Secret Superstars: The most underrated impact players of the 2025 NFL season

• QB Malik Willis is the secret supertar for the Packers: The Packers’ secret superstar is more of a secret than most, given Willis’ role as a backup, but he was electric on limited snaps this season. He posted a 92.3 PFF overall grade on just 93 snaps, including being the NFL’s highest-graded quarterback in Week 17. 

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Every NFL season produces stars who dominate highlight reels and award ballots, but just as often, some of the league’s most impactful players operate in relative obscurity. Whether it’s because of their position, draft pedigree or the situation around them, these contributors consistently win their matchups and drive results without national recognition — the players we call secret superstars.

Throughout the 2025 season, PFF highlighted one secret superstar each week across social platforms, using grades and play-by-play evaluation to spotlight performances that might otherwise go unnoticed. Now, we’ve compiled the full list, naming one secret superstar from each team.

Arizona Cardinals: CB Denzel Burke

Burke’s rookie season was a roller coaster. The fifth-round pick was asked to handle a heavy workload, and despite that responsibility, he allowed just three touchdowns — with two coming against Ja’Marr Chase and Puka Nacua. He surrendered more than 25 receiving yards to only three wide receivers all year and recorded three interceptions to lead all rookie cornerbacks.

Atlanta Falcons: LB Divine Deablo

Deablo’s two-year, $14 million free-agent deal turned out to be a steal. His 80.9 PFF coverage grade in 2025 led the Falcons, and he was one of just three NFL linebackers to earn an 80.0-plus coverage grade. He logged 430 coverage snaps without allowing a touchdown. Coincidentally, the Falcons went 0-5 in games in which Deablo either sat out or left early.

Baltimore Ravens: DI Travis Jones

The Ravens signed Jones to a three-year, $40.5 million contract extension in December due to his consistency along their interior. He wrapped his 2025 season with a 79.2 PFF overall grade, the second-highest mark on the defense, behind only All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton. Jones led all Baltimore defenders in pressures (47), sacks (five) and PFF run-defense grade (81.1).

Buffalo Bills: TE Jackson Hawes

The Bills drafted the rookie Hawes in the fifth round, and it turned out to be a great value pick. While his impact does not consistently show up in the box score, Hawes practically functions as an extra lineman, providing consistent value as a blocker within Buffalo’s dynamic offense. He earned an 83.1 PFF overall grade in 2025, ranking second among all rookies and second on the Bills’ offense — behind only quarterback Josh Allen. 

Carolina Panthers: CB Mike Jackson

Jackson might not be a secret anymore after his lockdown performance in the playoffs. He posted a 90.9 PFF coverage grade against the Rams after allowing just one catch on eight targets and picking off MVP favorite Matthew Stafford. 

He finished 2025 as the Panthers’ highest-graded player (83.5), fueled by 18 forced incompletions — the second most in the NFL. His 18 forced incompletions were more than all other Carolina cornerbacks combined. 

Chicago Bears: T Ozzy Trapilo

Trapilo stepped into the Bears’ starting left tackle role in Week 12 and quickly became one of the offense’s most reliable contributors. From that point on, he ranked as Chicago’s sixth-highest-graded offensive player and graded out as a top-10 offensive rookie. 

His season ended in the wild-card round against the Packers when he suffered a torn patellar tendon in the final two minutes, but he was able to hop off the field, preserving the Bears’ final timeout.

Cincinnati Bengals: CB DJ Turner II

On a Bengals defense that struggled throughout 2025, Turner stood out as the unit’s most consistent performer. His 73.3 PFF overall grade was the highest on the defense, and his 78.1 PFF coverage grade ranked fifth among all cornerbacks with at least 275 coverage snaps. Turner also limited opposing quarterbacks to a 46.8% completion rate into his coverage, the fifth-lowest clip among NFL cornerbacks.

Cleveland Browns: DI Maliek Collins

Before suffering an injury in Week 13, Collins formed an elite one-two punch alongside Myles Garrett. From Weeks 1-13, he posted an 87.2 PFF pass-rush grade, the second-highest mark among all interior defenders. Over that span, Collins tied for third at the position in sacks (6.5), ranked fifth in pass-rush win rate (14%) and recorded the second-most positively graded plays on the Browns’ defense.

Dallas Cowboys: WR Ryan Flournoy

Hiding in plain sight on a dynamic Cowboys offense, Flournoy posted an 80.3 PFF overall grade as the unit’s third-highest-graded player. He brought in 40 of his 42 catchable targets and led Dallas in touchdown receptions from Weeks 9 through 18. 

Despite limited snaps, Flournoy ranked fourth on the Cowboys’ offense in PFF Wins Above Replacement.

