The exhibitions are in the rear-view mirror and we are on to the 2022 regular season. Before the action truly kicks off between the Bills and Rams in the opener on Sept. 8, we here at CBS Sports have to call our shots. The NFL staff has come together and made its predictions for various awards that'll be handed out prior to Super Bowl LVII and we're about to reveal them below.
While some of these are straight-up predictions for the awards, others highlight some good value on the betting market, giving you a more well-rounded look at where some of the games biggest stars stand entering the year. Before we get started, here's a rundown on the staff members making the picks: Pick Six Podcast host Will Brinson; Senior NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson; staff writers John Breech, Jared Dubin, Jordan Dajani, Josh Edwards, Shanna McCarriston, Tyler Sullivan, and Cody Benjamin.
All NFL odds are via Caesars Sportsbook.
Key MVP odds
- Josh Allen (+700)
- Patrick Mahomes (+800)
- Justin Herbert (+900)
- Tom Brady (+900)
- Aaron Rodgers (+1000)
- Joe Burrow (+1300)
- Russell Wilson (+1600)
- Matthew Stafford (+1600)
- Dak Prescott (+1700)
- Lamar Jackson (+2000)
- Kyler Murray (+2200)
Brinson: Trey Lance (+3000). Why not? Second-year QB who sat out a season learning behind a veteran now gets to play in a QB-friendly offense with a high-level play-caller and tons of weapons who can explode when you get them the ball in space. Sounds a lot like the Chiefs and Mahomes a few years ago. And if your argument is Lance runs too much, Lamar's 2019 season checks some boxes too.
Dajani: Justin Herbert (+900). A special passer that is just getting better. With an improved roster, he will be right in the thick of the MVP mix all year long.
Edwards: Tom Brady (+900). It would not be a surprise if Tampa Bay won the NFC. Narratives often play a role in award outcomes and Brady playing his potential final season at 45 years old should not be overlooked. Meanwhile, the AFC could cannibalize itself with all of the talent.
Wilson: Justin Herbert (+900). He's going to make a legit case as the best player in the league. Better than Mahomes, Allen, Brady or Rodgers.
Dubin: Josh Allen (+700). He had a pretty good case in each of the last two seasons, and I think this is the year he finally breaks through as the Bills take control of an incredibly tough AFC. The options Buffalo has personnel-wise will unleash the best version of Allen we've seen so far.
McCarriston: Allen (+700). Allen has made his mark in the league and it is his time to get the regular-season MVP honor. He's been in the conversation before, but I think this year he will do just that much more to get the award. He has the wide receivers, the experience and the capable head coach, all ingredients that can make for an MVP-level season. The Bills really should've already been to a Super Bowl with Allen leading the offense, if not won one already, and I think the drive to excel this season will push Allen further than he has been before.
Benjamin: Justin Herbert (+900). No one has a better, more complete supporting cast on both sides of the ball, at least on paper. And he's already got all the physical tools.
Sullivan: Patrick Mahomes (+800). Even with the departure of Tyreek Hill, Mahomes is still going to put up his numbers. I also still see the Chiefs as the favorite in the AFC West. So, if he is able to still produce to the level that we've grown accustomed to and goes through the gauntlet of his division, I don't see why Mahomes wouldn't be at the forefront of the MVP conversation.
Breech: Josh Allen (+700). At some point, someone not named Aaron Rodgers is going to win this award and I think that's going to happen this year with Allen.
Offensive Rookie of the Year best bets
Brinson: George Pickens (+1000): This is an impossible award to predict this season, with so few quarterbacks and the odd places some of the studs ended up landing. Pickens looks like the real deal and if he sees legit reps for the Steelers could be a monster.
Dajani: Breece Hall (+1100). With Zach Wilson's struggles in the pass game, New York will rely on the ground game. This will give Hall the opportunity to impress.
Edwards: Kenny Pickett (+900). As of this moment, Pittsburgh has not named a starter at quarterback. While Mitchell Trubisky is the probable outcome, it would be unwise to ignore the first-round selection given the advantage quarterbacks have when it comes to winning award. Drake London and Treylon Burks could also put up big numbers.
Wilson: Kenny Pickett (+900). This seemed like a silly bet a few weeks ago but he was a pleasant surprise in the preseason and while I don't expect him to start the season, I wouldn't be shocked if he's under center as soon as Week 3.
Dubin: George Pickens (+1000). With no obvious quarterback or running back candidate, I'm pivoting to a wide receiver. I loved Pickens pre-draft and everything we've seen from him during training camp has only confirmed my feelings about what type of player he is.
McCarriston: George Pickens (+100). George Pickens is slated to have a big rookie season and despite the quarterback situation not being settled yet, according to head coach Mike Tomlin, I believe he will have a great year. Pickens had a decent preseason and has impressed in training camp. Everything right now is pointing to Pickens having a highlight-worthy year.
Benjamin: George Pickens (+1000). Kenny Pickett is the safer choice assuming he eventually takes over at QB, but this guy has the juice to be the next big thing out wide.
Sullivan: Kenny Pickett (+900). It's only a matter of time before Pickett is named Pittsburgh's starter. By what we saw during the preseason, he looks ready to ascend to QB1 right now. Given his position, he'll be a shoe-in to win this award so long as he sees the field in relatively short order.
Breech: Romeo Doubs (+1400). Aaron Rodgers might not win his third straight MVP, but he's likely still going to have a huge season and Doubs is going to be the biggest benefactor of that.
Defensive Rookie of the Year best bets
Brinson: Travon Walker (+850). Another tough award, but have to go with a pass rusher here. As such, I'll take the young guy on my surprise division winner, especially since him going first overall was such a win during the draft. Pass rushers are the easy picks here and he won't face double teams with Allen in town.
