Estimated Reading Time: 13minutes
We're diving into the top rookies by PFF overall grade through Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season. To qualify, players needed to have logged at least 100 snaps. Changes may occur once Monday Night Football grades are released.
1. TE Jackson Hawes, Buffalo Bills (84.0)
Hawes regains the top spot in these rankings after earning a 73.2 PFF overall grade against the New England Patriots. He turned his single target into a nine-yard gain for a first down midway through the third quarter. Although he had a down day in run blocking (64.4 PFF run-blocking grade), he still earned the third-best PFF pass-blocking grade for the week (75.9).
The fifth-round pick remains PFF’s second-highest-graded tight end heading into Week 16. Not only is he ranked in the top 10 as a receiver among tight ends with at least 15 targets (80.8 PFF receiving grade), but he also places in the top 10 in both blocking facets.
The 6-foot-5 rookie has caught 13 of 16 targets for 161 yards and three touchdowns, with all but one of his catches going for a first down. He has gone 34 snaps in pass protection without allowing pressure, and his 13.7% negative play rate as a run blocker ranks sixth among tight ends with at least 300 snaps this season.
2. RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants (80.5)
Skattebo is out for the season with a leg injury.
3. TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears (80.4)
The Michigan product graded out as the seventh-best tight end in Week 15 (87.3). He caught four of five targets for 63 yards against the Browns, including two explosive plays. He was left wide open on a third down late in the first quarter for a 24-yard gain after safety Grant Delpit fell. Loveland later got behind Jerome Baker for a 19-yard catch in the second quarter, holding on to secure the contested ball. Loveland earned the ninth-best PFF receiving grade among tight ends for the week (89.7) and finished the contest with a 68.4 PFF run-blocking grade.
Loveland is up to 39 catches for 498 yards and four touchdowns this season. He ranks eighth in PFF receiving grade (81.1) and has gained 206 yards after the catch and 97 yards after contact (12th most). He also slots into the top 20 in first downs (25) and explosive gains (10).
As a blocker, Loveland is excelling in the run game, where his 69.5 PFF run-blocking grade ranks 13th among tight ends.
4. QB Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints (77.4)
Shough recorded the ninth-best PFF passing grade in Week 15 (80.7), helping the Saints sweep the season series with the Panthers. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 272 yards and tossed his sixth touchdown of the season late in the fourth quarter. The score came on third-and-6, a 12-yard pass to Chris Olave with a diving Jaycee Horn in coverage, to bring the Saints within one point. Shough also threw for a season-high 15 first downs. While he didn’t record any big-time throws, he also didn’t commit any turnover-worthy plays.
As a runner, Shough logged eight carries for 32 yards, two first downs and a forced missed tackle. His longest rush was a 13-yard scramble midway through the third quarter.
The second-round pick from Louisville is sporting a 75.0 PFF passing grade for the season. His 66.7% completion rate ranks first among rookie signal-callers and fifth overall at the position since he took over in Week 8. His 1,484 passing yards are also the most among rookie quarterbacks.
Shough has thrown five picks, but he has the sixth-best turnover-worthy play rate entering Week 16 (1.9%). He was sacked five times in Week 15 (tied for most), bringing his season-long total to 22 (tied for the fifth most since Week 8). However, he has been faulted for only five of them, as the Saints rank among the lower half of teams in PFF pass-blocking grade (64.9).
The 26-year-old's 73.1 PFF rushing grade places 11th at the position, powered by 36 carries for 138 yards, two scores and nine first downs. He has five runs of 10 or more yards and has forced six missed tackles.
Explore PFF Premium Stats
Game grades, positional splits and high-level metrics for Shough's 2025 season.
Open Shough's Profile5. T Armand Membou, New York Jets (77.1)
Membou earned a 65.1 PFF overall grade in the Jets' loss to the Jaguars. He surrendered a sack, although it was his only allowed pressure across 41 pass-blocking snaps, leading to a 73.4 PFF pass-blocking grade. Membou also logged a 77.9 PFF run-blocking grade on zone concepts, but he struggled in gap schemes across eight snaps (56.5 PFF run-blocking grade).
