NFL award rankings: Race heating up for MVP, rookie honors, more

The races for the league's most prestigious individual awards are starting to heat up with the 2024 NFL season past its halfway mark, including the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Here's a look at the five best candidates for the main awards.

Coach of the Year

5. Jim Harbaugh, Chargers

The Chargers aren't yet AFC powerhouses like the Chiefs, Ravens, and Bills, but Harbaugh is building a very competitive team. At 6-3, Los Angeles comfortably owns the conference's No. 6 seed. It felt like the Chargers were years away from contending when they hired Harbaugh in the offseason, but the veteran coach and his staff have done a solid job at installing a new system around quarterback Justin Herbert while getting the most out of their defensive unit.

4. Kevin O'Connell, Vikings

Nobody actually thought before the season that the Vikings would be 7-2 with a top-10 scoring offense and defense after 10 weeks. But here they are. O'Connell's offensive scheme has put veterans like quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Aaron Jones in a position to succeed. That, combined with Brian Flores' impressive defensive unit, explains why the Vikings have one of the NFC's best records after a 7-10 season in 2023.

3. Dan Campbell, Lions

The Lions may be football's best team, and Campbell deserves a lot of credit for that. One of the league's most aggressive head coaches, Campbell has helped turn Detroit into a juggernaut, as the club is 8-1 after winning 12 games last year. The 2024 Lions don't have many weaknesses and have been must-watch TV due to their aggressiveness and creativeness under Campbell and his staff.

2. Dan Quinn, Commanders

Overachieving is the key word when it comes to the Coach of the Year race, and Quinn has done it at a great level in 2024. The Commanders boast a top-five offense under Quinn, while their defense ranks 12th in points and 14th in yards allowed, up from 32nd in 2023. Coming off a four-win campaign, Washington is 7-3 and a surprise NFC contender with rookie Jayden Daniels at QB.

1. Mike Tomlin, Steelers

Tomlin is only two victories away from securing another winning campaign and extending the record for the most consecutive non-losing seasons to begin a coaching career (17). Only this time, he may have his most dangerous team in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. Tomlin's defense remains extremely solid and the offense improved with Russell Wilson, who became the starter in Week 7 over Justin Fields in a widely criticized decision. But Tomlin was right about his QBs, and his outfit is now 7-2 after recently beating Quinn's Commanders.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

5. Braden Fiske, Rams

It's impossible to replace Aaron Donald, but Fiske has stood out as a member of L.A.'s defensive line. The second-round pick ranks in the top three for total pressures among rookies and posted the best game of his young NFL career in Week 9, dominating the Seahawks with two sacks and two tackles for loss to help the Rams claim a crucial win.

4. Edgerrin Cooper, Packers

Cooper has earned more snaps as the season's progressed. It's only a matter of time until he becomes Green Bay's most reliable off-ball linebacker. The 22-year-old has amassed 44 tackles (five for loss), 2.5 sacks, and two pass breakups. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after finishing Week 9 - his first NFL start - with nine tackles, one sack, one QB hit, and one forced fumble.

3. Quinyon Mitchell, Eagles

Mitchell's freshman campaign lacks flashy plays, and he's yet to register an interception. That said, the Toledo product has been a reliable member of the Eagles' secondary thanks to his standout coverage skills. He's recorded 30 tackles and eight pass breakups while allowing an 80.3 passer rating on 40 targets.

2. Laiatu Latu, Colts

Latu is a work in progress against the run, but the No. 15 pick - who was the first defender taken in 2024 - is one of Indy's most disruptive pass-rushers. He ranks third among rookies in total pressures, according to TruMedia. Latu has also posted two sacks, one pass breakup, and two forced fumbles, including a crucial one in the fourth quarter in a win against the Bears in Week 3.

1. Jared Verse, Rams

Verse has been the NFL's best rookie defender, and it's not close. The 19th overall pick is already a cornerstone of a rebuilding Rams defense, as he leads all first-year players in pressures and sacks. The promising edge rusher has racked up 37 tackles (11 for loss), 14 QB hits, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in nine games.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

5. Bo Nix, Broncos

Broncos fans should be happy with what they've seen from Nix. Yes, he'll have roller-coaster performances. However, the first-round QB has shown improvement after a shaky first month in the NFL. Nix accounted for six touchdowns (five passing) against just one interception in his last three games. He also posted a passer rating of at least 115 on two occasions in that span.

4. Malik Nabers, Giants

Nabers is the best player in a Giants offense that clearly limits his potential. The No. 6 pick tops all rookie WRs with 61 catches and 607 receiving yards (tied with Brian Thomas Jr.) despite missing two games with a concussion. The former LSU star was a stronger OROY contender early on after posting two 100-yard outings in his first four games, but he hasn't topped that mark since September.

3. Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars

Don't let Jacksonville's disappointing season fool you: Thomas has been the sport's most consistent rookie wideout after 10 weeks. The first-rounder leads all first-year players with 607 receiving yards while ranking second with five TD catches (behind Marvin Harrison Jr.). Thomas also ranks ninth in the league in yards per reception (16.4) and second in yards per target, via TruMedia.

2. Brock Bowers, Raiders

Bowers is another standout rookie who's managed to succeed despite playing in a subpar offensive unit. In addition to being a solid run-blocker, the former Georgia stud places second among first-year pass-catchers and seventh overall with 57 receptions. Bowers' 580 receiving yards lead all tight ends this year.

1. Jayden Daniels, Commanders

Daniels is running away with this award. For the second straight year, a quarterback taken second overall enters the second half of the season as the heavy favorite to claim Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Daniels, like C.J. Stroud last year, has enjoyed a magical start to his career and established himself as one of the league's premier young QBs while making history along the way (more on that in the MVP section).

Defensive Player of the Year

5. Will Anderson, Texans

Anderson has basically missed Houston's last two games after injuring his ankle early in Week 9. But the second-year edge rusher was nearly unstoppable before that, racking up 11 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, and 7.5 sacks. Anderson had at least one sack in five of his first eight games, including a three-sack in Week 6. He was also the AFC Defensive Player of the Month in October.

4. Xavier McKinney, Packers

McKinney's first season with Green Bay has been a major success. The explosive defensive back has recorded one interception in six different games and played every defensive snap while totaling 42 tackles, seven pass breakups, and one sack. Thanks to McKinney, the Packers already have more takeaways this year (19) than they did in all of 2023 (18).

3. Dexter Lawrence, Giants

Most nose tackles would be happy with nine sacks in a five-season span. Lawrence has nine in 10 games this year. He's arguably the sport's most disruptive interior lineman and is on track to earn a first-team All-Pro berth for the first time after consecutive second-team selections in 2022 and '23.

2. Trey Hendrickson, Bengals

Cincinnati's defense has mostly struggled in 2024, but things would've been worse if not for Hendrickson. The 29-year-old leads the NFL in sacks (11), tackles for loss (12), and pressures (52), according to PFF. The three-time Pro Bowler - who set a career high with 17.5 sacks last season - could flirt with 20 sacks this year if he keeps up with his pace.

1. T.J. Watt, Steelers

It's impossible to imagine the Steelers boasting an excellent defense without Watt. A former winner and perennial DPOY contender, Watt remains a premier edge rusher who's elite against the run and can impact the game in more ways than any other NFL defender. His 6.5 sacks in nine games may be relatively low by his standards, but he's totaled 16 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles - the most in the league. Three of Watt's sacks, as well as two forced fumbles and one recovery, happened in the fourth quarter this year when Pittsburgh needed it the most.

MVP

5. Jared Goff, Lions

Goff quarterbacked a wild Week 10 comeback that was marked by his five interceptions. The uncharacteristically bad game in what's otherwise been an excellent season hurts his MVP case, but it shouldn't end the race for him. From Weeks 3-9, he posted an 82.8% completion rate with a 140.1 passer rating, the highest marks in any six-game span in NFL history. The veteran QB will need the Lions' offense to be flawless again to move up in these rankings.

4. Jayden Daniels, Commanders

The Commanders haven't had a winning season since 2016 but have already won seven games in 2024 while boasting a top-five offense. Multiple factors have led to this seismic change, but Daniels is the biggest one. The new franchise QB has amazed NFL fans with spectacular moments like his Hail Mary TD pass in Week 8 and set multiple rookie records, including for single-game completion percentage (91.3%). Overall, the No. 2 pick has completed 68.7% of his passes with nine touchdown passes to two interceptions. Daniels has also added 464 yards and four TDs rushing.

3. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

Mahomes hasn't played his best football, and his 12 TDs to nine INTs show that. He's actually completing 69.9% of his passes - which would be a career single-season high - but that's also because of his low average depth of target. Still, Mahomes remains the sport's most clutch QB and is in charge of the NFL's only undefeated team. He leads the league in EPA/dropback on third- and fourth-down situations, via TruMedia.

2. Josh Allen, Bills

Allen is the heart and soul of a Bills offense that once again ranks among the league's best units. The star signal-caller - who leads the NFL in big-time throws, according to PFF - has accounted for 21 TDs (17 passing) while throwing four INTs. If not for a couple of poor performances, including one against our MVP favorite, Allen would've had a shot at being No. 1.

1. Lamar Jackson, Ravens

New year, same Lamar. The NFL's best dual-threat quarterback, Jackson is the sport's most efficient passer right now. He leads the league in TD passes, passer rating, yards per pass attempt, EPA/play, and rushing yards among QBs. He's second for passing yards. If the season ended today, there's no question Jackson would take home his third career NFL MVP award, the second in a row.