6. Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Very few players went from being perhaps completely on the outside looking in of the NFL MVP conversation to directly in the middle of it, but Brock Purdy is one of them.
Purdy was absolutely fantastic in the 49ers' season-opener against the Los Angeles Rams, throwing for 205 yards (73.5 percent completion rate) with three touchdowns and an interception. Purdy was also dynamic with his legs, running for 29 yards and four first downs against the Rams.
He did such a good job of converting on the money down (third down), finding his guys downfield when he broke the pocket, and getting everyone involved. He played with a noticeably elevated level of confidence against the Rams, and now has himself in the NFL MVP discussion as we approach Week 2.
5. Kenneth Walker, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Kenneth Walker put on an absolute show in his Kansas City Chiefs debut.
The reigning Super Bowl MVP looked like a league MVP for the Chiefs, racking up 191 yards from scrimmage with two total touchdowns, averaging 7.5 yards per carry.
While it's true that the Denver Broncos were missing tackles, Walker deserves credit for forcing those missed tackles, and was tremendous after initial contact. He was not only breaking tackles, but showing off his big-play ability and vision. And one element of Walker's game that is extremely underrated?
His speed.
He had the second-fastest play of Week 1, reaching a top speed of 21.21 MPH on a 60-yard touchdown run against the Broncos. He's the total package, and if the Chiefs keep leaning on him like they did in Week 1, he'll remain in the MVP conversation.
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