Saquon Barkley and Baker Mayfield are up for top NFL offensive rookie (AP photos)

ATLANTA — It's Baker Mayfield vs. Saquon Barkley for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and the winner will be announced Saturday night at the NFL Honors Show on the eve of Super Bowl LIII.

Barkley already won the first award handed out during Super Bowl week, the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year fan vote. Will it be a clean sweep for the Giants' rookie? Or will Mayfield win the more coveted AP award, bestowed upon one offensive and one defensive rookie?

The experts agree it's a tough call between the No. 1 pick in Mayfield and the No. 2 choice Barkley in last spring's draft.

There's no arguing Barkley's statistics were staggering: He finished second in the NFL with 1,307 rushing yards and first with 2,028 yards from scrimmage, becoming only the third rookie in NFL history with 2,000 yards from scrimmage. He tied Odell Beckham Jr.'s team rookie record of 91 receptions.

He was also voted to the Pro Bowl and named a first-team All-Pro. He had seven 100-yard games, and scored 15 TDs, 11 rushing and four receiving.

Mayfield, on the other hand, transformed the Browns by winning five of his last seven games to lead the biggest turnaround in team history, from 0-16 to 7-8-1.

He went 6-7 in his 13 starts, and came off the bench to lead the Browns to a seventh victory, over the Jets. He also set the NFL rookie record for 27 touchdown passes.

The two players are friends, and have a jewelry chain riding on the outcome.

Regardless of winner, they're taking a trip together this offseason, and what a wild ride they've already taken their fans on.

Here, we ask top NFL Network analysts who should win the award.

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1. HOF QB Kurt Warner

"It's a tough one,'' Warner told cleveland.com. "Saquon, what he did this year was phenomenal. For a first-year guy to do what he did as consistently as he did to me, he would get my vote as Offensive Rookie of the Year because he played the whole year and he did it at a level that only a few guys have ever done it at. The knock there is that they team wasn't very good. They didn't win a lot of games.

"What Baker did was pretty incredible as well. What he accomplished in a shortened season and you talk about TD records and those kinds of things, it was phenomenal.

"He played extremely well and turned a team around that hasn't won a lot. So I think there's a great case to be made for Baker and what he's done this year. I just think when you look historically at what Saquon accomplished, and you put that in his rookie year, I give him a slight edge, but that's no slight on Baker. He had a tremendous year and had he played the entirety of the season, I may be looking at it differently.''

The vote: Barkley

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2. HOF WR Michael Irvin

Irvin loves Mayfield but not more than Barkley.

"If Baker had gotten the start at the beginning of the season, he probably wins this hands down, because he's the quarterback position and I believe Cleveland would've had a chance to really get in the playoffs,'' Irvin told cleveland.com. "He's that kind of a gift and that kind of a talent. But Saquon Barkley had a great year. And he started early, played well and played well all year. It was a close race, but I do believe Saquon will win.''

Having said that, Irvin raved about Mayfield.

"I love the kid,'' he said. "When they drafted him, I said this works out perfectly. That's the kind of attitude you need for Cleveland, to change a place that has lost as much as they've lost, you need somebody with that kind of personality, man. I just flat-out love the kid.''

The vote: Barkley

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3. HOF RB LaDainian Tomlinson

"To me, it's Saquon,'' Tomlinson said. "Saquon has done it from week one. And again, with no offensive line, he did that and he put people on notice. Really for a lot of people they're saying Todd Gurley and Saquon Barkley already (are at the same level).

"Baker had a terrific season and he's obviously going to be a phenomenal player and change the organization around, but Baker didn't get in there until later in the season, where you've got to give credit to Saquon going in week one.

"The race started too late for Baker because he wasn't playing at the beginning of the year and because Saquon did it all year, I think he has a leg up. If you say from the half point of the season, then it's probably Baker. But we've got to count the totality of the season, and for that reason, I think Saquon will edge him out

He vowed that he wasn't biased towards the running back.

