Bleacher Report's Midseason NFL Awards

A sense of accomplishment can't be developed when an individual's journey isn't complete. But those same individuals can still take pride in how far they've traveled to reach their destinations. 

With the NFL at its halfway point, there are those well on their way to accomplishing their goals. 

As such, they deserve recognition in Bleacher Report's Midseason NFL Awards. 

In order to define who the best of the best have been so far this season, Bleacher Report sat its 12 NFL writers down—figuratively, not literally—to determine which men earned the league's highest honors at this point in the process. 

Jason Cole, Gary Davenport, Tyler Dunne, Doug Farrar, Mike Freeman, Brad Gagnon, Matt Miller, Dan Pompei, Chris Simms, Mike Tanier, Sean Tomlinson and myself voted on 11 different categories. The individual with the most votes earned the midseason honor. 

Click through the slideshow to find out who won MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and more. 

MVP

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Winner: Tom Brady, New England Patriots (five votes)

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the NFL's version of Dorian Gray. Even at 39 years old, he remains the game's best player. 

"I don't think I've ever seen him this hot," Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan said Sunday after the quarterback threw four touchdowns in a 41-25 New England victory, per the Boston Globe's Ben Volin. 

Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly took his praise to another level when he agreed Brady is the best quarterback of all time during a segment with Chris Berman on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown. 

Kelly pointed toward Brady's consistency—which has yet to experience any type of discernible decline.

Since returning from his four-game suspension, the 17-year veteran has completed 73.1 percent of his passes for 1,319 yards, 12 touchdowns and no interceptions. In fact, his accuracy, touchdown-to-interception ratio, yards per attempt (9.94) and QB rating (133.9) rank No. 1 overall. 

Father Time will eventually catch up with Brady, but the quarterback continues to delay the inevitable. As a result, the Patriots appear unbeatable with the two-time MVP behind center. 

Others receiving votes: Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons (three votes); Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (two votes); Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (one vote); Von Miller, Denver Broncos (one vote)

Coach of the Year

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Winner: Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings (eight votes)

Despite the Minnesota Vikings' recent play, head coach Mike Zimmer still deserves recognition for his team's performance through the first half of the season. 

The Vikings' 5-2 start after losing their starting quarterback, running back and left tackle to season-ending injuries is nothing short of exceptional.

"I wouldn't want to coach any other football team than this," Zimmer said last week, per the St. Paul Pioneer Press' Chris Tomasson. 

Even after losing its last two games, Minnesota still sits atop the NFC North standings. The team features the league's second-ranked defense. And quarterback Sam Bradford, who was acquired eight days before the start of the season, is playing his best football. 

Are the Vikings flawed? Yes. But that's what makes Zimmer's job even more impressive. Just losing a franchise quarterback or future Hall of Fame back to injury would buckle most teams. Most teams aren't led by Zimmer, though. 

Others receiving votes: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots (four votes)

Offensive Player of the Year

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Winner: Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons (six votes)

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones stands out as the top playmaker among the NFL's No. 1-ranked offense. As such, he earns the nod as Bleacher Report's Offensive Player of the Year at the halfway point. 

When a receiver posts a 300-yard game—as Jones did in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers—the performance confirms how unstoppable he can be if provided with enough targets. 

Actually, the Cincinnati Bengals' A.J. Green surpassed Jones as the league's leading receiver this past weekend. However, Jones leads the league's top receivers with 12.3 yards per target. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has targeted Green 18 more times than Matt Ryan has Jones. 

The threat of Jones torching a defense creates opportunities for everyone else. In fact, the Falcons are 3-0 this season when the wide receiver catches three or fewer passes. 

"To me, I think it speaks to the depth of our offense, of our team," Ryan said, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra. "It also speaks to what people are trying to do to eliminate Julio."

Whether or not Jones is catching passes, he affects games.

Others receiving votes: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (two votes); Tom Brady, New England Patriots (one vote); Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (one vote); Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (one vote); Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (one vote)

Defensive Player of the Year

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Winner: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams (nine votes)

Presence equals impact. Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald embodies the best case of a player's presence creating an impact even if it doesn't show up in the stats. 

For those who box-score scout, Donald isn't impressive. After all, he's only managed 23 tackles, seven tackles for loss and three sacks. Yet he's a disruptive force who can single-handedly demolish an entire offensive game plan. 

