With the season closing in on us at a rapid pace things in the NFL are becoming more and more clear as far as final rosters and depth charts. With those things out of the way it comes time for projections! In this series we will be going through each individual award and pick five players that we think have a great shot at bringing home the medal. Today we will be looking at the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award. He are our five picks.
1. San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
The Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Shanahan marriage has seemed like a match made in heaven from the moment the trade was made last season, and it seemed to get off the right foot towards the end of last season. Now with an entire offseason for the most innovative offensive play caller in the league to dream up plays the leagues most versatile playmaker, teams are going to have nightmares trying to figure out how to stop them. With McCaffery’s ability to be productive anywhere on the field, and the other versatile weapons surrounding him, it will be difficult for teams to decide who to key on on any given play. McCaffrey could be in for a historic season.
2. Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase
Even though Ja’Marr Chase missed five games last season, and played through some injury, he was still able to notch his second straight 1,000 yard season. Chase’s connection with quarterback Joe Burrow is perhaps the most natural in the entire league, and it seems inevitable it is going to be bombs away again in Cincinnati with one of the most potent deep threats in the league. If Chase can stay healthy this entire season, a 2,000 yard season would not be out of the realm of possibility for this superstar connection.
3. Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
There has not been a more productive receiver in the league since Justin Jefferson entered it than Jefferson himself, and after winning the Offensive Player of the Year award last season, there is little reason to think he won’t be up for it again. Jefferson is going to be the person that makes this Minnesota offense tick this year after the departure of Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen, and given no one has been able to stop him yet, Jefferson should remain abnormally productive as the best receiver in the entire league.
4. Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp
With quarterback Matthew Stafford coming into the season healthy, it is likely he will once again make Cooper Kupp the primary target of an explosive Rams offense. When both players were healthy during their historic Super Bowl run, Kupp was absolutely unstoppable. His unbelievable route running technique and intuition were second to none, and if last season gave no reason to think he won’t return to full form again this year. With no other high level playmakers on offense, Kupp could see a vast majority of the target share once again, and we know he will make the most of it.
5. Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson
Perhaps it is a bit bold or premature to mention a rookie who has not played a down in the NFL yet as a candidate for offensive player of the year, but given the situation Bijan Robinson is walking into, and the pure raw talent he possesses, it is conceivable that he could shock the NFL world. With the Atlanta Falcons investing heavily in a run first offense given new additions to an already top end offensive line, Robinson is completely set up to set the pace for this entire offense. With head coach Arthur Smith known for his innovative play calling, we will almost certainly see Robinson deployed in every facet of the game, aside from his likely 300+ carry duties. If Robinson can put up the numbers he is capable of, the Offensive Player of the Year award doesn’t quite seem so outlandish.
