Ranking NFL MVP candidates, awards picks through Week 4 2022

Let's pick quarter-season NFL awards for the 2022 campaign. It's ridiculous to hand out awards for four weeks of football — and with 17 regular-season games now, we're not officially quite at the 25% mark — but it's also a good time to take hold of what has happened across the league over the first month of the season and have a historical document for what we felt at the time.

Remember: This time a year ago, Sam Darnold was a Comeback Player of the Year favorite, and Kyler Murray looked like an MVP contender. A lot can change in three months.

This time, I'll pick my three early favorites for seven awards: Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, and MVP.

These are my picks for who I think deserves to win over the first month of the season, not who I think will win at the end of the campaign. I'll generally abide by the rules and preferences we've seen from Associated Press voters in the past, although I'll make one notable exception when we get to Offensive Player of the Year. Let's start on defense:

Jump to an award:MVP | Top comeback | Best coach Best rookies: Offense | Defense Players of the Year: Offense | Defense

This award is typically dominated by young pass-rushers, but it hasn't been a great start for edge defenders this season. Aidan Hutchinson (Lions) is the only rookie with more than two sacks, but his three all came in one game against the Commanders, who hand out free sacks like they're candy on Halloween. Hutchinson ranks 54th out of 58 qualifying edge defenders in pass rush win rate, and it isn't as if the Lions have stopped anybody on defense through three games. No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker (Jaguars) has