"He's getting double-teamed, and he's getting all those scheme things that you get offensively," head coach Jeff Fisher said at the end of September, per ESPN.com's Alden Gonzalez. "It creates other opportunities for someone else. … Even though his numbers aren’t reflecting it, he's very productive."

Donald is nearly impossible to block one-on-one. His first-step quickness allows him to consistently play in an opponent's backfield, while his strength and leverage make him an outstanding run-stopper. Pro Football Focus graded the interior lineman as the league's best overall defender through the halfway point, and no one else even came close. 

With the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt out of the equation, Donald assumes the role of the NFL's best defensive player. 

Others receiving votes: Von Miller, Denver Broncos (three votes)

Offensive Rookie of the Year

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Winner: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (11 votes)

Move over, Emmitt Smith. The Dallas Cowboys have finally found another franchise running back worthy of your legacy. 

Ezekiel Elliott ran roughshod over the NFL during his first seven professional games. This year's fourth overall draft pick leads the league with 799 rushing yards and averages five yards per carry. 

The rookie has already developed into a legitimate workhorse, and head coach Jason Garrett showered the Ohio State product with praise before Dallas' Week 8 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, per ESPN.com's Todd Archer:

"

I just think he's a complete back. He's certainly learning the game. But he's demonstrated throughout his college career and in the first six games of this season that he can do a lot of different things that we ask him to do. He can run inside, he can run outside, he can block, he can catch, and I think that goes to what his running style is. He's a guy when he gets out in space he clearly has the quickness, speed and explosiveness to go the distance with it but again he can run inside and be physical. He can run over guys, run into guys, and he's not afraid of the physical part of the game. But again he's awfully good out in space as well.

"

The Cowboys are 6-1 and atop the NFC East. It's safe to say the team wouldn't be in those positions if Elliott wasn't leading the way. 

Others receiving votes: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (one vote)

Defensive Rookie of the Year

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Winner: Joey Bosa, San Diego Chargers (eight votes)

The San Diego Chargers' Joey Bosa is now the prototype for what an elite edge defender should look like upon his arrival to the NFL ranks. 

After a contentious contract negotiation between the talented pass-rusher and the organization, the 6'5", 269-pound defensive end instantly proved his worth as the third overall pick in April's NFL draft. 

Since entering the Chargers lineup in Week 5, Bosa has terrorized opposing quarterbacks. In his first professional action, the Ohio State product registered a pair of sacks. Even though Bosa got a late start, Pro Football Focus still graded him as the league's fourth-best 3-4 outside linebacker at the midway point. 

"You love watching him play," Chargers head coach Mike McCoy said, per the San Diego Union-Tribune's Michael Gehlken. "It's effortless. He has a passion to play. … To see him go out there and produce, to be honest, it's not shocking at all. … He's a special player."

Great players make an instant impact, and Bosa certainly has in San Diego. 

Others receiving votes: Keanu Neal, Atlanta Falcons (four votes)

Rookie of the Year

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Winner: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys (11 votes)

Just how good has Elliott been this season? He's on pace to break Eric Dickerson's rookie rushing record. 

"I know a little bit about [Dickerson]," Elliott said in September, per ESPN.com's Jean-Jacques Taylor. "Eighteen hundred yards. We joke about it all the time. I told him I'm going to get it."

Now seven games into his first season, the Ohio State product isn't joking anymore. He leads the league with 799 rushing yards. His 114.1 yards per game equate to 1,826 yards over a full 16-game slate. Dickerson ran for 1,808 yards in his initial campaign with the Los Angeles Rams. 

However, the Hall of Fame running back started faster than Elliott. Dickerson ran for 851 yards through his first seven contests. The Cowboys running back needs to avoid a second-half swoon to enter the record books. 

"It hasn't been easy at all," Elliott said, per Archer. "I don't know if you remember what the talk was four weeks ago, but it hasn't been easy at all—so no." 

Even if Elliott doesn't eclipse Dickerson, the rookie's success shouldn't be entirely measured by standard rushing metrics. This year's fourth overall pick has energized the 6-1 Cowboys as the focal point of the team's offense. 

Others receiving votes: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (one vote)

Comeback Player of the Year

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Winner: Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts (six votes)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck took a beating last season, but he's showing no ill effects this fall. 