Denver Broncos: C Luke Wattenberg

The Broncos’ offensive line allowed just six sacks all season, and Wattenberg played a central role in that success. He garnered a 73.2 PFF overall grade, ranking seventh on Denver’s offense, and did not allow a sack across 604 pass-blocking snaps. His 2.1% pressure rate was the lowest on the Broncos’ offensive line.

Detroit Lions: WR Isaac TeSlaa

TeSlaa made the most of his limited opportunities as a rookie. He caught 16 of his 17 catchable targets and finished third on the Lions with six touchdown receptions — all in the red zone. In Week 1, on his first career reception, he recorded the highest-graded catch by a wide receiver all season.

Green Bay Packers: QB Malik Willis

The Packers’ secret superstar is more of a secret than most, given Willis’ role as a backup, but he was electric on limited snaps this season. He posted a 92.3 PFF overall grade on just 93 snaps, including being the NFL’s highest-graded quarterback in Week 17. 

Willis excelled as a passer, despite being known for his athleticism, recording a 94.1% adjusted completion rate with three big-time throws and zero turnover-worthy plays. On 15-plus-yard throws, he went a perfect 9-for-9 and earned a perfect 99.9 PFF passing grade.

Houston Texans: S Jalen Pitre

Pitre sits on the border of qualifying as a secret superstar, but his impact can easily go unnoticed on a defense filled with star power.

He earned PFF First-Team All-Pro honors after finishing as the fourth-highest-graded defensive back in the league (86.5). His 86.6 PFF coverage grade ranked second among all safeties, and he did not allow a touchdown while recording four interceptions across 455 coverage snaps.

Indianapolis Colts: C Tanor Bortolini

In his first season as the Colts’ starting center, Bortolini featured as one of the league’s best at the position. He posted an 82.6 PFF overall grade, ranking third among all centers, while allowing just 17 pressures and zero sacks. His play helped anchor one of the NFL’s best offensive lines, as Indianapolis finished 2025 with the second-best PFF pass-blocking grade and the fourth-best PFF run-blocking grade.

Jacksonville Jaguars: S Antonio Johnson

While the Jaguars’ defense is filled with secret superstar candidates, there was no denying Johnson’s impact this season. He established himself as the highest-graded safety in football (86.9), and his 4.8% missed tackle rate was the fourth-lowest clip among safeties. He allowed just 23 receptions for 202 yards and one touchdown while also recording five interceptions.

Kansas City Chiefs: S Bryan Cook

The standard in Kansas City during the Mahomes-Reid era has been Super Bowl or bust, and although the team missed the playoffs in 2025, Cook was a clear bright spot on defense.

He finished the season as the Chiefs’ highest-graded defender (83.5) and ranked fourth among all safeties in that regard. Cook was one of just two safeties to post an 80.0-plus grade in both coverage and run defense.

Las Vegas Raiders: CB Eric Stokes

Stokes emerged as one of the Raiders’ few consistent bright spots in 2025 after signing a one-year, $3.5 million contract in March. The former first-rounder posted a 73.6 PFF overall grade, the second-highest mark on the defense — behind only Maxx Crosby — and a career high. Stokes’ 73.5 PFF coverage grade was also a team-leading figure.

Los Angeles Chargers: CB Donte Jackson

Jackson thrived in the Chargers’ zone-heavy scheme, earning a 79.9 zone PFF coverage grade that ranked 13th among cornerbacks. He tied for the league lead at the position in interceptions in zone (four). Jackson’s 16.3 coverage snaps per reception allowed ranked as the 12th-best rate among NFL cornerbacks.

Los Angeles Rams: DI Poona Ford

Ford proved to be one of the league’s most impactful offseason additions after signing a three-year, $27.6 million contract with the Rams in free agency. He is the Rams’ highest-graded defender with an 88.1 PFF overall grade, bolstering an already vaunted defensive line. Ford also posted an 80.9 PFF run-defense grade, and 24.8% of his run-defense snaps resulted in a positive grade, the highest rate on the team.

Miami Dolphins: T Patrick Paul

The second-year tackle out of Houston delivered in his first full season as a starter for the Dolphins. After allowing pressure on 6.6% of pass plays as a rookie, Paul cut that down to 4.3% in 2025, ranking fourth among all left tackles. That improvement also led him to lead Miami’s offense, with a 74.4 PFF pass-blocking grade.

Minnesota Vikings: DI Jalen Redmond

Redmond emerged as one of the Vikings’ most reliable interior defenders in 2025. He earned a 73.5 PFF overall grade, ranking third among Minnesota defenders. He was especially dominant against the run, where his 30 run stops, 1.46-yard average depth of tackle, and 19.4% positively graded play rate all ranked second-best on the defense. 

