NFL 2017 Midseason Awards: MVP, Defensive Player, Rookies of the Year and Coach of the Year

Brady or Wentz? Watson or Hunt? McVay or Pederson? Members of the MMQB/SI NFL staff cast their votes for the best of the season's first half

Every team has now played at least eight games this season, which makes it the proper time to hand out midseason awards. These are not projections or predictions; these are votes based on what has happened in the season thus far. Eighteen members of our staff cast their votes—top five for MVP, top three for every other award—to determine the best of the 2017 season's first half. Scoring was on a simple 5-4-3-2-1 (or 3-2-1) scale. The voters:

Ben Baskin, NFL Reporter
Andy Benoit, Analyst and Staff Writer
Greg Bishop, Senior Writer
Andrew Brandt, Business of Football Columnist
Albert Breer, Senior Reporter
John DePetro, NFL Video Producer
Adam Duerson, Assistant Managing Editor
Jacob Feldman, NFL Reporter
Gary Gramling, Senior Editor
Jonathan Jones, Staff Writer
Kalyn Kahler, Editorial Assistant
Peter King, Editor-In-Chief
Robert Klemko, NFL Writer
Bette Marston, Senior Producer
Mark Mravic, Executive Editor
Conor Orr, Staff Writer
Tim Rohan, NFL Writer
Jenny Vrentas, Senior Writer

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MVP

1. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia: 79 points (9 first-place votes)
2. Tom Brady, New England: 77 (8 first-place votes)
3. Alex Smith, Kansas City: 43 (1 first-place vote)
4. Drew Brees, New Orleans: 18
5. Russell Wilson, Seattle: 17
6. Deshaun Watson, Houston: 12
7. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh: 8
8(tie). Todd Gurley, L.A. Rams: 3
8(tie). Kareem Hunt, Kansas City: 3
8(tie). Matthew Stafford, Detroit: 3
11(tie). Jared Goff, L.A. Rams: 3
11(tie). Travis Kelce, Kansas City: 3
13(tie). Calais Campbell, Jacksonville: 1
13(tie). Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia: 1
13(tie). Josh McCown, N.Y. Jets: 1

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Note: For our ballot, Offensive Player of the Year was defined as “best non-quarterback.”

1. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City: 40 points (10 first-place votes)
2. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh: 31 (6 first-place votes)
3. Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh: 11
4(tie). Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas: 9
4(tie). Todd Gurley, L.A. Rams: 9
6. Travis Kelce, Kansas City: 6 (2 first-place votes)
7. Andrew Whitworth, L.A. Rams: 2

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

1. Calais Campbell, Jacksonville: 40 points (12 first-place votes)
2. Demarcus Lawrence, Dallas: 15 (1 first-place vote)
3. Aaron Donald, L.A. Rams: 12
4(tie). Everson Griffen, Minnesota: 8 (1 first-place vote)
4(tie). Jalen Ramsey, Jacksonville: 8 (1 first-place vote)
6(tie). Joey Bosa, L.A. Chargers: 7 (1 first-place vote)
6(tie). Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia: 7 (1 first-place vote)
8(tie). Khalil Mack, Oakland: 3 (1 first-place vote)
8(tie). Xavier Rhodes, Minnesota: 3
10. Melvin Ingram, L.A. Chargers: 2
11(tie). Micah Hyde, Buffalo: 1
11(tie). Luke Kuechly, Carolina: 1
11(tie). Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans: 1

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1. Deshaun Watson, Houston: 46 points (14 first-place votes)
2. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City: 39 (3 first-place votes)
3. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville: 18 (1 first-place vote)
4. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans: 4
5. Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans: 1

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DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

1. Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans: 47 points (15 first-place votes)
2. Tre'Davious White, Buffalo: 21
3. T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh: 17 (1 first-place vote)
4. Jamal Adams, N.Y. Jets: 9 (1 first-place vote)
5. Malik Hooker, Indianapolis: 5 (1 first-place vote)
6. Marcus Maye, N.Y. Jets: 3
7(tie). Myles Garrett, Cleveland: 2
7(tie). Carl Lawson, Cincinnati: 2
9(tie). Jarrad Davis, Detroit: 1
9(tie). Marcus Williams, New Orleans: 1

COACH OF THE YEAR

1. Sean McVay, L.A. Rams: 48 points (14 first-place votes)
2. Doug Pederson, Philadelphia: 25 (1 first-place vote)
3. Andy Reid, Kansas City: 10
4. Mike Zimmer, Minnesota: 7 (1 first-place vote)
5. Sean McDermott, Buffalo: 6 (1 first-place vote)
6(tie). Todd Bowles, N.Y. Jets: 3 (1 first-place vote)
6(tie). Doug Marrone, Jacksonville: 3
6(tie). Sean Payton, New Orleans: 3
9. Bill Belichick, New England: 2
10. Bill O'Brien, Houston: 1

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