2018 NFL Year-End Awards+2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee Predictions

MVP: Patrick Mahomes, quarterback (Chiefs)
No individual in the NFL commanded more attention or made more highlight-reel worthy plays than Mahomes in 2018. His infinite confidence, poise in big situations and knack for making throws that look like they're straight out of a video game added more dynamism to an already explosive Chiefs offense while also helping him become the 3rd player in NFL history to throw for 50 TD's in a season (some guys named Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the other 2 individuals that have pulled off this superhuman feat). The most unbelievable part of all this success? 2018 was his first year as a starter. Pretty damn impressive for a kid who was largely considered to be a huge gamble when he was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft.
Honorable Mentions: Aaron Donald, defensive tackle (Rams), Drew Brees, quarterback (Saints), Andrew Luck, quarterback (Colts)

Offensive Player of the Year: DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver (Texans)
In a passing-dominated league with no shortage of elite talent at the receiver position, Hopkins further solidified his case for being the best of the absurdly stacked bunch this season. The 26-year old managed 115 receptions, 1,572 YDS, 11 TD's and 0 drops on 163 targets in a year where the Texans offense was once again held back by injuries and horrid line play.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Thomas, wide receiver (Saints), Tyreek Hill, wide receiver (Chiefs), Christian McCaffery, running back (Panthers)

Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald, defensive tackle (Rams)
BREAKING NEWS: Donald is still the most unstoppable defensive player in the league  He spent yet another 16 game slate routinely blowing through double teams and wreaking havoc at the line of scrimmage (25 TFL's, 4 forced fumbles, 41 QB hits, a career-high 20.5 sacks) while his cohorts struggled to consistently make plays around him. What a force.
Honorable Mentions: Bobby Wagner, inside linebacker (Seahawks), Khalil Mack, outside linebacker (Bears), Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle (Eagles)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Saquon Barkley, running back (Giants)
Pat Shurmer's arrival in East Rutherford didn't bring an end to the locker room turmoil and ugly on-field product that resulted in Ben McAdoo's firing prior to the end of the 2017 season. Just about the only positive thing to emerge from the Giants latest frustrating campaign was the play of Barkley. The Penn State product showed off the burst, strength and polished dual-threat skill set that helped make him the #2 overall pick during an impressive rookie year (2,028 scrimmage YDS, 15 TD's, 0 fumbles, 6.5 YDS per touch) where he had a larger-than-expected role thanks to the poor play of a rapidly aging Eli Manning.
Honorable Mentions: Baker Mayfield, quarterback (Browns), Quenton Nelson, guard (Colts), Calvin Ridley, wide receiver (Falcons)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Derwin James, safety (Chargers)
Tackling machines Darius Leonard and Leighton Vander Esch may have the more eye-popping  numbers, but James' versatility made him the most impressive rookie defender in this class. James showed off the type of well-rounded game that's becoming increasingly rare for a defensive back to possess by taking snaps at every non-defensive line position and filling the stat sheet on a weekly basis (105 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 INT, 13 passes defensed in 16 games).
Honorable Mentions: Darius Leonard, outside linebacker (Colts), Leighton Vander Esch, outside linebacker (Cowboys), Denzel Ward, cornerback (Browns)

Comeback Player of the Year: Andrew Luck, quarterback (Colts)
To say Luck's future was murky before 2018 would be putting it very lightly. There was doubts about whether or not he could still throw the ball downfield, let alone return to the high level of play he displayed prior to suffering the shoulder injury that kept him on the shelf for all of 2017. Well Luck proved that shoulder that required multiple surgeries over the course of a year to fix wasn't going to lead to his gridiron demise. He was as sharp as ever in 2018-hurling 39 TD's, completing a career-high 67.5% of his passes and helping lead a resilient Colts team to their first playoff berth since 2014.
Honorable Mentions: J.J Watt, defensive end (Texans), Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver (Giants), Chris Carson, running back (Seahawks)

Coach of the Year: Matt Nagy (Bears)
I had a hard time not giving this to Frank Reich after he led the Colts to the playoffs following an ugly 1-5 start. However, Nagy's role in leading a Bears squad that had finished last in the NFC North and lost 10+ games in each of the 4 years prior to his arrival to a division title in his inaugural season as a head coach was just too much to overcome. Despite having their season end on a tragic note, Nagy's innovative offensive playcalling paired with the immense respect he immediately earned from his players restored a sense of pride to an organization that had been a disheartening, lifeless mess since Lovie Smith got axed.
Honorable Mentions: Frank Reich (Colts), Andy Reid (Chiefs), Anthony Lynn (Chargers)

