The 2022 NFL regular season is in sight, and a number of star players playing to their potential and remaining healthy is vital to their team’s success and playoff aspirations.
Here’s a look at the 10 most important NFL players this season alongside their MVP odds from Caesars Sportsbook.
The 10 Most Important NFL Players This Season
10. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers
Even during his breakout 2019 season when McCaffrey led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and total touchdowns, the Panthers went 5-11, which serves as a prime example that it takes more than a one-trick pony to win in the NFL.
While improved quarterback play from first-year Panther Baker Mayfield will be critical, if McCaffrey can return to being a game-breaking rusher and receiver, it’ll give the entire offense a jolt it’s lacked the past two seasons with him missing 23 of 33 games.
Expectations are relatively low for the Panthers, but Mayfield has succeeded as a game manager in the past, and the defense should glimpses in coordinator Phil Snow’s first season. McCaffrey rebounding from a pair of down seasons could be all it takes for Carolina to surprise in 2022.
MVP Odds: +12500
9. Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
When Prescott was limited to just five games during the 2020 campaign, the Cowboys went 6-10. There’s no secret the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback is paramount to Dallas’ success, and he might have to have the best season of his career in 2022.
The offensive line lost stalwart left tackle Tyron Smith following an avulsion fracture to his left knee, and there has been considerable personnel turnover at wide receiver.
Add the likely negative turnover regression on defense after the Cowboys paced the NFL in takeaways last season, and there will be more pressure than ever for Prescott to put points on the board while running an offense with a weaker supporting cast than the six-year veteran has been accustomed to in Big D.
MVP Odds: +1700
8. Aaron Donald, DL, Los Angeles Rams
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time All Pro defensive lineman has never missed a Pro Bowl through eight seasons, and Donald put a personal statement on Los Angeles’ Super Bowl LVI victory with two sacks and three quarterback hits.
Donald has been incredibly durable, suiting up for every game the past four seasons, and has totaled 59 sacks – the second-most in the NFL during that four-year stretch. Additionally, after finishing as PFF’s second-rated interior lineman as a rookie in 2014, Donald has received the highest grade at the position each of the past seven years.
Sure, the Rams feature a roster loaded with stars, but none shine brighter than Donald.
MVP Odds: +15000