"No, I'm not actually,'' he said. "Baker is from Texas, so I'm more partial to Texas guys than I am anything.''

The vote: Barkley

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4. Super Bowl champion RB Reggie Bush

"It's tough because both of them have had tremendous seasons,'' said Bush. "Part of me wants to go with Saquon Barkley because he's a running back. Because of the season he had when you look at what he brought to that organization. He brought stability, he brought leadership, he brought playmaking ability at a position where they have not had since Tiki Barber, since Ahmad Bradshaw.

"And so he's kind of given them the stability they really needed at a crucial time. I was watching cutups of him coaching up the linemen. And as a rookie running back, you've got a lot on your plate. Your head is spinning and so to see him coaching up his teammates, his linemen, I thought that was tremendous. And also the leadership he brought to that team, to me he was the best player on that team this season.''

The verdict?

"Both of these players have been great all season long, but I would give the rookie of the year award to Baker Mayfield. Slight edge,'' he said. "He was one of the top quarterbacks all season long. He was one of the best.''

The vote: Mayfield

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5. Former NFL coach Steve Mariucci

"Baker won more games, but ... there's no doubt in my mind that the Giants did the right thing in drafting Saquon Barkley because I had him ranked the higher player in the draft last year,'' said Mariucci. "He's big and strong and fast and can catch. Oh yeah, he's a great kid, and so he's the complete package too. Providing he stays healthy, he's going to be dominating for a lot of years. They'll have to get their next QB this year probably.''

The vote: 'It's a coin flip. Maybe they'll get 'co-(offensive rookie).'''

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6. 3-time Pro Bowl center Shaun O'Hara

"They both provided an unbelievable spark for their teams,'' said the former Browns and Giants lineman. "Saquon, he would get my vote. When you look at what he was able to do, really behind a struggling offensive line, really a one-dimensional offense at times, and yet he was still able to take a 2-yard loss and turn it into a big play, a big touchdown.

"So I think Saquon is the closest thing I've ever seen to Barry Sanders in terms of how he gets low on contact, he can jump over people, spin on a dime. He's got an unbelievable amount of natural gifted ability. And I think he's got a lot more left in him. He's a human highlight reel.''

The vote: Barkley.

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7. Super Bowl-winning coach Brian Billick

"Saquon was something special,'' said the former Ravens coach. "Baker, obviously what he did the second half of the season, under different circumstances (was terrific). If you're asking play-for-play for the season as a whole, Saquon Barkley probably would be my pick, but Baker Mayfield the second half of the season was exciting to see.''

He added, "it will be interesting to see which one gets MVP of the league first. Maybe that's the way of putting it.''

The vote: Barkley

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8. 3-time Pro Bowl RB Maurice Jones-Drew

"Baker did a really good job, but Saquon to me was more consistent all year round and with fewer players,'' he said. "He didn't have Odell (Beckham Jr.) the last six weeks of the season, but still played well. The offensive line had woes and yet he was still productive, and to me that's important. Baker set the rookie record and I get it, he'll probably win because he's a quarterback.

"But Saquon to me was a guy that showed everything you wanted in a rookie quarterback, the ability to break the long run, the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, to break tackles, to be elusive. He does need to work on his pass protection but look at the yards and stuff he was able to put up. Because he's a running back too. We need to make running backs relevant again. We need to make a hat like that or something.''

The vote: Barkley

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9. Super Bowl champion running back Michael Robinson

"Both of these guys deserve it,'' he said. "Nobody can argue with Saquon's physical abilities. The dude is a generational back. You've got to put him in a category with a Gale Sayers, the Walter Paytons, the Adrian Petersons, the Marshawn Lynches. You can't fault anyone for drafting him that high.

"But Baker energized an entire city, an entire fan base. He had impact. So when you look at it from that standpoint, how can you not give the award to Baker Mayfield? His competitiveness is starting to permeate that entire team. I love Baker Mayfield's attitude.''

The vote: Mayfield.