All-Pro Teams:
Quarterback:
1st team: Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
2nd team: Drew Brees (Saints)

Running Back:
1st team: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys)
2nd team: Todd Gurley (Rams), Saquon Barkley (Giants)

Wide Receiver:
1st team: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans), Michael Thomas (Saints)
2nd team: Tyreek Hill (Chiefs), Julio Jones (Falcons)

Tight End:
1st team: George Kittle (49ers)
2nd team: Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Tackle:
1st team: David Bakithari (Packers), Mitchell Schwartz (Chiefs)
2nd team: Andrew Whitworth (Rams), Ryan Ramcyzk (Saints)

Guard:
1st team: Quenton Nelson (Colts), Shaq Mason (Patriots)
2nd team: Zach Martin (Cowboys), Joel Bitonio (Browns)

Center:
1st team: Jason Kelce (Eagles)
2nd team: Rodney Hudson (Raiders)

Defensive End:
1st team: J.J. Watt (Texans), Cameron Jordan (Saints)
2nd team: Myles Garrett (Browns), Trey Flowers (Patriots)

Defensive Tackle:
1st team: Aaron Donald (Rams), Fletcher Cox (Eagles)
2nd team: Chris Jones (Chiefs), Akiem Hicks (Bears)

Outside Linebacker:
1st team: Khalil Mack (Bears), Von Miller (Broncos)
2nd team: Darius Leonard (Colts), Leighton Vander Esch (Cowboys)

Inside Linebacker:
1st team: Bobby Wagner (Seahawks), Luke Kuechly (Panthers)
2nd team: Zach Brown (Redskins), C.J. Mosley (Ravens)

Cornerback:
1st team: Stephon Gilmore (Patriots), Kyle Fuller (Bears)
2nd team: Desmond King (Chargers), Byron Jones (Cowboys)

Safety:
1st team: Eddie Jackson (Bears), Jamal Adams (Jets)
2nd team: Derwin James (Chargers), Kevin Byard (Titans)

Kicker:
1st team: Aldrick Rosas (Giants)
2nd team: Will Lutz (Saints)

Punter:
1st team: Michael Dickson (Seahawks)
2nd team: Johnny Hekker (Rams)

Return Specialist:
1st team: Andre Roberts (Jets), Tarik Cohen (Bears)
2nd team: Cordarelle Patterson (Patriots), Desmond King (Chargers)

Special Teamer:
1st team: Adrian Phillips (Chargers)
2nd team: Corey Littleton (Rams)
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Pro Football Hall Fame Class of 2019 predictions:
Steve Atwater, safety (Teams: Denver Broncos/New York Jets)
Tony Boselli, tackle (Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars/Houston Texans)
Pat Bowlen, Denver Broncos owner
Alan Faneca, guard (Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers/New York Jets/Arizona Cardinals)
Tony Gonzalez, tight end (Teams: Kansas City Chiefs/Atlanta Falcons))
Ed Reed, safety (Teams: Baltimore Ravens/Houston Texans/New York Jets)
Johnny Robinson, safety (Teams: Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs) 

Who I'd Vote for If I Had a Ballot:
Alan Faneca
Steve Hutchinson, guard (Teams: Minnesota Vikings/Seattle Seahawks)
Tony Gonzalez
Kevin Mawae, center (Teams: Seattle Seahawks/New Yok Jets/Tennessee Titans)
Ed Reed
Richard Seymour, defensive end/tackle (Teams: New England Patriots/Oakland Raiders)

2017 NFL Midseason Awards+Updated Playoff Predictions

The 1st half of the 2017 NFL season has featured more plot twists than M. Night Shyamalan's filmography. Numerous preseason darlings are currently sitting at the bottom of their divisions (Raiders, Giants, Buccaneers), perennial laughing stocks (Bills, Rams, Jaguars) are in the thick of the playoff picture and perhaps strangest of all, the Eagles own the best record in the league (7-1) entering Week 9. As a result of all this madness, the top individual performers thus far are almost completely comprised of players that no one expected to be in the running for these honors prior to the start of the season. Here are my picks for the NFL's midseason awards and let's hope that the 2nd half of the season is just as beautifully chaotic as the 1st.

