• Brock Bowers is No. 1: Bowers added to his remarkable rookie campaign on Sunday, hauling in 13 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets.
• Jared Verse delivered another strong performance: The rookie edge rusher has put up an impressive 82.0 PFF pass-rush grade this season and has recorded at least four pressures in all but two games.
• 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
After 11 weeks of NFL action, the league’s rookies are making their mark with standout performances. Among the top-graded first-year players are a mix of highly touted first-round picks and impressive Day 3 selections, showcasing talent from across the draft spectrum.
Here are the highest-graded first-year players after 11 weeks of action.
PFF Grade: 88.3
Bowers added to his remarkable rookie campaign on Sunday, hauling in 13 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets. Through 11 weeks, Bowers has earned an impressive 90.0 PFF receiving grade while averaging 2.23 yards per route run.
PFF Grade: 86.5
Verse delivered another strong performance in the Rams’ win over the Patriots on Sunday. The rookie edge rusher has put up an impressive 82.0 PFF pass-rush grade this season and has recorded at least four pressures in all but two games.
PFF Grade: 85.8
Daniels earned his second-lowest PFF grade of the season in the Thursday Night Football loss to the Eagles. Despite the setback, he remains the highest-graded rookie quarterback in the NFL. Daniels has excelled at limiting mistakes, posting an elite turnover-worthy play rate of just 1.5%.
PFF Grade: 84.6
The Giants didn’t play this week, but Phillips earned a career-high PFF grade (88.2) in Week 10 against the Panthers. On the season, he is allowing just 8.4 yards per catch and has registered 21 defensive stops
PFF Grade: 80.9
The second wide receiver selected in the 2024 NFL Draft is tied for the highest PFF grade among rookie wideouts this season and has averaged an impressive 2.03 yards per route run. With the Giants making a switch at quarterback, it remains uncertain whether this change will elevate or hinder his production as the season progresses.
PFF Grade: 80.9
McConkey set a career-high with 123 receiving yards in the Chargers’ Sunday Night Football win over the Bengals. He has now averaged over 2.00 yards per route run in each of his past four games.
PFF Grade: 80.8
Puni earned a PFF grade above 80.0 for the second straight week, marking the first time in his career he has done that in back-to-back weeks. He has earned a PFF grade above 70.0 as both a pass-blocker and a run-blocker through 11 weeks.
PFF Grade: 80.6
Williams has earned a 79.5 PFF coverage grade this season, recording a pair of pass breakups and an interception. He has allowed only eight receptions from 15 throws into his coverage and has recorded nine defensive stops.
PFF Grade: 79.6
Thomas delivered impressive stats despite the Jaguars’ lopsided loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, averaging 2.73 yards per route run. This marked the seventh game this season in which he has averaged 2.50 or more yards per route run.
PFF Grade: 79.4
Harrison has averaged 1.90 yards per route run this season, totaling 499 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 263 snaps. Notably, he has secured a reception on 50% of his 22 contested targets.
PFF Grade: 78.8
Frazier has been solid in pass protection, allowing just four pressures from 284 pass-blocking snaps and earning a 67.4 PFF pass-blocking grade on the season. He has been even better as a run-blocker, earning an 80.1 PFF run-blocking grade.
PFF Grade: 78.4
The fifth overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft had one of his best performances of the season so far on Sunday Night Football, earning an 84.1 PFF grade against the Cincinnati Bengals. He has earned a 76.2 PFF pass-blocking grade so far this season, allowing just 12 total pressures from 315 pass-blocking snaps.
PFF Grade: 78.1
DeJean earned his lowest coverage grade of the season against the Commanders last week but continues to stand out as one of the NFL’s top rookies. He has allowed just 6.4 yards per catch on average and has logged 11 defensive stops.
PFF Grade: 72.7
Smith has earned a 69.0 PFF coverage grade so far this season, allowing an average of just 8.4 yards per catch. He has also been a standout against the run, earning an 86.0 PFF run-defense grade through the first 11 weeks of the season.
PFF Grade: 72.5
Mitchell has steadily improved as the season progresses, earning a spot among the top 15 highest-graded rookies in the NFL. Playing as an outside cornerback — a position with one of the league’s steepest learning curves — Mitchell has not allowed more than two receptions in a single game since Week 4.
