PFT's 2023 midseason NFL awards
The season now consists of 18 weeks. That makes (checks math) nine weeks the halfway point.
So with the season halfway home, why not hand out some awards based on the first 50 percent, roughly, of the 2023 campaign?
Currently, the ballots for the Associated Press awards based on the full season consist of five MVP finalists and three for the other awards. We'll follow that same approach here.
And here we go . . . .
Offensive rookie of the year: Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Stroud has performed like few other rookie quarterbacks in NFL history. He has been spectacular, and he seems to be only getting better. It's hard to imagine him not holding on and winning this one.
No. 2: Rams receiver Puka Nacua.
No. 3: Vikings receiver Jordan Addison.
Defensive rookie of the year: Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
He can do it all. He has already done it all. He could become a mixture of Ronde Barber and Troy Polamalu, sooner than later.
No. 2: Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
No. 3: Lions safety Brian Branch.
Offensive player of the year: Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill.
Hill has been phenomenal this season. He's still on pace to become the first player in NFL history with 2,000 or more receiving yards. And he continues to be a very real MVP candidate.
No. 2: Eagles receiver A.J. Brown.
No. 3: 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
Defensive player of the year: Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
He has been dominant this year. If the Browns somehow finagle the top seed in the AFC playoff field, Garrett could be the first MVP from the defensive side of the ball since Lawrence Taylor in 1986.
No. 2: Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.
No. 3: Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.
Coach of the year: Ravens coach John Harbaugh.
They scrapped the offense and installed a new one. And they instantly got better. Harbaugh, who has been one of the best coaches in the NFL since 2008, has done some of his finest work so far this year. In a season when too many "good" teams are barely beating lesser opponents, Harbaugh's Ravens have put the entire league on notice by recently blowing out a pair of the NFC's better teams, Detroit and Seattle.
No. 2: Jaguars coach Doug Pederson.
No. 3: Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell.
Comeback player of the year: Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
It was a given throughout the offseason that, if Hamlin somehow manages to return to the NFL and play in only one game after suffering cardiac arrest on the field in January, he'll be the unanimous comeback player of the year. Through half of the season, however, he has played in only one game. He has been a healthy scratch for Buffalo's eight other contests. For now, he's the choice. If he doesn't play much, or at all, during the second half of the season, it's going to be hard to make him the first choice for the final award.
No. 2: Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
No. 3: Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
MVP: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Jackson is making the transition from runner to thrower, and he's doing it incredibly well. He has completed a career-high 71.5 percent of his passes. He's still a threat as a runner. He's orchestrating a brand-new offense to perfection. And if the Ravens end up with the top seed in the AFC, he becomes a clear choice for his second MVP award.
No. 2: Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
No. 3: Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill.
No. 4: Eagles receiver A.J. Brown.
No. 5: Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
