By Aaron Jackson

There’s been a lot of talk lately that Tom Brady, despite missing the first four games of the season, should be the NFL’s MVP. That talk of course is mostly in New England, but it got me thinking; who should be the MVP at this point? Below is my list of the top MVP candidates as we get into the second half of the season.

#5: Von Miller: Last year’s Super Bowl hero and potentially the best defensive player in the league, Miller continues to thrive. His 9.5 sacks through 10 games is on pace to potentially once again lead the league in that category. Furthermore, his team is still 7-3 despite a number of injuries and a mediocre at best offense.

#4: Matt Ryan: The NFL’s current leader in touchdown passes and yards, Ryan has definitely made a case to be the league’s top performer. He also has a QB rating of 115.3, second only to Tom Brady’s 125.5. The only reason he is this low on the list is that his team is only 6-4. Their losses to Tampa Bay, San Diego and Philadelphia leave many wondering just how good the Falcons really are.

#3: Tom Brady: I’m sure that plenty of people in New England have now made me public enemy number one thanks to this ranking and that’s fine. Just know that a guy who missed his team’s first four games cannot be named the league’s MVP after playing in only the next 5, even if he’s been as good as Brady has. Talk to me again in a month.

#2: Derek Carr: Much like Hansel from the movie Zoolander, the Raiders are SO HOT right now. Everyone is talking about them as a potential opponent to the Patriots in the AFC Title game, and rightfully so. They’ve been very good, and have won 7 games despite repeatedly having to travel to the East Coast. Derek Carr has been one of the most impressive players in the league, and seems to be getting better as the season goes on.

#1: Ezekiel Elliot: This guy was number two on this list before yesterday, but I can’t justify him not being number one. His Cowboys are now alone at the top of the league with an 8-1 record. Their lone loss was by one point to the Giants to open the season. He’s a rookie and is starting alongside a fellow rookie QB in Dak Prescott. He currently leads the league in yards, and also is tied for second in rushing touchdowns. To me the Cowboys right now have two players you could put at the top of this list, but what Elliot did against the Steelers cemented him in my mind as number 1.

Aaron Jackson (@AaronRJackson) is a co-host on The Drive, weekdays 4pm to 6pm on 92.9fm The Ticket and streaming live at DriveShowMaine.com. Follow us on Twitter, @DriveShowMaine and “Like Us” on Facebook, Drive Show Maine.