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Going back as far as our Next Gen Stats data allows (2016), the season leader in total expected points added (EPA) on dropbacks has gone on to win the ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøMVP in six of the last eight seasons. This year, Jackson’s +162.2 EPA places him , and though Josh Allen might be considered the frontrunner for MVP in many circles, Jackson’s dominance in both the passing and rushing game is undeniable. The first player in ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøhistory to throw for more than 4,000 yards and run for at least 900 more, Jackson stood out across nearly every advanced metric and split. On passes of 10-plus air yards, Jackson threw for 27 touchdowns against one interception, the most touchdowns with one or fewer interceptions on such attempts in our dataset (Tom Brady was next with 16-to-1 in 2016). And then, of course, there's Jackson's rushing prowess. His +244 rushing yards over expected was the fourth-most among any player across any position.

Barkley wasted no time reminding the league of his superstar abilities in his debut campaign with the Eagles, recording the ninth 2,000-yard rushing season in ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøhistory while finishing with the second-most rushing yards over expected (+549) and second-most yards after contact (1,176). Where he really shined, though, was in closing out games: No player in the league topped his 1,245 rushing yards or +496 RYOE in the second half of contests. Barkley also registered a career-high 46 explosive runs (runs of 10-plus yards), while reaching 20-plus mph 11 times as a ball carrier -- five more than the next-closest running back (Jahmyr Gibbs, 6).

Three years removed from a rookie campaign many still regard as one of the greatest ever by a first-year receiver, Chase once again stood atop the ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøin 2024, piling up 127 catches for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns to become just the sixth triple crown receiver of the Super Bowl era. Chase was a problem for opposing defenses at every level of the field all season long. His 13 touchdowns on passes of 10-plus air yards were the most in a single season since at least 2016, while his league-leading 294 yards after catch over expected was 62 yards better than the next-closest player (CeeDee Lamb). Against press coverage, Chase was an outlier among his peers, tallying 38 receptions, 570 receiving yards and 176 receiving yards over expected when a defender lined up within three yards of him on the line of scrimmage.

Jefferson re-cemented himself as one of the league’s most dangerous downfield threats this season, recording the most receptions (47) and receiving yards (1,106) on targets of 10-plus air yards league-wide. He especially thrived on vertical routes (go, post, corner, wheel), logging 649 receiving yards while generating 178 receiving yards over expected, both the highest figures in the ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøthis season.

The receiver who led the league in EPA when targeted this season wasn’t triple crown winner Ja’Marr Chase or downfield maven Justin Jefferson; it was St. Brown. His +95.1 EPA when targeted eclipsed the next-closest pass catcher by more than 25 points, speaking to his uncanny ability to create positive outcomes on virtually every look. Chief among St. Brown’s elite traits is his sure-handedness: He posted the highest single-season catch rate (81.6%) by a wide receiver over the last three seasons (min. 50 targets), dropping only one pass all year.

Kittle’s 2024 numbers (1,106 receiving yards) might look modest next to those of standouts Brock Bowers (1,194) and Trey McBride (1,146), but the raw totals don’t tell the whole story. Kittle finished third among all tight ends in receiving yards despite running more than 100 fewer routes and logging 30 fewer catches than either Bowers or McBride. Kittle’s efficiency is clear in his 313 receiving yards over expected, the highest mark by far among tight ends. In fact, he’s the only player at his position to surpass 200. Simply put, no tight end maximized his opportunities quite like Kittle ... and that’s not even factoring in his impact as a blocker in the running game. The 49ers averaged 5.1 yards per carry when Kittle was on the field (330 plays) compared with 3.9 when he wasn't (127 plays).

In his second season manning the blindside after making the transition from right tackle, Wirfs handled more one-on-one pass-blocking snaps than any left tackle in the league (87.1%) -- and he thrived in those situations. Wirfs more than delivered when left on an island, allowing just a 5.0% pressure rate in one-on-one situations, the lowest of any left tackle with at least 100 island snaps this season. Across all pass-blocking reps, Wirfs surrendered pressure on just 4.7% of dropbacks -- second-best among left tackles -- and allowed just 1.5 sacks all year.

Among left guards with at least 250 pass-blocking snaps this season, Smith surrendered a league-low 4.0% pressure rate. The former first-rounder was particularly good in one-on-one situations, allowing a position-best 3.6% rate when operating on an island. Across 363 isolated pass-blocking reps (at any position along the O-line), Smith did not allow a single sack all season.

Humphrey has a valuable role in simply snapping the ball to a future Hall of Famer, but he is vital in anchoring the line that protects Patrick Mahomes, as well. Humphrey was the only center in the ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøthis season who did not allow a single pressure in under 2.5 seconds. He allowed a 4.3% pressure rate overall, ranking seventh among centers with at least 200 pass blocks, and only one sack -- fewer than any player above him on the pressure leaderboard. He showed even more skill when left isolated, taking on one-on-one matchups at the third-highest rate of any center (44.4%) and allowing the third-lowest pressure rate (3.1%) when doing so.

Not many rookie quarterbacks are blessed with an offensive line as stout as the one Bo Nix has enjoyed this season, and Meinerz's role in strengthening that unit cannot be overstated. The Wisconsin-Whitewater product allowed one or fewer pressures in 11 games this season, which is tied for the most such games by a guard since at least 2018 (as far back as NGS blocking data goes). As a result, Meinerz allowed a mere 3.6% pressure rate -- the lowest among all guards -- while surrendering only one sack.

Despite blocking for a quarterback (Jalen Hurts) who holds onto the ball longer than most, Johnson allowed the sixth-lowest pressure rate (6.6%) among right tackles this season, yielding just two pressures within 2.5 seconds of the snap. The veteran tackle's 3.95-second average time to pressure was the longest in the NFL, underscoring how well he kept Hurts clean -- even when the quarterback held onto the ball inside and outside the pocket beyond his initial reads. In the run game, Johnson paved the way for an Eagles offense that averaged the third-most yards before contact per carry (2.6) on outside runs to the right side of the field.