Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are likely to be factors in the MVP race yet again. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Caesars Superdome in New Orleans will host Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, with the march to that ultimate stage beginning Thursday when the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens square off at Arrowhead Stadium (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). The journey to a championship will unfold alongside individual efforts — the hunt for league MVP and other top awards at the annual NFL Honors extravaganza.

We asked league executives and scouts to sort out who will be holding the hardware when the 2024 season ends. From MVP to Rookies of the Year and top coach, few of the major awards offer a clear consensus at this early stage. The possibilities are endless and enticing.

Many voters have sort of given up on the idea of a “sleeper” pick in this category. That thinking resulted in Josh Allen and Joe Burrow as respective 2022 and 2023 predictions, which were sound choices, to be sure.

But deviating from the obvious is getting tougher to defend. More than 60% of league evaluators who were consulted for this exercise picked Mahomes, who evolves and adapts every year.

In 2022, he overcame the loss of Tyreek Hill with a passing game that heavily targeted tight ends and running backs. Championship. He overcame downright bad offensive play the following year, digging deep to find his rhythm in the playoffs. Championship.

Mahomes enters this season with an elite interior offensive line intact, a still-motivated Travis Kelce and the deepest receiver room in years, featuring dynamic rookie Xavier Worthy.

“He’ll be even better next year,” an NFC executive said. “I think they have the speed to help Mahomes get his deep ball back. He and Kelce seem very motivated by a three-peat and the pressure that comes with it.”

Active quarterbacks with multiple MVPs include Mahomes (2); last season’s MVP, Lamar Jackson (2) of the Ravens; and the Jets’ Aaron Rodgers (4).

If you’re looking for a good sleeper, this quote on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott from that same NFC exec is intriguing: “I think he’s going to have his ‘f— you’ season, shut everybody up and win an MVP.”

Hill slightly edged San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey, the 2023 winner, in part because of precedent. The Associated Press last named a repeat winner in 2000, when Marshall Faulk won his second of three consecutive OPOY honors. It’s difficult to post the necessary numbers over 24 months to fend off steep competition.

But Hill has been a near-winner since joining Miami in 2022, averaging 106.3 receiving yards per game in coach Mike McDaniel’s offense. He’s due. He’s good for nearly 11 targets per game, and he hasn’t lost his speed at age 30.

“[The Dolphins] just manufacture so many touches and available yards for him, and he’s getting better every year,” an NFL personnel director said. “Tua will force-feed him. They will need to win for him to stay in contention but I think they will.”

Parsons promised “It’s up” this year for opposing offenses after NFL scouts and executives surveyed by ESPN ranked him No. 3 among edge rushers this offseason. The players ahead of him, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt, each has a Defensive Player of the Year award.

Parsons hasn’t peaked despite back-to-back-to-back seasons of at least 13 sacks while fighting through constant double-teams.

“The whole [Cowboys] defense is built around him, and they are going to move him all over the place to isolate matchups,” a veteran NFC scout said. “And he’s in a contract year of sorts, so the motivation will be there to really break out.”

With the Cowboys paying CeeDee Lamb and negotiating with Prescott, Parsons, who’s under contract for two more years, will wait until the offseason for his megadeal. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer plans to utilize him all over the front seven in his 4-3 defense, both as an edge rusher or a linebacker that can blitz from all angles.

Williams and Washington’s Jayden Daniels received the same amount of votes, with Williams winning the tiebreaker to carry this category.

Some voters like Daniels’ overall 2024 outlook, especially as a calm pocket passer who can take off for easy yards. But the situations around them matter.

“Caleb has the better supporting cast right now, which should bring the best out of him,” an NFC exec said. “And with Chicago’s struggles offensively over the years, if he has any sort of success in Year 1, he’ll get the sentimental vote.”

The Bears have surrounded Williams with a bevy of playmakers, with a receiving trio of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, tight end Cole Kmet and running back D’Andre Swift. The Commanders have questions at No. 2 wideout behind Terry McLaurin.

Both quarterbacks used the preseason to showcase their accuracy and mobility, foreshadowing a smooth transition to the NFL.

Evaluators were torn pre-draft on which defensive prospect was the best — explaining why the first 14 overall picks in the 2024 draft were offensive players — and the votes here reflected that.

Murphy received the same number of votes as Indianapolis pass rusher Laiatu Latu, requiring tiebreakers. Latu is considered the best pure pass rusher of the group. But Seattle’s potential plan for Murphy makes him the classic X factor.

“I think about what [coach] Mike Macdonald did with Justin Madubuike in Baltimore, unlocking his potential as a 3-4 end,” a veteran AFC scout said. “Murphy has a similar body type, explosive and low to the ground. I think he can have a major impact in Year 1.”

This quote on Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse, from a senior personnel man, is money: “He’s a man. I’m not saying he’s Aaron Donald but he’s a capable anchor for that defense. He bullies people.”