The winners of the Associated Press NFL awards, announced Thursday night, were selected by a 50-person panel of news media members who regularly cover the league, including the Star Tribune’s Mark Craig. The voters ranked players from 1-5 for MVP and 1-3 for all the other awards. A first-place vote was worth five points, with three points for second place and one for third. Voting took place before the playoffs. Here is Craig’s ballot.
Mark Craig’s NFL awards ballot: MVP, Coach of the Year, top rookies and more
The Star Tribune’s Mark Craig is among the 50 voters nationwide who select the winners of the top NFL awards. Here are his rankings for every category.
Most Valuable Player
1. Lamar Jackson, Ravens quarterback
2. Christian McCaffrey, 49ers running back
3. Brock Purdy, 49ers quarterback
4. Dak Prescott, Cowboys quarterback
5. C.J. Stroud, Texans quarterback
Winner: Jackson
Coach of the Year
1. Kevin Stefanski, Browns
2. DeMeco Ryans, Texans
3. Dan Campbell, Lions
Winner: Stefanski
Assistant Coach of the Year
1. Ben Johnson, Lions offensive coordinator
2. Bobby Slowik, Texans offensive coordinator
3. Mike Macdonald, Ravens defensive coordinator
Winner: Jim Schwartz, Browns defensive coordinator
Comeback Player of the Year
1. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers quarterback
2. Joe Flacco, Browns quarterback
3. Damar Hamlin, Bills safety
Winner: Flacco
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Myles Garrett, Browns defensive end
2. Micah Parsons, Cowboys edge rusher
3. T.J. Watt, Steelers edge rusher
Winner: Garrett
Offensive Player of the Year
1. Christian McCaffrey, 49ers running back
2. CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys wide receiver
3. Tyreek Hill, Dolphins wide receiver
Winner: McCaffrey
Defensive Rookie of the Year
1. Jalen Carter, Eagles defensive tackle
2. Will Anderson Jr., Texans defensive end
3. Devon Witherspoon, Seahawks cornerback
Winner: Anderson
Offensive Rookie of the Year
1. C.J. Stroud, Texans quarterback
2. Puka Nacua, Rams wide receiver
3. Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions running back
Winner: Stroud
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.