NFL MVP voting preview? Lamar Jackson leads AP All-Pro team with 45 of 50 votes as QB
The same panel that votes for the Associated Press' All-Pro team votes for MVP. It makes MVP pretty easy to figure out most years.
It's no surprise that Lamar Jackson might run away with the MVP award this season. The AP announced its All-Pro teams on Friday, and Jackson got 45 of 50 first-place votes. Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys got two votes each, and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills got one.
In other words, unless 20 or so voters believe Jackson is the first-team All-Pro quarterback but don't vote him MVP — or if a non-quarterback like Christian McCaffrey stunningly gets MVP — we just got confirmation that Jackson will be the MVP this season.
The first-team All-Pro team is a big honor for the players who get it. It's much more prestigious than the Pro Bowl team, which has multiple players at each position to fill out the roster. For All-Pro, there are just 12 players on offense, 12 on defense and specialists. This season, there were 14 players who were first-team All-Pro for the first time.
Four Dallas Cowboys made the team and three were first-time honorees. Receiver CeeDee Lamb got 49 of 50 votes and was joined on the team by fellow first-timers in cornerback DaRon Bland and kicker Brandon Aubrey. Guard Zack Martin was also on the first team.
Aaron Donald made some history. The Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle was named to the first team for the eighth time, tied for the most ever by a defensive player.
Here is the All-Pro first team, via Associated Press:
Offense
Quarterback: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore
Running back: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco
Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco
Tight end: George Kittle, San Francisco
Wide receivers: Tyreek Hill, Miami; CeeDee Lamb, Dallas; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit
Left tackle: Trent Williams, San Francisco
Left guard: Joe Thuney, Kansas City
Center: Jason Kelce, Philadelphia
Right guard: Zack Martin, Dallas
Right tackle: Penei Sewell, Detroit
Defense
Edge rushers: Myles Garrett, Cleveland; T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh
Interior linemen: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams; Chris Jones, Kansas City
Linebackers: Fred Warner, San Francisco; Roquan Smith, Baltimore; Quincy Williams; New York Jets
Cornerbacks: DaRon Bland, Dallas; Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
Slot cornerback: Trent McDuffie, Kansas City
Safeties: Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore; Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay
Special teams
Placekicker: Brandon Aubrey, Dallas
Punter: AJ Cole, Las Vegas
Kick returner: Keisean Nixon, Green Bay
Punt returner: Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans
Special teamer: Miles Killebrew, Pittsburgh
Long snapper: Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville
