There are a few noteworthy benchmarks to properly understand and monitor for a new NFL season.
You’re, of course, watching the top rookies because these are the fresh faces that represent the next wave of talent in the league. You want to keep tabs on the best defender because that’s a guy who is often quite accustomed to steamrolling offensive tackles without adequate support from his own offense. There are obviously the MVP honors, you know, the unofficial best player in pro football and the face of the league.
And we wouldn’t have any real idea of what to do with ourselves if we didn’t have a vision for that year’s Super Bowl. What is predicting the big game if you can’t see a fun and refreshing matchup five months in advance?
The 2024 NFL season is less than three weeks away. (I know, WHOA.)
In the interest of framing this season in a quality fashion, we here at For The Win are here to offer you our top futures picks for the year. This is how we see the season playing out and it’s how we’re trying to help you make some money in advance.
As always, if you get mad at a selection, it’s clearly because we were trying to spite you specifically.
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Robert Zeglinski: QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
The Bears have surrounded Williams with a gifted supporting cast of elite skill weapons, and he’s complemented by a top-10 defense. This is the kind of situation where Williams can grow as he needs to and comfortably play his game without worrying about hurting the Bears. He’s in a strong position to run away with top offensive rookie honors.
Christian D’Andrea: QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
No rookie QB in the league has ever been handed a more stacked receiving corps. He’ll have the backdrop of a top-three defense waiting to bail him out. As long as he can overcome the Matt Eberflus of it all, this award is Williams’ to lose.
Blake Schuster: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
The last time the No. 1 overall pick won OROY was Kyler Murray in 2019, and as much as Caleb Williams has going for him, anything less than meeting the sky-high expectations set out for the Bears QB is going to hurt his chances. So, give me the wideout who has arguably the most talent of anyone in this class. It’s kind of strange we aren’t talking more about him more as is.
Charles Curtis: QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Love the odds, love the fit, love the team around him. He’s going to be an immediate star.
Cory Woodroof: QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams will win the award if he’s even half the player the Bears think he’ll be, if only because of what that would represent for a franchise that has the unluckiest streaks at finding a long-term quarterback in the entire NFL.
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Robert: DE Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts
A sack machine, Latu joins a sound and stable Colts defense looking for that one true finisher off the edge. In fact, I’m imagining Latu acting as the Kobe Bryant to DeForest Buckner’s Shaquille O’Neal rather easily.
Christian: DE Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts
All the man does is rack up sacks, and now he heads to a solid Colts rotation loaded with pass rushers who can introduce chaos to the pocket. If Will Anderson can claim DROY honors with seven sacks, Latu’s 10.5 in 2024 should do the same.
Blake: DE Austin Booker, Chicago Bears
The Bears’ defensive end was my sleeper pick heading into the season, but he has everyone wide awake after a few standout preseason games and is already earning comparisons to greats like Jason Pierre-Paul. Do you realize the type of work ethic needed to make it from Kansas football to the NFL? Booker is going to stun plenty of people this season. I won’t be one of them.
Charles: DE Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts
You can see the path to him notching a ton of sacks with the Colts in Year 1.
Cory: CB Terrion Arnold, Detroit Lions
I’ll go out on a limb and say that Arnold will thrive in Detroit with the Lions, helping a Super Bowl contender look even more ferocious in the secondary. The fact that the Lions will probably be very good helps here, as attention tends to attract votes in awards like this.
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Robert: EDGE Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
If there were ever a season tailor-made for Parsons to capture his first career DPOY, it’d be one where the Cowboys needed their defense to pull more of the Dallas weight than usual. Parsons is an absolute demon off the edge, a veritable tornado of power and speed, and he should be poised to wreck game plans enough to finally earn the top-ranked defender honors.
Christian: EDGE T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt was my 2023 pick (though it’s difficult to quibble with Myles Garrett’s selection) and will once again be counted on to help overcome Pittsburgh’s anemic offense. A fully realized Keeanu Benton will cut off escape routes in the middle of the line, padding Watt’s already stellar sack total in 2024.
Blake: DE Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
Yeah, he won DROY last year, but, uh, are we sure he’s not already one of the best defenders in the league? If the Texans take a step forward this year, it’ll be because their defense has hunkered down and matched the explosiveness of Houston’s offense. To do that, they’ll need Anderson to lead the way. We already know he’s more than capable.
Charles: DE Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
There are A LOT of bigger names on the list ahead of him, but I could see a big breakout year for the Lions stud.
Cory: EDGE Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
It feels like Parsons is destined to win one of these at some point, and his balling out ahead of a possible monster contract extension feels like the most likely scenario for the gifted outside linebacker. It wouldn’t shock me if he’s the best player on the Cowboys roster. His explosive impact might make their contract dilemma with him, Dak Prescott, and CeeDee Lamb even harder to figure out.
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Robert: WR Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Yes, the Bengals are only genuine Super Bowl contenders when they have a healthy Joe Burrow, but the quarterback needs his best weapon, the straw that stirs the drink. That is Chase. Burrow will feed his best pal over and over downfield this fall, even when it doesn’t appear to make sense, and it will pay off with tremendous dividends for the Cincinnati offense. You know, like it always does.
Christian: WR Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Just a hunch, but after seeing the Bengals allow Tee Higgins to twist in the wind, I feel as though Chase is going to rise up in a big way to ensure he gets something like $40 million annually from Cincinnati. A healthy, annoyed Joe Burrow won’t hurt, either.
Blake: WR CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
I typically worry about betting on guys after a holdout/contract extension, but in Lamb’s case, I’ll make an exception. This guy clearly has something to prove and can’t wait to make Jerry Jones look foolish. Whether that’s because the Cowboys finally paid him or didn’t is entirely up to Jerry.
Charles: WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback, Schmorterback. Doesn’t matter who’s throwing him the ball. He’s going to have a monster year.
Cory: RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Running backs tend to do very well here, and Robinson feels destined to break out this season in an offense that feels much more geared to maximizing his snaps and letting him run wild and free. Even with Tyler Allgeier sharing the load in the Falcons backfield, it wouldn’t be shocking for Robinson to make this the year where he establishes himself as the premier running back in the NFL and wins a major award to show for it.
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Robert: QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
After a season marred by poor coaching and general disorganization, new Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is exactly what the doctor ordered for a mini Hurts resurgence. Look for Philadelphia to find ways to use Hurts’ legs in a creative fashion again, and look for the quarterback to enjoy a career season working in tandem with his new best friend, Saquon Barkley, in the backfield. A top-two NFC playoff seed for the Eagles won’t hurt.
Christian: QB CJ Stroud, Houston Texans
Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are boring answers. Stroud gets Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Stefon Diggs against the backdrop of a weak AFC South and the chance to guide the Texans to 12 wins and a potential first-round bye.
Blake: QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Until I see someone play better with more pressure on them than Mahomes faces week in and week out, it’s impossible to pick against him. This is one I can live with being wrong about since it typically comes down to health and team success, but Mahomes usually has both working in his favor.
Charles: QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Given the addition of Derrick Henry, this offense is going to absolutely sing, and Jackson will be at the center of it all.
Cory: QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes is Patrick Mahomes, and he’s going to use this season as some sort of revenge tour because his regular season last year wasn’t as great as it typically is. I don’t know. I just can’t bet against the best player in the NFL for the league’s top individual award.
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Robert: Kansas City Chiefs over Detroit Lions (Patrick Mahomes MVP)
The Chiefs won last year’s Super Bowl with the weakest team of the Patrick Mahomes era on paper and no consistently reliable receivers. Thanks to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Xavier Worthy, that is no longer an issue. Patrick Mahomes will add to his legacy with the first three-peat of the modern NFL era. Most importantly, I’m not sure when this run will really end.
Christian: Detroit Lions over Baltimore Ravens (Jared Goff MVP)
I dunno, man. I’m probably wrong. Might as well be fun in the process.
Blake: Kansas City Chiefs over Detroit Lions (Patrick Mahomes MVP)
Detroit will throw a parade just for making it to the Super Bowl and no one can blame it.
Charles: Cincinnati Bengals over Philadelphia Eagles (Joe Burrow MVP)
Sorry, Philly, but Joe Burrow is back and will lead the Bengals on a surprise playoff run.
Cory: Kansas City Chiefs over Green Bay Packers (Patrick Mahomes MVP)
Matt LaFleur becomes the first Kyle Shanahan acolyte to have his heart broken in February by the barnstorming Chiefs in a close game where Jordan Love confirms his place as one of the league’s best quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes wins another MVP and gets his fourth ring, while Andy Reid and Travis Kelce go out on top after completing the three-peat. Same as it ever was.
