We're here with the final edition of our MVP Watch for the 2023 NFL season, and the results are unanimous: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is going to be named the Most Valuable Player of the NFL for the second time in his career.
Fresh off a total destruction of the Miami Dolphins, which came just a week after he tore up the San Francisco 49ers, Jackson received every first-place vote in our poll, opening up a massive lead over Dak Prescott and Christian McCaffrey, who were in a dog fight for the second-place spot on the ballot.
In case you need a reminder of how this works, here it is: Our panel of voters were each asked to submit their top five choices for MVP. To reflect the ranked-choice voting system now in place, a first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote worth four, third-place vote worth three, fourth-place vote worth two and fifth-place vote worth one. The candidates were then ranked in order of their total voting points received.
Without further ado, let's get to the voting breakdown. (Here is last week's version, for reference.)
The panel of voters: Jared Dubin, Jordan Dajani, John Breech, Jeff Kerr, Tyler Sullivan, Cody Benjamin, Kevin Steimle, Brett Anderson, Eric Kernish, Garrett Podell, Josh Edwards, Will Brinson
The full MVP leaderboard
1. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (60 points) | Last Week: 1st
2. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (33) | Last Week: T-6th
3. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (31) | Last Week: 2nd
4. Bills QB Josh Allen (27) | Last Week: 3rd
5. 49ers QB Brock Purdy (17) | Last week: T-6th
6. Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (6) | Last Week: 5th
7. Rams QB Matthew Stafford 42) | Last Week: 9th
T-8. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (1) | Last Week: 4th
T-8. Packers QB Jordan Love (1) | Last Week: Not Ranked
Dropped out: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt
Most first-place votes:
- Lamar Jackson (12 out of 12)
Most second-place votes:
- Christian McCaffrey (5 out of 12)
- Dak Prescott (4)
- Brock Purdy (2)
- Matthew Stafford (1)
Most total ballots:
- Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott (12 out of 12)
- Christian McCaffrey, Josh Allen (11)
- Brock Purdy (8)
- Tyreek Hill (3)
- Matthew Stafford, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love (1)
Positional representation:
- QB (7)
- RB (1)
- WR (1)
So who will actually win?
After the Ravens soundly defeated the 49ers and Dolphins in back-to-back weeks, Lamar Jackson (-6000) is the runaway favorite at Caesars Sportsbook. With Baltimore having already locked up the No. 1 seed in the AFC, there is likely nothing any of the other candidates can do to overtake him.