After displaying a tremendous amount of toughness early in his career, Luck couldn't overcome the amount of hits his body took through his first three seasons. In 2015, the 26-year-old suffered a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle. As a result, he only played in seven games. 

A year later, Luck is still taking shots behind a shoddy offensive line, but he's also playing his best football. 

"I always put pressure on myself," Luck said after signing a six-year, $140 million extension in the offseason, per ESPN The Magazine's Justin Heckert. "I feel like I always have something to prove to myself. … I need to prove to myself that I'm a good player, that I'm a winner."

Through eight games, the fifth-year signal-caller posted career highs in completion percentage (63.7) and QBR (68.1) with only five interceptions compared to 16 touchdowns. The 3-5 Colts continue to struggle, but a healthy Luck isn't one of the reasons why. 

Others receiving votes: DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans (three votes); Steve Smith, Baltimore Ravens (one vote); Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings (one vote); Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers (one vote)

Fantasy Player of the Year

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Winner: David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (nine votes)

Whether playing in a standard or points-per-reception format, Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson is a fantasy football monster. 

Entering Sunday's contest against the Panthers, Johnson accounted for 36 percent of the Cardinals offense, according to the NFL's Twitter feed. The number dropped marginally this past weekend when the running back provided 34.7 percent of the team's offense. 

Here's the scary part: Johnson could get even more touches with improved route running. 

"He should have had about 45 (touches) had he run better routes," head coach Bruce Arians said after the team's Week 7 game against the Seattle Seahawks, per ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss. "He's still struggling running some routes that he runs extremely well in practice. In games, he runs a little bit too quick or he makes poor decisions."

The running back ranks third in the league with 705 rushing yards, and he's second on the Cardinals in receptions (35) and receiving yards (407). Larry Fitzgerald is the only receiver to be targeted more often. 

Last season, the Cardinals were a vertical team riding the arm of veteran quarterback Carson Palmer. A year later, Johnson defines Arizona's identity. 

Others receiving votes: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (two votes); Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons (one vote)

Breakout Player of the Year

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Winners: Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins (four votes); David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (four votes)

Two of the league's newest workhorses deserve recognition for their breakout performances. 

First, the Miami Dolphins' Jay Ajayi opened eyes when he became the fourth player in NFL history to record 200 or more rushing yards in consecutive weeks. If he can repeat the act on Sunday, he'll be the first ever to do so. 

"My whole mentality is to just keep playing and keep proving all the doubters wrong," Ajayi said, per ESPN.com's James Walker. "There were doubters, not just about injury, but whether I could even play in the NFL, whether I was good enough to be a starting running back in the NFL. All of that stuff fuels me."

Prior to his 418-yard explosion, the bruising back managed a mere 304 rushing yards through his first 13 contests. 

Johnson burst onto the scene during the final seven weeks of last season, only to become an even bigger part of the team's offense this year. 

"He's special," center A.Q. Shipley said, per Weinfuss. "We love blocking for him. We know that as long as we give him a crack, there's something for him." 

Johnson is on pace to amass 2,224 total yards as the NFL's best two-way running back. 

These runners have different approaches, but both proved to be quite effective. 

Others receiving votes: Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions (two votes); Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo Bills (one vote); A.J. Bouye, Houston Texans (one vote)

Most Improved Player

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Winner: Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo Bills (six votes)

Most NFL fans couldn't name the defender who currently leads the league in sacks without looking. 

Many would point toward the Denver Broncos' Von Miller, who's second, or a litany of big names that aren't even close to the mark. 

Instead, a relatively unknown 12-year veteran, who made a career out of special teams play, exploded onto the scene. Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander has nine sacks through eight games.

"He's been great," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said after breaking down Bills film last week, per Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper. "[He's] been a tremendous run player, pass player, every special team, impact player in the kicking game and impact player on defense, hard to block, rushes inside, rushes outside, good tackler, great motor. He's really good."

Prior to this season, the defensive lineman-turned-linebacker managed nine career sacks. But he's had at least half a sack in all but one 2016 contest. 

His climb from being an undrafted free agent, who started his career on the Panthers' practice squad, to a Pro Bowl special teams performer and, eventually, the league's top sack artist speaks to his drive and dedication. 

Others receiving votes: Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers (five votes); Vic Beasley, Atlanta Falcons (one vote)