MVP: Russell Wilson, quarterback (Seahawks)
He might not have the eye-popping TD total of Carson Wentz or the efficiency of Tom Brady, but no player in the league has thrived under adversity more than Russell Wilson. Wilson has overcome  porous offensive line play and a non-existent running game to string together a series of gutsy, clutch performances that has resulted in a 5-2 start for the Seahawks.
Honorable Mentions: Tom Brady, quarterback (Patriots), Carson Wentz, quarterback (Eagles), Alex Smith, quarterback (Chiefs)

Top Offensive Player: Antonio Brown, wide receiver (Steelers)
With Julio Jones having a tame season by his lofty standards (37 REC, 540 YDS, 1 TD in 7 games) and Odell Beckham Jr. suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5, Antonio Brown has used the first 8 games to re-establish his claim for the title of best wide receiver in the league. The 29-year old currently leads the league in receptions (57) and yards (835) in a season where Ben Roethlisberger has been wildly erratic. If he can stay healthy and take advantage of the plethora of favorable matchups (Colts, Titans, Packers, Patriots, Browns) he has down the stretch, making a run at Calvin Johnson's single-season receiving record (1,964) isn't out of the question.
Honorable Mentions: Kareem Hunt, running back (Chiefs), Le'Veon Bell, running back (Steelers), Todd Gurley, running back (Rams)

Top Defensive Player: Calias Campbell, defensive end (Jaguars)
The signing of versatile, workhorse veteran defensive lineman Calias Campbell in free agency this past March seemed like a smart move that would help bolster Jacksonville's promising young defense, but I never expected him to help turn the Jaguars D into a sack-and-takeaway machine overnight. Campbell's dominance up front (32 tackles, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles) has been crucial to the Jags defensive renaissance that has put them in the unlikely position of contending for a division title a year after finishing 3-13.
Honorable Mentions: Joey Bosa, defensive end (Chargers), DeMarcus Lawrence, defensive end (Cowboys), Marshon Lattimore, cornerback (Saints)

Top Offensive Rookie: Kareem Hunt, running back (Chiefs)
As impressive as Deshaun Watson has been over the past month, Kareem Hunt is still the king of this draft class in my eyes. Hunt has taken full advantage of his opportunity to start following Spencer Ware's season-ending knee injury by ripping off a league-leading 763 rushing YDS, 6 TD's (4 rushing, 2 receiving) and 100+ yards from scrimmage in 7 straight games to start off his NFL career.
Honorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson, quarterback (Texans), Leonard Fournette, running back (Jaguars), JuJu Smith-Schuster, wide receiver (Steelers)

Top Defensive Rookie: Marshon Lattimore, cornerback (Saints)
If there was any lingering doubt that Marshon Lattimore was a steal with the #11 overall pick in the draft, the first 7 games of his professional career have shattered it. Lattimore has yet to allow more than 38 YDS in a game and his status as a legit lockdown corner has been instrumental in helping the Saints defense look competent for the first time since 2013.
Honorable Mentions: Tre'Davious White, cornerback (Bills), Carl Lawson, outside linebacker (Bengals), Eddie Jackson, safety (Bears)

Top Coach: Sean McVay (Rams)
The speed in which Sean McVay has turned this seemingly helpless franchise around is absolutely remarkable. Within his first 2 months on the job, he's breathed into a long-stagnant offense with dynamic playcalling, restored quarterback Jared Goff's confidence after a miserable rookie campaign and reminded the football world how dominant Todd Gurley can be when he's utilized properly. I haven't been this impressed with a 1st-time NFL head coach since Bruce Arians and barring a monumental collapse down the stretch, he should win Coach of the Year by a landslide.
Honorable Mentions: Doug Pederson (Eagles), Sean McDermott (Bills), Doug Marrone (Jaguars)

Playoff Predictions:
AFC:
1.Steelers
2.Patriots
3.Chiefs
4.Jaguars
5.Texans
6.Bills

Wild Card:
Chiefs over Bills
Texans over Jaguars

Divisional Round:
Steelers over Texans
Patriots over Chiefs

Conference Championship:
Patriots over Steelers

NFC
1.Eagles
2.Seahawks
3.Saints
4.Vikings
5.Rams
6.Panthers

Wild Card:
Saints over Panthers
Rams over Vikings

Divisional Round:
Eagles over Rams
Saints over Seahawks

Conference Championship:
Saints over Eagles

Super Bowl:
Patriots over Saints