NFL all-division awards: MVPs, top rookies, more

ByESPN.COM
January 21, 2017, 8:11 AM

— -- Who was the top rookie in the NFC East: Ezekiel Elliott or Dak Prescott? Which head coach had the more impressive season in the AFC East? And who is the most dominant defensive player in the AFC West?

NFL Nation reporters voted on the top rookie, comeback player of the year, coach of the year as well as the most valuable defensive and offensive players in every division.

The results are below. Click the links for each winner to view complete answers.

AFC EAST

The Dolphins knew they had a good player the moment they drafted Tunsil. The only question was whether Tunsil could steer clear of trouble after having issues at Ole Miss, which included a video of him smoking a substance through a bong that surfaced on social media on draft night and immediately dropped his stock. But Tunsil proved the Dolphins right by staying on the straight and narrow. The football part took care of itself, as Tunsil started 14 regular-season games and one playoff game. He was very good as a rookie playing out of position at left guard and filling in at his natural left tackle position for a few games when  Branden Albert was injured. Tunsil has the makings of a 10-year starter for Miami if he avoids injuries and off-field trouble.  Read the full vote.

Wake exceeded everyone's expectations in 2016 -- including those of the Dolphins' coaching staff -- by leading the team with 11.5 sacks. He was 34 and coming off a season-ending Achilles injury. Coach Adam Gase initially brought Wake off the bench and kept him on a snap count; in a Week 2 loss to the Patriots, Wake played just 15 snaps, which Miami admitted right away was a mistake. Wake wanted more and eventually was put in the starting lineup in October, and that led to his Pro Bowl season. Those who continue to doubt Wake were proved wrong once again.  Read the full vote.

Navigating through the first four games without Tom Brady and going 3-1 reflected a job well done by Belichick and his staff. Overall, the Patriots finished 14-2. One of the key changes this season has come in the area of health and wellness, as the Patriots have made some notable changes to improve in this area, and the results are evident.

But while Belichick went 3-1 without Brady, Gase went 10-6 with Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore. That could top Belichick on the degree-of-difficulty scale. Gase encountered early turbulence with a 1-4 start, but he managed to change the culture of a perennial also-ran in his first season. The Dolphins made the playoffs for the first time since 2008, and they did it with less-than-elite talent.  Read the full vote.

Defensive MVP:  Lorenzo Alexander, LB, Buffalo Bills

There are not a lot of strong candidates for defensive MVP this season. The best defense in the division -- the New England Patriots -- is more team-oriented in its success. Alexander had the most impressive individual season. He led the Bills and the division with 12.5 sacks in addition to 76 tackles, three forced fumbles and an interception. Alexander, 33, came out of nowhere to produce a Pro Bowl season. He'd been mostly a backup and rotational player but produced the best season of his career after a decade in the NFL. Alexander deserves kudos for that alone.  Read the full vote.

Offensive MVP:  Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

A candidate for NFL MVP, Brady set the NFL record for touchdown-to-interception ratio (28-to-2) and was a big part of the Patriots smashing the NFL record for fewest interceptions in a season (two). The previous mark was five.  Read the full vote.

AFC NORTH

This is a tough one because the division didn't have a star rookie such as  Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott or Joey Bosa. The decision comes down to Stanley and  Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Artie Burns. The nod goes to Stanley, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He allowed only three sacks all season while blocking Joe Flacco's blind side. Stanley was also the NFL's best left tackle over the last four weeks of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. Some will go with Burns, but he gave up the most touchdown passes by a rookie corner this season.  Read the full vote.

No one's comeback journey compares to Pitta's. He fractured his right hip in 2013 and 2014, then didn't even play in 2015, causing most to believe his career was over. There were doctors, friends and family members who discouraged Pitta from returning to football. To play his first full season since 2012 was an accomplishment in itself. But what made Pitta's comeback more amazing: He led all NFL tight ends with a career-best 86 catches. Only Antonio Brown had more receptions than Pitta among AFC North players. Read the full vote.

John Harbaugh did a nice job increasing the Ravens' win total by three games from the previous season, but not many NFL coaches handled the back end of the schedule quite like Tomlin, who has lost one December game in the past three seasons. Considering the Steelers' 4-5 start, Tomlin's job of regrouping the Steelers to secure seven straight regular-season wins is commendable. Defense is Tomlin's specialty, and a rebuilt unit held opponents to around 17 points per game over those last seven weeks.  Read the full vote.

Atkins did not reach the heights he did in 2015, but he still led all defensive tackles with nine sacks despite drawing consistent double-teams. While there were few defensive standouts in the AFC North this year, Atkins continues to be one of the best at his position.  Read the full vote.

Read the full vote.