• Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter leads the way: A big performance on Sunday Night Football vaults Lassiter to the top of the list.
• Joe Alt is dominating in the trenches: The Chargers’ rookie offensive tackle tops all offensive rookies with a 78.5 PFF grade.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
With the second week of the 2024 NFL season now in the books, the sample size for most rookies around the league continues to grow. Let’s take a look at the highest-graded first-year players through the first two weeks.
PFF Grade: 80.0
Lassiter has been incredibly stingy in coverage through the first two weeks of his NFL career, allowing just three receptions for 28 yards from 10 targets. He was key to the Texans’ win over the Bears on Sunday Night Football this past week, coming away with an interception in coverage.
PFF Grade: 78.7
Verse has been productive, though not flashy, as a pass-rusher, tallying nine pressures from 38 pass-rush snaps over the first two weeks. However, he’s truly shining in run defense, earning an 83.0 run-defense grade and recording four run stops.
PFF Grade: 78.5
Alt was utterly dominant in the running game against an outmatched Carolina Panthers defensive front and already looks very comfortable in the NFL. Through two weeks, he has earned a 74.6 run-blocking grade and has allowed just two pressures from 54 pass-blocking snaps.
PFF Grade: 78.4
Bowers already looks like a savvy veteran in the passing game and has become a favorite target of Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew. Through two weeks, he has averaged 2.64 yards per route run and earned an 80.5 receiving grade.
PFF Grade: 77.5
Phillips impressed for the second straight week, this time as a starter. Through two weeks, he has earned an 80.0 coverage grade, and while he has given up seven receptions so far this season, they have totaled just 14 yards.
PFF Grade: 75.9
While Alt’s standout performance is validating the Chargers’ choice to prioritize tackle over receiver in the draft, McConkey’s consistent play is reinforcing it. He has yet to drop a pass on seven catchable targets and is averaging 1.76 yards per route run.
PFF Grade: 75.0
Robinson is still a rotational player in Miami and only just meets the snap requirement here, but he has been solid in that role so far. He has registered three pressures from 16 pass-rushing snaps and has recorded a pair of defensive stops.
PFF Grade: 74.8
McKinstry started his second NFL game and impressed, earning a 77.0 coverage grade. He allowed six receptions from seven targets, but they averaged just 5.0 yards per catch, and he came away with a pass breakup.
PFF Grade: 73.9
If the first two weeks of the season have taught us anything, it’s that the New York Giants will have to feed their new No. 1 receiver plenty of targets each week. His 24 targets over the first two weeks of the season are tied for second in the NFL, and he has averaged 2.51 yards per route run so far.
PFF Grade: 71.3
Justifying his selection as a top-10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Latham has quickly settled into the left tackle spot in Tennessee. After allowing five pressures in his debut in Week 1, the former Alabama standout allowed just one pressure against the New York Jets, earning a 76.2 pass-blocking grade in the process.
PFF Grade: 70.9
The 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has yet to allow a pressure in his NFL career, with the important caveat being that the Saints have asked him to deal with a true pass set on just 13 snaps so far. He has also been solid as a run-blocker, earning a 67.1 PFF run-blocking grade through two weeks.
PFF Grade: 70.8
Arizona’s top pick in the draft quietened any and all doubters this week with a huge performance in the Cardinals’ win over the Rams. He earned a PFF receiving grade of 90.9 and averaged 5.42 yards per route run, picking up 130 receiving yards in Week 2.
PFF Grade: 70.2
Thomas has proven himself to be a big-play threat through two weeks, averaging 23.5 yards per catch for the Jaguars. Despite seeing just eight targets through two weeks, he is averaging 2.82 yards per route run and has earned a 69.7 receiving grade.
PFF Grade: 66.8
Bullock didn’t impress quite as much this week, with a penalty hurting his PFF grade, which now sits at 66.8 through two weeks. He has yet to miss a tackle in his NFL career despite being on the field for 62 snaps.
PFF Grade: 65.5
Puni struggled against the Vikings, giving up three total pressures from 45 pass-blocking snaps, but has earned a 65.7 PFF pass-blocking grade this season. That’s largely driven by his stellar showing in Week 1 against the New York Jets, where he allowed just one pressure from 36 pass-blocking snaps.
