Marquez Valdes-Scantling

WR – Kansas City Chiefs

While Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and JuJu Smith-Schuster are getting plenty of attention on offense, there’s another new Chiefs receiver who’s quietly enjoying a career year of his own. 

In free agency, the Chiefs signed former Green Bay Packers deep threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year contract worth $30 million. Kansas City changed up their receiving core by trading away Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, then using the cap space to bring in Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling.

Through his first seven games, Valdes-Scantling has 22 receptions for 369 yards. Per ESPN, Valdes-Scantling is on pace for career-highs in receptions (53) and receiving yards (896) heading into Week 8. 

The Chiefs are among the main favorites to win Super Bowl 57 at the top Kansas sportsbooks, including FanDuel (+700, third-best odds behind the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles) and DraftKings (+650, behind only Buffalo and Philadelphia).

MVS and Smith-Schuster have been valuable complements to Kelce, who’s having another Pro Bowl-like season with 47 receptions for 553 yards and seven touchdowns through seven games. At this point, Kelce is in great position to set a career-high in touchdown receptions. His career high is 11, set in the 2020 season.

The future Hall of Famer is also on pace to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the seventh straight season.

Jalen Hurts

QB – Philadelphia Eagles

Bills quarterback Josh Allen is the favorite to win the MVP award, but Mahomes and Hurts are making strong cases of their own.

Hurts is in his third NFL season and just his second as a full-time starter. The Eagles’ 2020 second-round pick is having a season for the ages, tossing 1,799 yards and 10 touchdowns against two interceptions to go along with 303 rushing yards and six rushing scores through seven games.

Hurts’ production was inconsistent last year, but he did just enough to help the Eagles claim the final wild card spot in the NFC. Rather than look for another quarterback, the Eagles decided to upgrade the offense around Hurts. 

GM Howie Roseman traded a 2022 first-round pick to the Tennessee Titans to acquire superstar wideout, A.J. Brown. Dallas Goedert, DeVonta Smith, and Miles Sanders were a good set of playmakers, to begin with, but Brown has emerged as Hurts’ go-to weapon in Philly.

Hurts has taken Philly’s offense to a whole new level. They’re explosive both in the passing game and on the ground. Roseman stunned many when he drafted Hurts in the second round two years ago, but it already looks like one of the best moves of his career.

Travis Etienne Jr.

RB – Jacksonville Jaguars

Far from where I’m going, but ahead of my time! #YearTWO #CUinJanuary pic.twitter.com/qmZ79t0vNQ

— Travis Etienne Jr⁶𓅓 (@swaggy_t1) August 1, 2018

Etienne, unfortunately, had to miss his entire 2021 rookie campaign with a foot injury, but the No. 25 selection of last year’s draft has come as advertised here in 2022.

It’s been a frustrating season for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the passing game, but Etienne Jr. has shouldered the offense as a potent do-it-all running back. The Clemson product had 571 rushing yards and two touchdowns over his first eight games to go along with 17 receptions for 157 yards.

Etienne’s production was good enough to the point where GM Trent Baalke was comfortable trading away former 1,000-yard rusher James Robinson to the New York Jets ahead of the deadline.

Despite their losing record, the Jaguars have shown a lot more fight and drive under new head coach Doug Pederson. Etienne’s superb 2022 campaign is undoubtedly something this group can build on.

Chris Olave

WR – New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints traded up to select rookie Chris Olave with the No. 11 selection, and the move has paid off tremendously.

The smooth route-runner and speedster has carried the Saints’ passing game without Pro Bowlers Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry, who have both missed considerable time this year.

Through his first seven games of 2022, Olave had 37 receptions for 547 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers are especially impressive when you consider that opposing defenses have been able to mostly focus on Olave with Landry and Thomas out of action.

New Orleans will need Landry and Thomas to get healthy and produce if this team is to make a run at the playoffs. But Olave and superstar running back Alvin Kamara have kept this offense afloat amid a string of injuries to so many key starters.

Olave has to be considered one of the midseason favorites for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

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