New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll is the reigning NFL Coach of the Year. Daboll rightfully captured the honor after ushering his Giants to an unexpected nine-win campaign en route to their first postseason berth since 2016. Daboll then executed a stunning playoff upset over the Minnesota Vikings.

With training camp on the horizon, it’s time to look ahead to some never-too-early Coach of the Year candidates.

Several NFL franchises are expected to take sizable steps forward in 2023 after failing to qualify for the postseason. The coach that captures this annual award is often one that overcomes unforeseen adversity or leads his team to unexpected improvement, as Daboll did last season. BetOnline’s NFL futures prop betting landscape for the 2023 Coach of the Year award has taken shape. The top options shake out as follows:

Sean Payton (+900)
Matt Eberflus (+1100)
Matt LaFleur (+1100)
Dennis Allen (+1200)
Mike McDaniel (+1400)
Dan Campbell (+1600)
Arthur Smith (+1600)
Kyle Shanahan (+1600)
DeMeco Ryans/Frank Reich/Robert Saleh/Mike Tomlin (+2200)

THE FAVORITE: SEAN PAYTON, DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos are relying on Sean Payton to rehabilitate the career of starting quarterback Russell Wilson after the former Super Bowl champion endured the worst season of his career in 2022. Wilson threw for career-lows in touchdowns (16) and completion percentage (60.5%) last season and the Broncos scored a league-low 16.9 points per contest as a result. A five-win season fell well below expectations after general manager George Paton went all in on acquiring Wilson.

Paton is hoping that replacing the ill-prepared Nathaniel Hackett with Payton will lead to the desired improvement. The Broncos paid a premium to land Payton, both via compensation and the draft capital sent to the New Orleans Saints in order to acquire his rights. If the Broncos experience Daboll-like improvement under Payton, he’ll almost certainly be a shoo-in to capture the award.

But playing alongside Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West makes this projection too rich for my liking. The Chiefs are heavy favorites to win the division for an eighth consecutive season. Payton can’t win this award without making the playoffs, and the wild-card race will be too tight to call.

MY PICK: DAN CAMPBELL, DETROIT LIONS

This honor is often handed to a candidate that ushers his franchise to the postseason following a lengthy drought. Detroit’s Dan Campbell is well-positioned to be a frontrunner. The Lions concluded their regular-season campaign in exciting fashion by finishing with more victories than losses for the first time since 2017.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes added a plethora of talent in free agency such as Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and David Montgomery. Holmes then turned two first-round selections into instant starters on offense (Jahmyr Gibbs) and defense (Jack Campbell). The Lions also retained offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who oversaw an offense that scored a fifth-ranked 26.6 points per contest. Campbell can replicate Daboll’s 2022 efforts.

DON’T SLEEP ON: MATT LAFLEUR, GREEN BAY PACKERS

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is now tasked with navigating through the difficulties of Aaron Rodgers‘ departure. Jordan Love is LaFleur’s new starting quarterback. If LaFleur wins the NFC North without Rodgers, he’ll immediately be viewed as a strong bet to capture Coach of the Year honors.

It’s within the realm of possibility. The Lions are under immense pressure to live up to the hype. Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears are still rebuilding. The defending champion Vikings have had an incredibly puzzling offseason that’s weakened their chances of repeating. Betting on LaFleur is a worthy gamble.