Dajani: Travon Walker (+850). A versatile pass rusher who will get better as his rookie season goes on.
Edwards: Kayvon Thibodeaux (+600). The preseason brought a bit of a scare when the Oregon product was cut blocked. In recent history, Defensive Rookie of the Year has gone to a player with at least nine sacks. Thibodeaux is a dynamic talent who can reach that threshold. The only concern is whether New York will be competitive enough to force opponents to pass late into games.
Wilson: Aidan Hutchinson (+450). He has a chance to be special, and he'll be an important piece to the Lions' defensive line this season. If he can get to nine sacks -- and that feels eminently reasonable -- he'll be in great shape for DROY.
Dubin: Sauce Gardner (+1200). This award usually comes down to sacks or picks. I suppose I'm betting he has a flashier-looking interception total than Aidan Hutchinson's sack total.
McCarriston: Travon Walker (+850). My pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year is Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Trayvon Walker. He was the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL Draft, so he clearly has the resume to back up his abilities. Many No. 1 picks end up not living up to their expected potential, but his training camp and preseason performances show he is quickly adjusting to the NFL.
Benjamin: Aidan Hutchinson (+450). Yes, it's the safe pick, but he's got the grown-man strength to instantly headline Detroit's previously quiet pass rush.
Sullivan: George Karlaftis (+2000). A bit of a long shot here, but the first round pick is playing on a team that will be in the thick of the AFC playoff race all season and should put up some decent sack numbers. That's a perfect recipe to win this award.
Breech: Sauce Gardner (+1200). Sauce already has his own sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings and pretty soon he'll be able to eat his sauce out of the rookie of the year trophy he gets because he's going to win the award.
Defensive Player of the Year best bets
Brinson: Derwin James (+5000). Typically speaking you need to post sack numbers to win this award, but Derwin has such an incredible all-around game it wouldn't be surprising at all if he ended up netting some hardware with a fully healthy season on a Chargers team that wins 12+ games.
Dajani: Micah Parsons (+1000). The Penn State product will prove that his rookie campaign was no fluke.
Edwards: Myles Garrett (+750). Garrett has had at least 10 sacks in each of the past four seasons, including 16 a year ago. It is a very competitive award with Aaron Donald always being a factor, T.J. Watt's dominance and Micah Parsons' rise to prominence.
Dubin: Aaron Donald (+700). Donald is not just the best defensive player, but best overall player in the NFL. As I say every year when we do this exercise, I will pick him for DPOY every season until that is no longer clearly true. Somebody else might win, but he will be the league's most impactful defender.
McCarriston: Myles Garrett (+750). I went back and forth on this one, but I'm going to give it to Myles Garrett this season. He will make a big impact on an otherwise mediocre team and is their best defensive player. He is coming off a solid year, landing in third for sacks in the league with 16 and I think he will put up similar numbers this season.
Benjamin: Joey Bosa (+2000). Brother Nick probably gets even more love these days, but now Joey has a motivated Khalil Mack on the other side. Buckle up.
Sullivan: Maxx Crosby (+4000). Another long shot, but if you've been following me this offseason you know I've been banging the drum for Crosby. Last year, he totaled a league-leading 101 pressures and only finished with eight sacks. That feels like a massive disparity, which should be corrected in 2022 with a higher sack total. It also helps that Las Vegas brought in Chandler Jones to free him up even more.
Breech: Michah Parsons (+1000). This award should probably be named after Aaron Donald because he almost always wins it, but I'm not going to pick him this year. Instead, I'm going with Parsons, who is arguably already the best defensive player on the Cowboys' roster right now.
Comeback Player of the Year best bets
Brinson: Christian McCaffrey (+900). Not sure why Derrick Henry is favored here when CMC is much more likely to hit the markers needed to win the award. If he plays more than 14 games I think he's got a great chance to lock this award down given how many games he's missed the last two years. Especially when Matt Rhule should be desperate to give him tons of touches.
Danjani: Derrick Henry +450. Last year, the best running back in the NFL was on pace to approach 2,000 rushing yards for the second straight season before his foot injury. Now back healthy, he's again going to have the opportunity to carry an offense. Henry led the league in rushes, yards and touchdowns in 2019 and 2020.
Edwards: Derrick Henry (+450). Henry has stayed healthy for most of his career. Last season's injury must have fans and fantasy players alike on edge, but compared to other candidates and a relatively light workload in 2021, he is going to have every opportunity to win if available in that offense.
Wilson: Baker Mayfield (+1000). He plays with a chip on his shoulder and when he's healthy he can be effective. The Panthers' offensive line was upgraded in the offseason and if Christian McCaffrey can stay healthy, Mayfield will be in position to help Carolina surpass its over/under win total of 6.5 games.
Dubin: Christian McCaffrey (+900). If he can finally stay healthy, he'll once again be pretty clearly the NFL's most productive running back. I think that'll be enough for this award.
McCarriston: Christian McCaffrey (+900). It's a risk, but I'm going with Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey. He has a history of injuries, so obviously staying healthy will be key, but if that is possible I believe he is slated for a huge year. McCaffrey has missed so much time due to injury recently, that when he is on the field I think he will want to make up for missed time.
Benjamin: Christian McCaffrey (+900). When he's healthy, he's a game-changer. And Baker Mayfield will be leaning on him all year as a safety valve.
Sullivan: Christian McCaffrey (+900). There's a reason McCaffrey is going to go inside the top 3 in your fantasy football drafts this summer. If he's healthy, he's one of the most lethal weapons in the NFL.
Breech: Christian McCaffrey (+900). When McCaffrey is healthy, he's unstoppable and after battling injuries for two straight seasons, I think McCaffrey will finally stay healthy this year.