New Orleans Saints midseason awards: Team MVP, Breakout of the Year so far

The bye week is a great opportunity to take stock of the New Orleans Saints' season so far -- we've had the opportunity to watch (and rewatch, a couple of times) every play from 11 games. It's also a good time to shine a spotlight on some deserving players who have stood out for the team this season.

Our staff writers are highlighting players in five categories for our 2024 midseason awards:

• Most Valuable Player

• Breakout Player of the Year

• Most Improved Player

• Comeback Player of the Year

• Rookie of the Year

Some choices were unanimous. Others led to interesting discussion. Let's get to it:

Most Valuable Player

Alvin Kamara. Kamara’s continued to be the heartbeat of this team offensively, while closing in on his best season since 2020. He’s currently third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage and will likely reach his first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. Also, being awarded a captain of this Saints team recently only adds on to all he’s accomplished this season. -- Luke Loffredo

Alvin Kamara. Alvin Kamara has been the driving force behind the Saints offense this year no doubt, and has had some exceptional games to back it. While the offense itself has been stagnant at times, specifically the game against the Carolina Panthers for reference, Kamara has put on a show and been an absolute monster. A great year for the veteran, and a well deserved extension to go along with it. -- Jeremy Trottier

Alvin Kamara. There isn’t a player who has stood out or been as consistent as Kamara. Offensive line injuries stalled out his production after a fast start. Still, he continues to show the vision, balance and burst that made him special. The display of these traits earned him a new contract. -- Darrion Gray

Alvin Kamara. I'm in agreement with the others here. Kamara has shown week in, week out and played through several injuries while looking like a great fit in Klint Kubiak's offense. He's stepped up as a leader, too, and quite literally led the charge to several wins. They may not have a single win in their ledger without him. -- John Sigler

Breakout Player of the Year

Alontae Taylor. Although his performance has taken a downward tilt since sliding back to outside cornerback, this year’s breakout player for me is Alontae Taylor. Taylor’s impact on defense was immediate starting from game one, where he sacked Panthers’ quarterback Bryce Young three times. Taylor continued this into the season as he currently leads the NFL in havoc plays with 23. Many of us saw his potential over his first couple of seasons but he has for sure got the league’s attention now. -- Luke Loffredo

Alontae Taylor. The cornerback room for the Saints has had lots of shuffling, with Marshon Lattimore being traded and Paulson Adebo out for the rest of the season. However opportunity came from that for Alontae Taylor, and he has made the most of playing on the outside, making an exceptional number of high-level plays and while not perfect, has been outstanding given the task he has. A good building block for the Saints to work with for the future. -- Jeremy Trottier

Rashid Shaheed. Unfortunately, Shaheed’s breakout year was cut short. He’s been explosive as a receiver, but this year saw him blossom into one of the most prolific and consistent deep threats in the league. His connection with Derek Carr grew, and Shaheed was averaging more yards per catch and yards per game. -- Darrion Gray

Bryan Bresee. Bresee has already surpassed his rookie year sacks total (4.5 in 17 games) with 5.5 sacks through his first 11 games. He's not making as great an impact in run defense, but the Saints expected that when they drafted him. He's making plays when they matter most and getting to the quarterback. We need to see more of it down the stretch. -- John Sigler

Most Improved Player

Trevor Penning. This one is an easy one for me, it’s Trevor Penning. Penning went from being benched at the start of last season to having weeks where he’s the highest graded player at his position. Something that was completely unheard of at the start of this season. There’s absolutely more room for growth but Penning has shown he can be a capable starting tackle in this league. -- Luke Loffredo

Trevor Penning. Many, including myself, had written off Trevor Penning for awhile there as he was having an extremely tough time in pass protection and was not making up for it in run blocking. In 2024 however, he has matched the production of his rookie counterpart Taliese Fuaga, and they have formed an exceptionally talented tandem on the edges of the OL. This is a great sign given the Saints’ investments into the position, and with Ryan Ramczyk likely not coming back. -- Jeremy Trottier

Bryan Bresee. Bresee has taken a step up as a pass rusher this season. He’s already surpassed his sack total from his rookie year. Bresee’s 5.5 sacks lead the team. He’s also equaled his amount of pressures and there’s still 6 games remaining. -- Darrion Gray

Trevor Penning. No player on the squad has shown more growth over last year than Penning. He wasn't playable last season. Now he's a productive asset on the right side. Sure, he draws too many penalties, but you'll learn to live with that if you're running behind him consistently. Once he gets more reps and more confidence in his pass protection? Watch out. -- John Sigler

Comeback Player of the Year

Will Harris. I got to go with Will Harris here. From just a year ago going from a reserve player off of the bench in Detroit, to becoming an impactful player on the Saints defense is a huge accomplishment for the player. Many of us thought that the battle at the safety position opposite Tyrann Mathieu would be between second year player Jordan Howden and veteran Jonathan Abram to start the season. Funny enough it ended up being that Harris was the one to lock up that spot. Harris has been one of the tone setters on the defensive side this season, making receivers and ball carriers weary of coming his way. Harris should be a player that the team would like to bring back this offseason. -- Luke Loffredo

Payton Turner. Comeback player is a tough spot to really gauge as not many Saints missed large portions of last year, and those who have did not come back or have not performed at a high level. One who has done well to work back however is Payton Turner, who missed all but 2 games last season. Now he has played in 10 for 2024, with 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, 3 pass deflections, and 14 tackles on only 30% of defensive snaps. This improvement is good to see, and hopefully something to build off of for 2025. -- Jeremy Trottier

Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Valdes-Scantling had been written off by many. After being released by the Bills, Valdes-Scantling landed in New Orleans and showed he could still add an explosive element to an offense. His contributions is a mutually beneficial deal that could lead to a partnership beyond 2024. -- Darrion Gray

Payton Turner. Trying to stick with the theme of someone who bounced back from a serious injury, and Turner fits the bill. He missed most of the 2023 campaign with foot surgery but has returned to make some plays in the rotation at defensive end. That may not be enough to keep him in New Orleans long-term, but it's a big step in the right direction for a young pro who has seen a lot of adversity to start his career. -- John Sigler

Rookie of the Year

Taliese Fuaga. This is a no-brainer. Taliese Fuaga has been exactly what the team expected him to be and quite honestly exactly what they needed him to be. Fuaga has looked athletic, powerful and has really been a people-mover in the run game. There is the need for some improvement when it comes to pass protection, but there is plenty of time for development down the line. With so much uncertainty at the offensive tackle position at the start of the offseason, we can finally say that this team has found a long-term solution at that spot. -- Luke Loffredo

Taliese Fuaga. As previously mentioned, the tackles have been amazing this year, and Taliese Fuaga is making a huge impact in just his first year, even with his previous back injury. Fuaga just last week was tasked with covering Myles Garrett off the edge, and in 30 pass protection snaps allowed 0 pressures, which is outstanding. No doubt a phenomenal player, never mind a phenomenal rookie. -- Jeremy Trotter

Taliese Fuaga. Kool-Aid McKinstry has a chance to make ground in this department. Right now, Fuaga is the rookie who sees the field the most. He’s made the most of that time. He’s been one of the league’s best pass blockers as rookie. His latest showcase was against Myles Garrett. It was a great performance, and shows how bright the future is for the rookie. -- Darrion Gray

Taliese Fuaga. I'm in agreement here; Fuaga is the clear choice. Going from playing right tackle in college to learning left tackle on the job as a rookie and playing at a high level? That's impressive. Shutting down superstar pass rushers like Myles Garrett? Doubly impressive. He's going to be a big part of this team's success for a long time if he can keep this momentum going. -- John Sigler