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We're diving into the top rookies by PFF overall grade through Week 17 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 (86.3)
Hawes earned a 66.4 PFF overall grade in the Bills' narrow loss to the Eagles, his first game with a sub-70.0 mark since Week 11. Although he played just two snaps in pass protection, he was beaten once, resulting in a 47.5 PFF pass-blocking grade. Hawes also had an uneven day in run blocking, where he was great in zone schemes (75.8 PFF run-blocking grade) but struggled in gap schemes (57.3. Overall, Hawes finished with a 12th-ranked 70.4 PFF run-blocking grade for the week.
Although Hawes was not targeted as a receiver in Week 17, he still owns the fourth-best PFF receiving grade (85.6) among tight ends with at least 15 targets. He stands at 15 catches for 187 yards with 13 first downs and three touchdowns this season.
The 25-year-old fifth-round pick has been one of the NFL's best blocking tight ends, placing in the top 10 in both run and pass blocking. Although he sports a poor 43.8 PFF pass-blocking grade over the past two weeks, he still ranks ninth for the season in pass protection (78.4). He has been beaten just twice across 40 snaps, without surrendering any pressure.
Meanwhile, Hawes owns the third-best PFF run-blocking grade (74.4), thanks to his excellent work in zone schemes (83.6, third best). He also holds the third-best negatively graded run-play rate among rookie tight ends (15.0%). Hawes enters the final week of the regular season as PFF’s second-highest graded tight end.
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Game grades, positional splits and high-level metrics for Hawes' 2025 season.
Open Hawes' Profile2. TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears (80.7)
Loveland vaults up to No. 2 after recording two catches of 30-plus yards in the Bears' shootout loss to the 49ers on Sunday Night Football. He broke away from Ji'Ayir Brown and Tatum Bethune for a 36-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to bring the Bears within one point. He later caught a 32-yard strike over Luke Gifford to move Chicago into the red zone again with the game tied at 35 in the fourth quarter. Loveland finished the night with six catches for 94 yards and a 138.2 passer rating when targeted.
Loveland garnered the fifth-best PFF run-blocking grade for the week (75.2), powered by a 50% positively graded play rate (tied for third best) and a 75.5 zone PFF run-blocking grade across 21 snaps.
The 10th overall pick ranks in the top 10 among tight ends in PFF receiving grade (81.4) and receiving yards this season (622). Although he does not place highly at the position in yards after the catch (4.9 per reception), he is a top-15 weapon in yards after contact (112) and ranks tied for eighth in catches of 20-plus yards (nine).
Loveland also ranks 15th among tight ends in PFF run-blocking grade (68.7).
3. RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants (80.5)
Skattebo is out for the season due to a leg injury.
4. WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears (79.6)
Burden keeps churning out big plays, adding another four catches of 20-plus yards against the 49ers. He secured a 35-yard touchdown over Ji'Ayir Brown late in the first quarter, his second score of the season. He took an underneath target 24 yards to San Francisco’s three-yard line early in the third quarter and followed that up with a 27-yard sideline catch on third-and-8 late in the period. Finally, Burden took another underneath target for 25 yards early in the fourth quarter.
Burden caught eight of nine targets for 138 yards in the game — all season highs — on his way to an 82.6 PFF receiving grade (third best for the week).
Rookie tight end Colston Loveland and Burden have opened up the Bears' passing game in the final stretch of the season. In December, the pair has combined for 35 catches for 505 yards, 25 first downs, three touchdowns and nine plays of 20-plus yards.
The second-round pick from Missouri has 44 catches for 617 yards this season. He ranks third among all receivers in yards per route run (2.67), passer rating when targeted (124.5) and yards after the catch per reception (7.1). He ranks eighth in PFF receiving grade for December (83.1).
5. RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (77.4)
Hampton had a tough outing against the Texans, finishing with 29 rushing yards on 14 carries. However, he did notch a five-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to bring the Chargers within four points.
He also finished with a season-high eight catches — but for just 31 yards. Hampton's longest play was a 17-yard gain off a screen play in the second quarter that moved the Chargers into the red zone. He earned a 62.7 overall PFF grade for the game.
