NFL Award Predictions 2025-26: MVP, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and More

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NFL Award Predictions 2025-26: MVP, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and More

Matt Johnson · Sportsnaut

Fri, Aug 8, 2025 ·

7 min read

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The 2025 NFL season is closing in and there is a lot of excitement for what's to come. While the majority of focus is on team success, players will be the sources of a lot of the biggest storylines this season. From the class of top rookies to the best offensive and defensive players in the league, there are a lot of individual awards up for grabs this fall.

Let's dive into our preliminary NFL Award predictions for the upcoming season, including the first-ever Protector of the Year, which is awarded to the best offensive lineman.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ashton Jeanty , Las Vegas Raiders

NFL Award Predictions 2025 — Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

We're leading off our NFL award predictions by highlighting one of the favorites: Ashton Jeanty, who holds the best odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Las Vegas Raiders running back will be the centerpiece of an offense orchestrated by Chip Kelly, a maestro at drawing up an effective ground game. Jeanty is expected to carry a sizable workload, projected to surpass 1,100 scrimmage yards with double-digit touchdowns. Those numbers, especially as a rookie, should make him the clear frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Mike Green , Baltimore Ravens

We're taking the "chalk" picks for both Rookie of the Year honors. New York Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter is already impressing in his first NFL training camp, reminiscent of Jared Verse last season. Carter is also in a phenomenal situation. Offensive lines will be so focused on containing Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns that Carter will often get matchups on an island or come around the edge unblocked. There's at least a chance Carter could become the first rookie since Micah Parsons to record double-digit sacks, but we're more inclined to believe he'll match Aidan Hutchinson 's rookie mark of 9.5 sacks.

Comeback Player of the Year: Dak Prescott , Dallas Cowboys

There's a very compelling case for Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson to win Comeback Player of the Year. Ironically, he shares co-favorite status with the quarterback he sacked when suffering a fractured tibia and fibula. Right now, our pick is Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Keep in mind that Eric Berry is the only defensive player to win Comeback Player of the Year since 2008, and he was returning from Hodgkin's lymphoma. In the last 17 years, quarterbacks have won the award 13 times. Returning from a season-ending hamstring tendon tear, Prescott is expected to deliver 30-plus touchdowns and lead the Cowboys into playoff contention to earn CPOY.

Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots

NFL Award Predictions — Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

We typically wouldn't pick the person with the highest Coach of the Year odds to win, but there's a reason why Mike Vrabel is the obvious choice. The New England Patriots have won just eight games combined over the last two seasons, posting a –258 point differential during that span. Vrabel is a great defensive coach, inheriting a unit featuring Christian Gonzalez , Carlton Davis , Robert Spillane , Christian Barmore , and Milton Williams . Plus, Drake Maye already looks like a franchise-caliber quarterback. The defense and quarterback are solid enough for New England to perform very well, helped by arguably the easiest schedule in the NFL. If the Patriots win 8 or 9 games, Vrabel will have doubled the win total, making him the clear favorite to take home Coach of the Year.

Executive of the Year: Jason Licht, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Executive of the Year feels like one of the most flawed NFL awards right now. Lions ' general manager Brad Holmes won it for the second consecutive year last season. Detroit finished with the league's best record (15-2), but a lot of that was returning talent from the same roster that deservedly earned Holmes the award in 2023. The winner should have been Howie Roseman, whose team went 14-3 thanks to the additions of Saquon Barkley , Zack Baun , Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Quinyon Mitchell , and Cooper DeJean . With that out of the way, now we'll get into our pick for this coming season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht feels due for the honor. He rebuilt this offensive line through the NFL Draft, bringing in Tristan Wirfs (13th overall pick), Luke Goedeke (57th overall pick), Cody Mauch (48th overall pick), and Graham Barton (26th overall pick). Tampa Bay now has one of the best offensive lines in football. He brought in Baker Mayfield , helping revitalize his career, and drafted the likes of Calijah Kancey , Bucky Irving , Yaya Diaby , and Tykee Smith . The Buccaneers' roster has Licht's fingerprints all over it, and the talent on both sides of the ball, paired with a favorable schedule, could position Tampa Bay to finish as one of the two best teams in the NFC at the end of the regular season.

Protector of the Year: Trent Williams , San Francisco 49ers

It would be fitting if Dion Dawkins , who spearheaded the creation of the Protector of the Year Award, won it in its inaugural season. However, this feels like a time when voters will consider both career achievement for a future Hall of Famer and on-field success in 2025. San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams missed seven games last season but still finished with the second-highest ESPN pass-block win rate at 95 percent among all tackles. We expect a revitalized 49ers offense this season, and Williams will be integral to the unit's success. Plus, it will be a nice honor for the 37-year-old as he edges closer to retirement.

Offensive Player of the Year: Puka Nacua , Los Angeles Rams

It's certainly possible that the addition of Davante Adams takes some targets away from Puka Nacua. However, we still expect the Los Angeles Rams passing game to be centered around the young wideout. Nacua only played in 11 games last year but still finished with 79 receptions and 990 receiving yards. This is a bet on him staying healthy for 15-plus games, allowing him to clear 100-plus receptions and 1,500 receiving yards. As the centerpiece of a top-five offense and the NFC West champion, Nacua takes home Offensive Player of the Year with just a few votes putting him ahead of Derrick Henry .

Read More: NFL Breakout Candidates 2025

Defensive Player of the Year: Kyle Hamilton , Baltimore Ravens

Patrick Surtain finally stopped the run of edge rushers winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. This suggests voters might be more open to selecting defensive backs, even if they don't lead the league in interceptions. Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton is a do-it-all player, as evidenced by his earning All-Pro selections in two of his first three seasons. In 2025, he'll be the best weapon on an elite defense. Hamilton is expected to snag three-plus interceptions with double-digit tackles for loss and pass deflections, along with multiple sacks and forced fumbles. These stats, combined with his overall impact, should earn him Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Related: NFL Defense Rankings 2025

NFL MVP: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Award Predictions 2025, NFL MVP — Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The bar for winning NFL MVP gets a lot higher after you already have one ( Josh Allen ), and it's even harder if you're a two-time MVP winner ( Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes ). That's part of the reason we believe there will be a first-time winner this season. That still leaves Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels as top NFL MVP candidates, but we're not convinced the Cincinnati Bengals or Washington Commanders will win enough games for voters to give either the nod.

Read More: Best NFL Rosters 2025

Baker Mayfield becomes our choice. Tampa Bay's receiving corps should be even better this season thanks to the addition of Emeka Egbuka , especially once Chris Godwin is healthy to create an outstanding three-receiver set. Mayfield also has the benefit of operating from a clean pocket thanks to a great offensive line. Another season with 4,200-plus passing yards and 40-plus touchdowns for a Buccaneers team and potentially the NFC's No. 1 seed would be enough for Mayfield to earn NFL MVP.

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