johnson has not taken this award home yet. He’s been the hottest head coaching candidate in the last two offseasons and he’s been very good at his job. He was nominated in the last two seasons, but this time he’s going to get it because the Lions should be at the top of their game and he should be highly sought after yet again.

Coach of the Year: Raheem Morris

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center.Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Morris has been a head coach before and it didn’t go too well. This time is going to be a lot different. The Falcons are set up for success and were largely a quarterback away from being a playoff team last year. They got that quarterback in Kirk Cousins. 

The Falcons should be the team that wins the NFC South this year and heads to the playoffs. That will be good enough to net Morris the award. 

Comeback Player of the Year: Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow
Cincinnati Bengals Sam Hubbard, (94), Joe Burrow (9) Logan Woodside (11) Cordell Volson (67) warm up during OTAs ( Organized Team Activities) Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at the Kettering Health Practice Fields outside of Paycor Stadium.© Cara Owsley/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Comeback Player of the Year award didn’t go to the guy that we thought it would go to last year. Instead Joe Flacco got it. This year it feels like a layup. The NFL and the national sports media loves this Joe Burrow kid. 

He's coming back from a season ending injury and the Bengals are expected to be a playoff team again with him back in the saddle. He'll likely put up a pretty good season and get this award for making that comeback. This was an easy pick. We'll see if some 38-year-old quarterback comes out of retirement and steals it away.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Laitu Latu

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Laiatu Latu poses after being selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the No. 15 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

This guy is going to be a problem in the NFL. Latu has about a million different moves and he’s proficient at all of them. His speed and athleticism is unmatched in this draft class. That’s why he was the first pass rusher off the board and the guy that broke the streak of 14 straight offensive draft picks. Latu should get double digit sacks in year one. 

He also has the advantage of this award pretty much always going to edge rushers. Five of the last six winners were coming after the quarterback. That includes last year's winner Will Anderson. 

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Caleb Williams

May 31, 2024; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) runs on the field during organized team activities at Halas Hall.
Caleb Williams (18) runs on the field during organized team activities at Halas Hall.Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

No rookie quarterback has a better setup than Williams. He gets to go out there with Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and D’Andre Swift. Like, how can you fail? 

Williams is still a rookie and he'll have to get over the rookie humps like every other rookie quarterback has. There's a lot more Bryce Young's than there are C.J. Strouds. Still, he should do enough with that support system to get him this award. 

Defensive Player of the Year: Maxx Crosby

Las Vegas Raiders Maxx Crosby
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The guy is a monster and he somehow just keeps getting better. This is the year he has the big huge career season. He really could be someone that nets 20 sacks in a season. He really just is that good. 

That's going to help him take home this award a year after being nominated for it and then losing to Browns' edge rusher Myles Garrett. Pass rushers have won 10 of the last 12 times. He'll be nominated again for sure. 

Offensive Player of the Year: Tyreek Hill

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) carries the ball during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) carries the ball during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

There aren’t a lot of players out there that when you see them take the field, all you can do is hope for the best. Hill is one of those guys. He’s going to make things happen and you just have to hope he has a bad day. 

He should have been nominated last year after leading the league in receiving yards, touchdowns and first downs. He cannot be stopped and should do it all again in 2024. This time he gets the award. 

NFL MVP: Jared Goff

jared goff
Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK

Look, you can blame Yahoo’s Frank Schwab for this one. He put it in incredibly simple terms. The quarterback from the first seeded team usually wins the award. Sometimes the second seed guy wins it. 

The Lions should be the team that holds down the first seed this year after coming an official's mistake in Dallas away from netting the second seed and having a chance to get the first seed last year. This is a much better Lions team than that one was. 

Goff has been in the MVP conversation all offseason long and now NFL execs are out here saying he's one the very best quarterbacks in the league and the number two guy in the NFC. The opinions have really changed on this guy. It should shock nobody if he pulls this off.