The first-round pick from North Carolina enters the final week of the regular season with the eighth-best PFF rushing grade at the position (84.8). He has recorded 124 carries for 545 yards and four touchdowns.
Hampton has also secured 32 of 34 targets for 192 yards, seven first downs and a touchdown. His pass-catching resume includes three contested catches, three explosive gains of 15-plus yards, three forced missed tackles and 81 yards after contact.
6. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers (77.1)
McMillan's 46.2 PFF overall grade against the Seahawks in Week 17 was a far cry from his 85.3 mark in Week 16. He was targeted four times but brought in only one pass for five yards late in the fourth quarter on fourth-and-17. McMillan garnered the third-worst PFF receiving grade this week (47.5).
The 22-year-old is still creeping toward a 1,000-yard season in his first NFL season. McMillan now has 66 catches for 929 yards, ranking second among rookies in receiving yards. McMillan is a top-15 receiver in targets (114) and a top-10 receiver in touchdowns (seven), first downs (51) and explosive plays (28).
McMillan has been excellent downfield this season, garnering a 93.0 PFF receiving grade on passes targeted 10 or more yards. But he’s been equally great within nine yards of the line of scrimmage, logging a matching 93.0 PFF receiving grade. McMillan has turned 47 short targets into 33 catches for 272 yards, 20 first downs and two touchdowns while averaging 5.79 yards per route run on those plays.
7. QB Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints (77.1)
Shough completed 22 of 27 passes for 333 yards in a comeback win over the Titans. He hit Chris Olave and Kevin Austin Jr. for touchdown passes of 19 and 10 yards, respectively, in the second half, with Olave’s touchdown being one of three big-time throws on the day for the rookie signal-caller.
Shough found Olave in stride for what turned into a 60-yard gain late in the fourth quarter. Earlier in the period, he directed Juwan Johnson downfield on a scramble drill before completing a pass to the tight end between two defenders for 39 yards. Although Shough was stripped by Jeffery Simmons in the first quarter, it was his first turnover-worthy play since Week 13. Shough also went 8-of-12 for 235 yards on passes 10-plus yards downfield and finished the game with a fifth-ranked 80.4 PFF passing grade.
The Saints went undefeated in December, with Shough leading the way. The second-rounder posted a 71.1% completion rate for the month (seventh best), completing 91 passes for 1,057 yards (sixth most) and four touchdowns. Shough made five big-time throws during that stretch, and he has not thrown an interception in three games.
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Game grades, positional splits and high-level metrics for Shough's 2025 season.
Open Shough's Profile8. LB Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles (76.6)
Campbell got the nod against the Bills with Nakobe Dean out due to a hamstring injury. The rookie earned a 70.3 PFF overall grade after recording seven tackles, four stops, a pressure and a 14.3% pass-rush win rate (11th best). Although he left a window for Joshua Palmer to pick up a 12-yard first down in coverage, it was by far his longest play surrendered. He held receivers to two catches for 15 yards across four targets.
The first-round pick from Alabama is now the highest-graded rookie linebacker heading into Week 18 — and one of two (Carson Schwesinger, 74.4) with PFF overall grades above 70.0. He sports a 71.2 mark over the past two weeks in relief of Dean, ranking in the top 20 in positively graded play rate as a run defender (12.8%), as well as receiving yards allowed (15). Campbell is also tied for third in pass-rush win rate (25%) over that span.
9. EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Dallas Cowboys (76.4)
Ezeiruaku struggled on Christmas Day against the Commanders en route to a 53.7 PFF overall grade. He assisted on a tackle in run defense and recorded a clean-up pressure across 17 snaps.
Ezeiruaku owns just a 58.9 PFF overall grade over his past three games, including sub-60.0 figures as a pass rusher (58.4) and a run defender (54.0). He has four tackles, three stops and five pressures in that span. He has also missed three tackles.
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Game grades, positional splits and high-level metrics for Ezeiruaku's 2025 season.
Open Ezeiruaku's Profile10. T Kelvin Banks Jr., New Orleans Saints (76.2)
Banks enjoyed a solid day against the Titans, ranking as the 10th-highest-graded tackle this week (76.2, tied). He surrendered three pressures, including a sack and a quarterback hit, but he also recorded the best gap PFF run-blocking grade for the week (88.9), helping him earn an 82.2 PFF run-blocking grade overall (ninth).
