Sportsnaut
The first eight weeks of the 2025 NFL season are drawing to a close, providing two full months of NFL stats to evaluate as the calendar flips to November. It provides an opportunity to take a good reading of everything that’s happened and deliver some early picks approaching the halfway point for a variety of NFL awards.
As we head into Week 9, let’s dive into our NFL Award Predictions after the first two months of the season.
This is an easy selection, for the time being. Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Emeka Egbuka’s production has dipped in the last three weeks (117 receiving yards on 25 targets) and Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty stands little chance of making an impact behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines. So, through Week 8, New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dat is the only right pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
With that said, the Cam Skattebo injury could change things. Now, defenses can focus more attention on Dart and he won’t have an excellent all-purpose running back to support him. Skattebo’s absence will also further magnify the Malik Nabers injury, putting a cap on what the Giants’ offense can do.
Related: New York Giants Coaching Candidates to Replace Brian Daboll
The NFL let it happen again, allowing linebacker Jihaad Campbell to fall to the Philadelphia Eagles. The rookie has started all eight games, making plays all over the football field. He’s stood out in coverage-75.6 QB rating allowed when targeted-and is also standing out as a run defender. However, with Nakobe Dean returning, Campbell’s snap count has started to dip a bit. If that trend continues, Giants’ edge rusher Abdul Carter (11 pressures and 8 QB hits) becomes the top choice for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Related: NFL Power Rankings 2025, Weekly Evaluations of All 32 Teams
The bottom line is that the NFL MVP is now a quarterback award, there’s no getting around it. So, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor will have to settle for Offensive Player of the Year. Let’s go beyond the fact that he leads the NFL in rushing yards (850), touchdowns (12), and first downs (44) entering Week 9. Taylor is the centerpiece of the best offense in the NFL and he leads all running backs in yards after contact (330), while ranking second in breakaway runs (nine) and third in broken tackles (13). He’s also unlocked the best-ever version of Daniel Jones. Taylor is OPOY.
Related: Week 9 Fantasy Rankings
A five-sack game will certainly help Myles Garrett’s campaign for Defensive Player of...
