For most NFL players, development is not linear. Breakout seasons are frequently followed by regression. Unsustainably good play, injuries and changes of scenery are just a few of several ways in which momentum can stall. It’s very difficult for a player to constantly improve over an extended period of time.
As you will see in this article, a select group of players bucks this trend, steadily climbing the league’s ranks with consistent year-over-year improvement.
Using PFF overall grades, we identified the NFL’s “Triple Improvers” — players who have improved their grade in each of the past three seasons. Whether they’ve become more confident in their current roles or simply set the bar quite low back in 2022, these players have each demonstrated the ability to improve with real consistency.
The primary qualifier for this list is that we considered only players who logged at least 300 snaps in each of the last four seasons. A grand total of 420 NFL players fit the bill, with a perfectly even split between offensive and defensive players.
Of these 420, we have a pool of 21 players whose overall PFF grade has increased every season since 2022. They range from superstars who have made small tweaks to improve each season to former backup-caliber roster members who have since grown into starting roles.
The star players
- WR Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
- RB Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs
- G Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts
- G Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos
- T Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos
Each of these players, with the possible exception of Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, has been considered among the very best at their positions for several years.
Chase is considered among the best wide receivers of the current generation. He set the highest bar of any player on this list, earning an 83.9 overall PFF grade in 2022, which he has improved on every year since, most recently a 90.1 PFF grade last season.
Ja'Marr Chase: Career overall grades
85.3 2021 83.9 2022 85.3 2023 85.8 2024 90.1 2025