The NFL has recognised the best performers of the 2022 season at the NFL Honors ceremony in Phoenix. Our team at The Jet Sweep got together to make our own picks for each of the major awards. Here are our selections!
MVP – Patrick Mahomes
Every year we try to convince ourselves that other quarterbacks might overtake Mahomes as the best quarterback in football and every year we are proved wrong. The Chiefs star has once again been phenomenal all season, leading his team to their third Super Bowl appearance in five years. He did all of this in what was supposed to be a down year where he lost one of the NFL’s greatest receivers in Tyreek Hill.
Mahomes finished the season with 5,251 passing yards, more than 500 yards more than the next best quarterback. That is also the fourth-highest single season total in NFL history. He led the NFL in QBR, DYAR, and EPA per dropback. He also ranked second in CPOE, behind only Geno Smith. This was a truly dominant season by one of the game’s very best and Mahomes is a worthy MVP winner.
Honourable mention: Jalen Hurts
Offensive Player of the Year – Justin Jefferson
What more can you really say about a player like Jefferson? In his three years in the NFL he has been utterly dominant, and never more so than this season. The Vikings receiver was the lynchpin of their offense and even though opposing defenses knew that he’d be getting the ball they were powerless to stop him.
Jefferson led the NFL with a career-best 1,809 receiving yards. He also led all receivers with 22 contested receptions. That makes the fact he had just seven drops on 135 catchable targets all the more impressive. His 2.62 yards per route run ranked second in the NFL behind only Tyreek Hill and he posted a 108.8 passer rating when targeted.
Honourable mention: Tyreek Hill, Josh Jacobs
Defensive Player of the Year – Nick Bosa
The 49ers defense was almost unplayable at times this year and that success was built off the back of their defensive line. The star along that front four was undoubtedly Nick Bosa, who looked virtually unblockable for most of the season. He managed to rack up an incredible 90 pressures. That is the third highest single season total by an edge rusher since 2016.
Bosa’s ability to make big plays in key moments are what set him apart from his competition. 49 of those 90 pressures were either sacks or hits. For context on just how absurd that is, the gap between him and second place was as big as the gap between second place and 15th. Bosa also ranked sixth in defensive stops and forced two fumbles.
Honourable mention: Haason Reddick
Offensive Rookie of the Year – Chris Olave
This was a really tough award to give out. Whilst there have been a litany of strong offensive performances from rookies, we haven’t had a true standout as we have in recent years with the likes of Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. Olave narrowly edged out his competition to win this one. The Saints receiver finished the year with 1,044 yards and four touchdowns on 72 catches.
He might have had fewer catches and yards than Garrett Wilson, but the advanced metrics tell a different story. Olave averaged 2.42 yards per route run, a figure that comfortably led all rookies and put him seventh amongst all receivers. He also led all rookies in first downs per route and did this at the fourth highest rate of any rookie since 2012. Olave has true star potential in this league.
Honourable mention: Kenneth Walker, Garrett Wilson, Brock Purdy
Defensive Rookie of the Year – Sauce Gardner
Gardner wasn’t just the best defensive rookie – he was in the conversation as the best defensive player in the entire NFL. For any player to do that in their first season is special, but for a cornerback it is incredibly rare. Gardner was voted a First Team All-Pro, becoming the first rookie cornerback to earn that honour since Ronnie Lott in 1981. When you take a look at the tape it is easy to see why.
Gardner allowed a completion rate of just 45.2% all season. He also led the entire NFL with 16 forced incompletions and with a passer rating allowed of 52.5. He earned a reputation as a true lockdown corner and the stats back that up. Gardner allowed just 54 yards in man coverage all season. That averages out at just 3.2 yards per game.
Honourable mention: Aidan Hutchinson
Comeback Player of the Year – Geno Smith
Every year the NFL springs a few surprises, with players having success against the odds. If anyone had suggested over the summer that Geno Smith could be a top 10 quarterback and lead the Seahawks to a playoff berth they would have been laughed out of the room. Fast forward to February and that’s exactly what happened! Smith has come out of nowhere to claim the Seahawks’ starting job and looks set to earn a big new contract this offseason.
Smith never looked out of place under center. He finished the season with 4,282 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also managed to lead the NFL in both completion percentage and CPOE. Smith was particularly impactful as a downfield passer this season and led all quarterbacks with 14 touchdowns of 20+ air yards.
Honourable mention: Christian McCaffrey, Jared Goff
Coach of the Year – Brian Daboll
There were a handful of deserving candidates for Coach of the Year, but Daboll just pipped the others to the post. What he managed to do with this Giants roster was wildly impressive. The fact that he did it in his first ever season as a head coach is extraordinary. Before the season this Giants team were widely derided as one of the worst rosters in football. It felt like 2022 would be the first year in a long-term rebuild.
In reality Daboll managed to elevate this roster to playoff contention. He constructed an offense that masked the talent deficiencies of his players and got them winning games. They finished 10th in offensive DVOA, despite Daniel Jones at quarterback and a threadbare receiver room. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Daboll and this team.
Honourable mention: Nick Sirianni, Kyle Shanahan, Doug Pederson, Dan Campbell