The ninth overall pick is the NFL's 12th-highest-graded tackle in December (79.7). His allowed pressure rate has dipped slightly to 6.0%, down from his previous 7.3% clip. Banks also ranks sixth in PFF run-blocking during that span (85.9), where he holds strong marks in zone (82.6) and gap schemes (76.5).
11. T Armand Membou, New York Jets (75.9)
Membou bounced back from his 57.3 PFF overall grade against the Saints in Week 16 with a 67.4 mark against the Patriots. He allowed one hurry on 34 snaps, finishing with a 66.0 PFF pass-blocking grade. Meanwhile, Membou earned a 71.5 zone PFF run-blocking grade. He recorded the 10th-highest defeated rate among right tackles (14.8%) but the 11th-best impact-block rate (11.1%), culminating in a 65.6 PFF run-blocking grade overall.
The seventh overall pick maintains 70.0-plus PFF grades in both blocking phases entering the last week of the regular season. Membou has allowed eight sacks in pass protection (72.9 PFF pass-blocking grade), but five came between Weeks 12 and 15. He hasn’t surrendered any in his past two games. His 83.4 PFF zone-blocking grade ranks 17th overall and first among rookie tackles.
T-12. T Will Campbell, New England Patriots (75.5)
Campbell remains sidelined due to a knee injury.
T-12. EDGE Josaiah Stewart, Los Angeles Rams (75.5)
Stewart played 11 defensive snaps in the Rams' Monday Night Football loss to the Falcons, finishing with a 59.4 PFF overall grade. His only recorded stat for the game was a missed tackle late in the third quarter.
Over the past two games, the 22-year-old has played 21 defensive snaps, recording one tackle, one quarterback hurry and two missed tackles. While he owns a 62.7 PFF overall grade in that span, the third-round pick is still the second-highest-graded rookie edge defender for December (81.3), behind Abdul Carter (82.2).
Stewart has graded strongly in run defense (71.5) and pass rushing (77.7), recording three tackles with two stops and four pressures across 59 defensive snaps. He remains a top-three run defender (66.8) and pass-rusher (69.6) among the rookie class heading into the final week of the regular season.
14. T Jalen Travis, Indianapolis Colts (75.1)
Travis recorded a season-high 74.4 PFF overall grade against the Jaguars. He allowed two pressures in pass protection, finishing with a 69.2 PFF pass-blocking grade. He also recorded the ninth-best impact-block rate (13.6%) among starting right tackles, helping him earn a 75.3 PFF run-blocking grade. Travis logged PFF run-blocking grades above 70.0 in both zone (70.2) and gap (72.2) schemes.
The fourth-round pick from Iowa State started the year as a swing tackle before stepping into the starting lineup at right tackle at the beginning of December. Over the past four weeks, Travis ranks in the top three among rookie tackles in PFF pass-blocking (71.7) and PFF run-blocking grades (76.8), on his way to a 75.4 overall mark. He has allowed seven pressures, including three hits, while ranking seventh in gap PFF run-blocking grade (82.7) and impact-block rate (15.4%).
Read More
NFL Week 17: PFF Team of the Week, Player Awards
Read More →15. RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders (74.7)
Croskey-Merritt had a big Christmas Day game: 11 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He took a rush 10 yards up the gut for his first score late in the second quarter, before recording a 72-yard house call early in the third to make it a one-score game.
Croskey-Merritt added a third explosive run of 13 yards late in the third quarter and forced three missed tackles on the day, finishing with a 69.2 PFF rushing grade. He gained 120 yards after contact.
The seventh-round pick from Arizona owns the third-best PFF rushing grade among rookie running backs this season (78.3). He has 162 carries for 776 yards with eight touchdowns (tied for 12th most). Four of those have come in his past three games. Croskey-Merritt has forced 33 missed tackles, picked up 39 first downs, recorded 21 runs of 10-plus yards and averaged 3.7 yards after contact per attempt (second best).
Two of Croskey-Merritt's three explosive plays against the Cowboys came in zone schemes, where he now has 67 carries for 372 yards and four touchdowns. He sports the eighth-best PFF rushing grade in zone schemes this season (80.1).