NFL Awards and Super Bowl Predictions

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Garrett Wilson

This year’s NFL Draft was very favorable to the defensive side of the ball. It took until the eighth pick for Drake London, the first position player to get drafted. With the 10th pick, the Jets selected Ohio State wide receiver, Garrett Wilson. Wilson was electric in college and has a chance to be the number one wide receiver on the Jets. Five other receivers have a solid shot at winning this award, one being Drake London. Selected by the Falcons, London was the one receiver drafted ahead of Wilson. While I think London has a higher ceiling and could be a better receiver, the Falcons have a quarterback mess that will hold London back until fixed. The Jets are a very promising team with QB Zach Wilson poised to take a massive leap in 2022. This award is a toss-up because, among the rookies, there are tons of unknowns on the offensive side of the ball.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson

This award was tough to decide upon. The NFL draft was so loaded with defensive talent that the first five picks were all players on defense. It’s easier to win a defensive award when you are a pass rusher, so as much as I think Sauce Gardner will be amazing, he won’t have the stats to prove it as the pass rushers will. With the first pick, the Jaguars selected edge rusher, Travon Walker. While he could be a very good player, I think they should have picked Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson was top tier in college and ended up being a Heisman finalist. Because the Jaguars passed on him, the Lions took Hutchinson, the obvious pick especially because he is from Michigan and attended the University of Michigan. Aidan Hutchinson’s college dominance will stick with him in the NFL, and he will make a big impact right away.

Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Jefferson

This award can be handed to any position on the offense, but has recently favored the wide receiver and running back positions. There are a couple of clear candidates that I could see winning this award. First, one that comes to my mind is the reigning offensive player of the year and super bowl MVP, Cooper Kupp. This is an obvious pick to win this award, because last year he pulled off the triple crown, leading the league in receptions, touchdowns, and receiving yards. Only an exclusive group of receivers have pulled this off, one of them being Jerry Rice. The second player I could see winning this award is Jonathan Taylor. Taylor took the league by storm in 2021, ending as the best running back in the entire NFL.  While I think Jonathan Taylor will be amazing again, running backs have to dominate the league to stand a chance. The last running back to win this award is Derrick Henry, who rushed for over 2000 yards. That is more than Jonathan Taylor rushed for last year, and it’s tough to do what Taylor did two years in a row. A third candidate is Ja’Marr Chase, who had the greatest rookie receiving season of all time. Even though he has a good chance, I feel the depth at the Bengals’ wide receiver position will get him fewer chances at the ball than other players. My selection for this award is none other than Justin Jefferson. Justin Jefferson has been on pace to be one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. He went from a record-breaking rookie season to an even better sophomore season. I think Justin Jefferson will break out even more with the Vikings’ new head coach, Kevin O’Connell. He has made it clear that they will have a pass-heavy offense, which will be a big change from the Vikings’ run-heavy offense in 2021. Justin Jefferson will prove he’s the best offensive player in the NFL.

Defensive Player of the Year: Joey Bosa

It’s about time Joey Bosa wins this award. He has been a dominant force on the defensive side of the ball since his rookie season. He is almost always a sack machine. This year though, he will break out. I know it sounds crazy to say Joey Bosa will break out, especially because he has already broken out, but I think he can take it to a whole new level this season. This could all happen because of one signing the Chargers made in the offseason, Khalil Mack. Now that Mack is on the same defense as Bosa, teams will have to stop double-teaming Bosa, which will lead to Bosa taking over. This year could be a significant year for Joey Bosa.

Most Valuable Player: Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow hasn’t gotten a break. From tearing his ACL and MCL in his rookie season to dislocating his finger, not missing a single snap that game, and twisting his knee later in the same season. Most of these injuries all happened because of one cause, an awful offensive line. This past offseason the Bengals fixed their o-line tremendously. While I could see this award going to players like Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, or Josh Allen, I think the Bengals’ offensive weapons are on another level than any other team and will help propel Burrow to the top. Last year Burrow shocked the world, taking the Bengals to the Super Bowl in just his second season. I think he will shock the world again, leaping from star quarterback to the most valuable player in the entire NFL.

SUPER BOWL PREDICTION: EAGLES VS. CHARGERS

There are so many teams that I could see making the super bowl, specifically in the AFC. There is no denying they are the better conference because they loaded up this off-season. In the end, there was one team that was already good but got even better during the off-season. That team would be the Los Angeles Chargers. I was shocked to see the Chargers miss the playoffs in 2021 because their team was loaded on all ends of the football. It seemed like they couldn’t improve their roster, for it was one of the best looking in football, but they did. Not just did they extend all-pro safety Derwin James to make him the highest-paid safety of all time, but they also traded for Khalil Mack to pair him with linebacker Joey Bosa. That pass rush will be elite. Then they did, even more, signing star cornerback, JC Jackson. That defense is looking like one of the scariest in the NFL. Their defense is stacked, but let’s not forget about their offense. Star third-year quarterback Justin Herbert will be throwing the ball to two elite wide receivers, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Also, they have running back Austin Ekeler, who has been one of the best receiving backs in the entire NFL.

The team that I predict will come out of the NFC is a team that made a lot of big moves during the offseason. That team is the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2021, The Eagles were alright, finishing with a record of 9-8 and losing in the first round of the playoffs. Even though they lost, they showed a lot of promise. During the NFL draft, the Eagles were the winner of the biggest trade in the entire draft. They only traded their 18th overall pick to receive young star receiver, AJ Brown from the Tennesee Titans. The next big move the Eagles made was signing cornerback James Bradberry. Bradberry is a 1x pro bowler who will be a big addition to the Eagles’ secondary. The final big move they made was trading almost nothing for saints cornerback CJ Gardner-Johnson. Gardner-Johnson has been one of the top slot cornerbacks in the league. Pairing Bradberry and Gardner-Johnson with Eagles all-pro cornerback Darius Slay will make for a scary defense for opposing teams. The only thing that could hold the Eagles back in their third-year quarterback, Jalen Hurts. Hurts hasn’t been bad, but it is not like he’s been spectacular either.

In the end, the Chargers will pull away proving to be the better team. They are better than the Eagles in almost every position except for cornerback. It will be clear by the end of the season that the Chargers are the best team in the NFL on every side of the football, and for the second year in a row, the Lombardi Trophy will be heading to Los Angeles.

Super Bowl LVII Champions: Los Angeles Chargers