The seventh overall pick from Missouri is PFF’s 16th-highest-graded tackle heading into Week 16 (72.8 PFF overall grade), owning a 6.3% pressure rate and a strong 72.8 PFF pass-blocking grade. Membou remains equally strong in run blocking, where he ranks among the top 20 tackles in impact-block rate (12.8%), as well as defeated rate (11.3%).
6. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers (77.0)
McMillan tallied a 58.6 PFF receiving grade against the Saints, making it his third consecutive game with a sub-60.0 mark. He caught two passes for only 25 yards, with the bulk of it coming on a 21-yard gain late in the second quarter on fourth-and-3.
Since Week 12, the eighth overall pick has the ninth-worst PFF receiving grade at the position (56.0). He has caught five of 14 targets for 103 yards and two touchdowns in that span.
Still, the Arizona product continues to have his bright moments. His 21-yard catch against New Orleans came from the slot, where he has now caught 16 of 19 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. Thirteen of his slot receptions have moved the chains, and he ranks seventh in both yards per route run (2.30) and passer rating when targeted (124.1) from the slot. McMillan owns the 11th-best PFF slot receiving grade entering Week 16 (81.6).
7. EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Dallas Cowboys (76.9)
Ezeiruaku struggled on Sunday Night Football against the Vikings, posting a 50.7 PFF overall grade. It was his second consecutive game with a sub-60.0 mark. He recorded a hurry and a 15.4% pass-rush win rate on 13 pass-rushing snaps, leading to a 64.0 PFF pass-rushing grade.
Ezeiruaku's 40.3 PFF run-defense grade (eighth worst) for the week left something to be desired. He recorded two stops but also five negative plays on 19 snaps, including a missed tackle.
Over the past two weeks, he owns a 55.1 PFF overall grade and the 10th-worst PFF run-defense grade (45.4) among edge defenders. However, the Boston College product still ranks fourth at the position in tackles for loss or no gain in run defense (10). He also ranks second in the draft class in pass-rush win rate (13.2%).
Explore PFF Premium Stats
Game grades, positional splits and high-level metrics for Ezeiruaku's 2025 season.
Open Ezeiruaku's Profile8. WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears (76.0)
The Missouri second-rounder caught six of seven targets for 84 yards against the Browns, earning a 67.9 PFF receiving grade for the game. Burden found himself open across the middle for a 40-yard pickup late in the first quarter, accounting for nearly half of his receiving total. He also forced four missed tackles.
Burden is up to 36 catches for 479 yards with 18 first downs. He has forced nine missed tackles and recorded 12 catches of 15-plus yards.
Most of Burden’s yardage comes off play action, from which he has brought down 20 of 22 targets for 314 yards (ninth). His only touchdown this season came from a play-action pass. Meanwhile, he’s gained 12 first downs and recorded nine explosive gains on those plays. He ranks third in play-action threat rate (34.4%) and fourth in play-action PFF receiving grade (91.3).
9. EDGE Josaiah Stewart, Los Angeles Rams (76.0)
Stewart played only 12 defensive snaps against the Lions in Week 15 but still finished with an 82.6 PFF overall grade (eighth best among edge defenders with at least 10 snaps). He assisted on a tackle in run defense (65.8 PFF run-defense grade) and notched a 65.1 PFF pass-rushing grade across five snaps. He was also targeted once — an incompletion.
The third-rounder ranks fourth among rookie edge defenders in PFF run-defense grade (65.0). He has recorded six stops and generated a 15.7% positively graded play rate. Stewart also ranks third in the draft class in pass-rush win rate (12.9%), having recorded 16 pressures on his way to a 70.1 PFF pass-rush grade.
10. LB Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns (75.7)
Schwesinger graded out as the ninth-best linebacker in Week 15 (76.5). He was stellar again in run defense, recording four stops and five assists across 32 snaps. Schwesinger finished the game with a 21.9% positively graded play rate (fifth) and earned a 76.3 PFF run-defense grade.
Schwesinger also added a quarterback hit as a pass rusher and stopped the Bears' Luther Burden III for a seven-yard gain on third-and-10 near the end of the second quarter. While he did surrender a first down to Colston Loveland on a third-down play in the fourth quarter, he still held receivers to 14 yards across two catches.
