Predicting every NFL award winner for the 2025 season

With kickoff just a week away, the 2025 NFL season is already stirring up debates not just about Super Bowl contenders, but also about who will hoist the league’s most prestigious individual awards. From MVP to the inaugural Protector of the Year, the field is stacked with stars and rising names ready to seize the spotlight. Here’s a breakdown of the consensus favorites, surprise dark horses, and bold predictions for every major award this season.

Most Valuable Player (MVP)

Quarterback continues to dominate MVP talk, and this season is no different.

Lamar Jackson enters as the betting favorite after a stellar 2024 season that put Baltimore in the AFC mix.
Josh Allen, the reigning NFL MVP will look to repeat his amazing 2024 season that earned him his first ever MVP.
Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Joe Burrow all have a strong backing from analysts, especially Burrow who has already been named by the top NFL analysts as a favorite to win the MVP in 2025.

Prediction: Lamar Jackson will add to his MVP collection by winning his 3rd MVP. On paper, the Ravens are primed to win the AFC North and contend for the AFC and I believe that the Ravens will get the 1st seed and win the AFC which will lead to Lamar winning his 3rd MVP.

Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY)

This honor often goes to a non-quarterback who lights up the stat sheet.

Ja’Marr Chase, the reigning OPOY who was a triple crown in 2024, is the favorite to repeat and take this award after a spectacular season with 127 catches, 1708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns.
Justin Jefferson is right behind Chase in the race, his production has been too consistent to overlook and is expected to have even a better year in 2025 under 1st round draft pick back in 2024 in JJ McCarthy.
Bijan Robinson enters as a dark-horse, with experts expecting Robinson to explode in his third year after an impressive sophomore campaign last season.

Prediction: Ja’Marr Chase delivers yet another monster season and will take him the OPOY and crown himself as the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)

The pass rush arms race is heating up across the league but a cornerback looks to repeat and assert his dominance again.

Patrick Surtain III, the reigning DPOY looks to repeat his dominant shutdown corner performance in 2025 after posting a 85.6 overall grade in PFF and a 87.4 coverage grade in 2024.
Nick Bosa, a former DPOY winner, is a few analysts top pick as he looks to bounce back to dominance after having only 9 sacks in 2024.
Myles Garrett, the 2023 DPOY looks to continue his dominace in 2025 after having 14 sacks in 2024 and being top 2 in edge rushing grades by PFF.

Prediction: Garrett will take back his crown as DPOY as the face of the Browns defense and will get his 2nd DPOY.

Protector of the Year

The NFL’s new award celebrating offensive line excellence has a wide open field.

Penei Sewell leads the early charge, with analysts noting his blend of youth and dominance at the tackle position.
Lane Johnson and Trey Williams are also in the conversation, with Williams and Johnson still holding veteran credibility as the league’s most respected tackles.

Prediction: Sewell edges out Johnson and Williams as voters reward youth and upside for the inaugural honor.

Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY)

The rookie spotlight shines brightest on offensive playmakers.

Ashton Jeanty, the Raiders new feature back is the consensus favorite across multiple outlets thanks to his projected heavy workload.
Two way superstar sensation Travis Hunter is expecting to see many reps at cornerback but also play wide receiver this year. Depending on his usage and production, he can contend with Jeanty for the OROY like they did for the Heisman trophy back in 2024.
Cam Ward, the number 1 overall pick from Miami, is expected to the QB1 for the Titans and lead the charge for their rebuild. With weapons like Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard, Ward is poised to have a good rookie year especially if the Titans can get his development going smoothly.

Prediction: Jeanty racks up the rushing yards in Vegas and shines better than we all excepted and wins OROY comfortably.

Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY)

This race is going to be a tight one.

Abdul Carter is the overwhelming favorite, with his speed and athleticism in an aggressive defensive scheme making him a popular choice across the media.
Travis Hunter is expected to be the starting cornerback for the Jaguars and is expected to get good reps at CB2. If Hunter can keep up with NFL receivers and stay conditioned, he can keep up with Carter in the race.
Mason Graham gets some long-shot mentions as a value pick especially by being a run stopper for the Browns.

Prediction: Carter takes home DROY, cementing himself as a foundational piece for the Giants in Year 1.

Comeback Player of the Year (CPOY)

Always one of the most subjective awards, the is packed with storylines.

Dak Prescott is a trendy pick, with oddsmakers pointing to his potential rebound season after missing half the 2024 season with a hamstring injury.
J.J. McCarthy, after missing his entire rookie season with a knee injury, is another popular pick if he can steady the Vikings offense with weapons like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Aidan Hutchinson and Christian McCaffrey also draw attention after both players missed most of 2024 season with injuries.

Prediction: McCarthy provides doubters wrong and leads the Vikings into a playoff run and takes CPOY honors.

Coach of the Year (COY)

With several franchises in transition, this race is wide open.

Sean Payton gets strong support after leading Denver to a turnaround last year and looking poised for another leap.
Mike Vrabel, now with the Patriots, is another popular pick if he can engineer a quick rebuild.
Dan Campbell, John Harbaugh, and Sean McDermott round out the list of possibilities depending on regular season success along with playoff success.

Prediction: Sean Payton captures his second COY as Denver continues its rise in the AFC.

Final snap

The NFL’s award season is always unpredictable— last year’s favorites rarely end up hoisting the trophy— but the 2025 slate is brimming with established stars and new blood alike. If Lamar Jackson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Myles Garrett deliver as expected, voters could have a relatively straightforward ballot. But with emerging rookies like Ashton Jeanty, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter ready to take the league by storm, and comeback candidates like Dak Prescott and J.J McCarthy chasing redemption, this season’s hardware race might be as competitive as the Super Bowl itself.