Top 10 NFL MVP candidates at midseason: Drake Maye and Jonathan Taylor headline my ranking

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Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. Today’s installment takes a midseason look at a wide-open MVP race …

The NFL’s Most Valuable Player award is unquestionably the most prestigious individual honor a player can receive each season. In theory, the award should go to the player who has made the most significant impact on his team. These days, though, AP voters typically hand the hardware to the quarterback with the most impressive stats or the QB1 on the team with the most wins.

Admittedly, quarterbacks do have outsized influence on game outcomes. That said, plenty of players at other positions lift teams with stellar play. From dynamic runners churning out 100-yard games to pass rushers routinely producing splash plays, the NFL features a diverse collection of difference-makers who deserve recognition. So, while this year’s MVP is likely to go to another quarterback — as it has in each of the past 12 seasons — this particular midseason hierarchy is about identifying a broader group of game-changers who have played key roles in their respective teams’ fast starts.

As a result, you will not see luminaries like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson on the list, due to their team’s disappointing midseason records (and Jackson’s injury absence). Additionally, Josh Allen did not make the cut despite Buffalo’s status as an AFC heavyweight with a 6-2 record. While there is plenty of time for the reigning MVP to rejoin the conversation, the guys spotlighted below have provided more individual brilliance to this point.

Now, to be clear, this rundown isn’t anti -quarterback. The game’s most important position still claims more than half the slots in this pecking order. But I wanted to think outside the box and reward some standouts who don’t line up behind center.

Without further ado, here is my ranking of the top 10 MVP candidates at midseason.

New England has emerged as a dark-horse contender with Maye truly playing at an MVP level. The second-year pro boasts a league-high 74.1 completion percentage and a sparkling 116.9 passer rating, pushing the Patriots to the top of the AFC East. Maye’s efficiency and explosiveness (he’s averaging a whopping 9.0 yards per attempt) have energized an offense that is starting to find its rhythm under coordinator Josh McDaniels. With the Super Bowl-winning play-caller cleverly crafting the call sheet to accentuate Maye’s talents as a mobile playmaker with surgical precision on downfield throws, the third overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft is starting to play like the franchise cornerstone some envisioned when he showcased his abilities at UNC.

No running back has won the award since Adrian Peterson returned from a torn ACL/MCL to immediately eclipse 2,000 yards rushing in the 2012 campaign. RBs fight an uphill battle in this pursuit, but Taylor is making his case by piling up a league-best 895 rushing yards as the centerpiece of the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense (32.9 ppg). The 2021 rushing champ has never looked better, averaging a career-high 5.7 yards per carry while logging a league-best 12 ground scores. Taylor’s performance as the spark plug behind Indianapolis’ surprising rise to prominence puts him squarely in the MVP conversation.

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