The second-rounder from UCLA is the 16th-ranked run defender at the position by PFF run-defense grade (81.4). He ranks in the top 10 among linebackers in tackles (53), stops (34) and stop rate (9.6%) in run defense. Although he’s tied for the fifth most missed tackles (10), they’re coming at an 11.5% rate —the lowest clip among linebackers in the top five in that category.
11. LB Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles (75.6)
The first-round pick played just six defensive snaps against the Raiders, finishing with a 43.3 PFF overall grade. Most of his snaps (four) came in run defense, where he tallied a 43.8 PFF run-defense grade.
Campbell logged his highest PFF special teams grade of the season, earning a 74.3 mark across 11 snaps. He assisted on two tackles on special teams coverage.
Campbell’s second-half descent continues. He now owns a 39.1 PFF overall grade since Week 10 (ninth worst). He has the sixth-worst PFF run-defense grade in that span (41.8) due to a 16.2% negatively graded play rate across 37 snaps. He also has a 46.4 PFF coverage grade, stemming from five catches allowed on seven targets for 57 yards and two first downs, although most of that came in Week 11 against the Lions (33 yards).
12. T Kelvin Banks Jr., New Orleans Saints (75.6)
Banks performed well in the Saints' victory over the Panthers, earning a 76.6 PFF overall grade for his efforts (14th best). He ranked in the top 15 for the week in both blocking facets, recording an 81.3 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 78.0 PFF run-blocking grade.
Banks surrendered a sack to D.J. Wonnum late in the third quarter, but it was his only pressure allowed across 41 snaps. He held up equally well in zone (74.3 PFF blocking grade) and gap (73.2 PFF blocking grade) run schemes.
The ninth overall pick has had his struggles in pass protection, tying for first among starting left tackles in pressures allowed (39) while recording the seventh-highest pressure rate (7.1%). Despite that, he still holds strong with a 70.7 PFF pass-blocking grade. Banks also continues to stand out as a run blocker, placing 12th among starting left tackles in PFF run-blocking grade (71.3).
Explore PFF Premium Stats
Game grades, positional splits and high-level metrics for Banks' 2025 season.
Open Banks' Profile13. T Will Campbell, New England Patriots (75.5)
Campbell remains on injured reserve with a knee injury.
14. EDGE Jalon Walker, Atlanta Falcons (75.3)
Walker returned to the field in the Falcons' win over the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football after suffering a quad injury in Week 14. He earned a 65.6 PFF overall grade for the night, standing out as a pass rusher with four pressures on 25 snaps, including a clean-up sack and a quarterback hit. Although Walker didn’t record any stats in run defense, he also didn’t log any negative plays across 12 snaps, earning himself a 62.8 PFF run-defense grade.
The 15th overall pick from Georgia remains a top-10 run defender at the position entering Week 16 (77.3). He has 12 tackles and five stops, and his 4.4% negatively graded play rate ranks seventh best among all edge defenders. Walker has not been charged with a negative play in run defense since Week 9 against the Patriots.
As a pass rusher, Walker ranks second among the draft class in sacks (six), behind teammate James Pearce Jr. (nine). His 11.1% pass-rush win rate is fifth best among the group.
Walker has had his challenges in coverage, allowing five of six catches for 60 yards, a touchdown and four first downs. His 147.9 allowed passer rating ranks second worst at the position, and he sports a 53.8 PFF coverage grade.
Read More
NFL Week 15: PFF Team of the Week, Player Awards
Read More →15. DI Walter Nolen, Arizona Cardinals (74.8)
The 16th overall pick from Ole Miss returned to the field after missing the past two weeks with a knee injury. He notched just a 49.0 PFF overall against the Texans due to shaky run defense. Nolen recorded the eighth-best PFF pass-rush grade (74.4) of the week, with five pressures and a sack. However, he finished with the sixth-worst PFF run-defense grade (31.9), powered by a 29.4% negatively graded play rate across 16 snaps.
Nolen’s up-and-down day mirrors his production this season, as he ranks ninth among interior defenders in PFF pass-rush grade (80.8) but also holds a 58.6 PFF run-defense grade. Nolen has generated 10 pressures with two sacks across 74 pass-rush snaps. He didn’t make his season debut until Week 9 against the Cowboys but has acclimated nicely, tying for the 12th-best pass-rush win rate (13.5%) among interior defenders.