New England Patriots: DI Cory Durden

The big dogs come out in January, and Durden is no exception. He posted a 90.8 PFF overall grade in the wild-card round (second among all defenders) and produced a league-leading 36.8% pressure rate and 26.3% pass-rush win rate. That performance followed a strong late-season surge, as Durden owns a 75.9 PFF overall grade in 2025 — the second-highest mark on the Patriots’ defense.

After not playing more than 21 snaps in a game until Week 10, he has led New England with an 87.3 PFF pass-rush grade since that point.

New Orleans Saints: CB Kool-Aid McKinstry 

McKinstry logged a 71.4 PFF coverage grade, the highest mark on the Saints’ defense. His play down the stretch was borderline elite, but with the Saints out of playoff contention, his performance largely fell on deaf ears. From Weeks 10 through 18, McKinstry posted an 83.8 PFF coverage grade, the third-highest figure in the NFL, as the Saints finished the season 5-3. 

New York Giants: CB Cor'Dale Flott

It is hard to be a secret in New York, but the Giants’ 4-13 record made Cor’Dale Flott’s 2025 season underappreciated. He was arguably New York’s best coverage defender, allowing a team-low 51.6% completion rate and giving up just one touchdown.

When targeting Flott, opposing quarterbacks posted a 71.0 passer rating, the best mark among Giants defenders.

New York Jets: DI Jowon Briggs

When the Jets had a trade-deadline fire sale and moved Quinnen Williams, someone needed to help fill the All-Pro-sized hole in the defense. Briggs ended up being that player.

From Weeks 10 through 18, Briggs dominated as a pass rusher, posting an 89.4 PFF pass-rush grade that ranked second among all interior defenders. In that same span, he ranked third at the position with a 19.4% pass-rush win rate.

Philadelphia Eagles: DI Moro Ojomo

Ojomo announced himself on the biggest stage — the Eagles’ Super Bowl win over the Chiefs — and carried that level of play into the 2025 season. He ended the year with a higher PFF overall grade than Jalen Carter’s 71.0 and a higher PFF pass-rush grade than Jordan Davis’ 71.1, both first-round picks. 

That production showed up in the box score, as well, as Ojomo recorded 54 pressures, the second most on the Eagles and the sixth most among all interior defenders. He also notched six sacks, the second most on the team.

Pittsburgh Steelers: CB James Pierre

Despite battling injuries for much of the season, Pierre delivered elite production when on the field. Across 255 coverage snaps, he posted an 88.6 PFF coverage grade, which would have ranked first among all NFL cornerbacks had he played more. 

Pierre was the Steelers’ third-highest-graded defender overall, trailing only Cam Heyward and Nick Herbig, and ahead of Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt. His performance should have Pittsburgh leaning toward signing him to a new deal this offseason. 

San Francisco 49ers: T Colton McKivitz

Standing out on the same offensive line as Trent Williams is no small task, but McKivitz delivered one of the strongest seasons of his career. He earned an 85.2 PFF grade, ranking fourth on the 49ers and ninth among all NFL tackles. His biggest impact came in the run game, where his 90.3 PFF run-blocking grade trailed only Penei Sewell, Trent Williams and Tristan Wirfs while helping pave the way for Christian McCaffrey.

Seattle Seahawks: EDGE Derick Hall

With the depth across Seattle’s defensive front, identifying a single standout was difficult, but Hall fit the bill as a quiet star. He led the Seahawks in pass-rush win rate (16.3%) and pressure rate (16.7%) while earning 70.0-plus PFF grades in both run defense and pass rushing, making him one of the most complete edge defenders on the roster.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: T Luke Goedeke

Goedeke emerged as Tampa Bay’s most reliable offensive lineman outside of Tristan Wirfs in 2025. He earned a 79.2 PFF grade, the only Buccaneers offensive lineman above 63.0 and second on the unit behind Wirfs. Goedeke was also the lone Tampa Bay lineman with at least 150 pass-blocking snaps to allow zero sacks, and after returning from injured reserve in Week 10, he did not post a single game with a pass-blocking grade below 66.5, showing strong consistency down the stretch.

Tennessee Titans: LB Cedric Gray

Gray emerged as one of the NFL’s premier run defenders this season. His 92.7 PFF run-defense grade ranked second among all defenders, and he consistently showed elite instincts around the football. Gray made first contact on 110 plays — no other Titan recorded more than 69 — and he led Tennessee with 13 tackles for loss or no gain, a total that ranked 15th leaguewide.

Washington Commanders: G Sam Cosmi

Coming off a torn ACL late last season, Cosmi returned to form as one of Washington’s most consistent players in 2025. He finished as the team’s third-highest-graded offensive player (76.4), posting 72.0-plus grades in both pass blocking and run blocking. Cosmi allowed just 11 pressures and two sacks on the season and closed the year with six consecutive games without allowing a pressure.