• A second straight No. 1 ranking for Trent Williams: The 49ers’ stalwart tackle has earned a more-than-elite 95.3 two-year PFF grade and will turn 36 in July.
• George Kittle overtakes Travis Kelce: Kittle turned 30 years old this past season and is on an upward trajectory, giving him the nod over Kelce.
• Get a head start on fantasy football: Use PFF’s fantasy football mock draft simulator to create real live mock draft simulations to get ready for your live draft!
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
As we enter the summer months, the NFL draft becomes an afterthought and season preview pieces move to the forefront.
Here, we’ll look at the older NFL players and rank the top 30 who will be age 30 or older when Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season begins.
Williams, with a two-year 95.3 PFF grade after putting together one of the greatest run-blocking seasons we’ve ever seen from an offensive tackle in 2021, claims the top spot on this list for a second straight year. Despite turning 36 in July, Williams has shown no signs of decline.
Hill contended for the top spot with a two-year 94.2 PFF grade, serving as the clear MVP of the Miami Dolphins and a primary reason for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s breakout. Turning just 30 in March, Hill has taken his game to another level in South Florida.
Jones brings consistent dominance and makes game-changing plays while possessing a rare blend of size, speed and strength for a defensive tackle. He can play all defensive line positions, and his two-year 92.2 PFF grade shows his elite level of play.
While Kittle’s two-year 90.0 PFF grade is not as good as that of Travis Kelce, his trajectory and younger age give him the nod as the top tight end on this list. Kittle was the highest-graded tight end in the NFL in 2023 and has consistently dominated the position despite playing among a plethora of talented pass-catchers contending for targets.
Stafford battled injuries in 2022, and his two-year grade takes a hit because of that. But when healthy, Stafford is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL north of 30 years old. In his past two healthy seasons, including his Super Bowl-winning 2021 year, Stafford has racked up 84 big-time throws.
While his incredible near-three-year streak of not allowing a sack came to an end in 2023, Johnson continues to lock down his opposition at right tackle. Johnson, who has earned a two-year 87.4 PFF grade, is often left on an island and continues to be one of the best tackles in the game.
The best tight end in the NFL for several years, Kelce saw his overall grade in 2023 (83.2) dip to the point of it being the second-lowest-graded season of his career (74.7, 2015). Still, Kelce’s connection with Patrick Mahomes remains one of the best in the NFL.
Cousins was playing the best football of his career in 2023 before tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 8. If he can return to the field and pick up where he left off, the Falcons can be legitimate contenders in 2024.
A down year for Adams in 2023 was no fault of his own, as the quarterback situation in Las Vegas took a turn for the worse. After five straight years of earning PFF receiving grades north of 87.5, Adams posted an 80.0 in 2023. Unfortunately for him, his quarterback room isn’t much better in 2024.
Henry will now tote the rock beside Lamar Jackson after signing with the Ravens in free agency. He’ll enjoy the most space yet in his career due to Jackson’s dual-threat abilities. Henry’s two-year 91.7 PFF grade indicates he still has plenty left in the tank.
Heyward battled injuries in 2023 and saw the first decline in his play, producing a 73.1 grade. He had posted six straight years of 84.5-plus PFF grades, so we’re either going to see a return to dominance or more decline in his play. Heyward has been so dominant for so long that it’s a good bet he will return to his former level of play.
Mack’s play in 2021 and 2022 indicated some decline as he aged north of 30 with grades in the low 70.0s, but in 2023, he showed he could still be a dominant edge defender (91.8 PFF grade). With a pass-rush win rate of 18.2%, Mack produced 18 sacks.
While Tunsil has never been a dominant run blocker, he more than makes up for that with his ability as a pass protector. Tunsil’s 90.9 pass-blocking grade over the past two seasons is the best in the NFL, regardless of position.
Rarely do NFL players take their game to new heights deep into their 30s. That’s what Davis has done, though earning an 82.7 PFF grade or better in three of his five seasons past the 30-year mark and ranking as one of the best linebackers in the NFL.
Wagner remains one of the top linebackers in the NFL, recording a 91.1-plus PFF run-defense grade in each of the past two seasons. His coverage ability has taken a hit, though, as he’s only graded above 70.0 once in the past five seasons in that facet.
When healthy, Allen is one of the best route-runners in the game and provides a reliable threat for his quarterback. He has graded north of 81.7 as a receiver in six of the past seven years.
Lawrence often gets overlooked because of the utter dominance of teammate Micah Parsons. That’s a mistake, as his 91.2 grade in 2023 was one of the best among edge defenders and he has earned an 88.2-plus PFF grade in six of the past seven years.
Prescott turned in the best season of his career in 2023, with a 90.3 overall grade. The only thing holding him back is season-to-season inconsistency and playoff struggles. If he can put it together against the best competition, Prescott can rise up these rankings.
Smith has posted a PFF pass-rushing grade north of 84.2 in each of his past four seasons. Despite totaling just seven sacks in 2023, Smith logged 63 total pressures and produced a 17.9% pass-rush win rate.
Kupp battled injuries all season in 2023 and earned just a 71.1 PFF receiving grade. That shouldn’t take away from his accomplishments in 2021, when he led the Rams to a Super Bowl, but there are concerns he might never get back to the receiver he once was.
Buckner has never graded below 71.6 overall, a mark he earned in his rookie season. The standout interior defender has logged six season-long grades above 80.1 in his career.
An active safety who flies around the field, Mathieu has been relatively inconsistent due to his play style. However, the past two seasons have been the most consistent we’ve seen from him, as he posted back-to-back 80.0-plus PFF grades for the first time in his career, resulting in an 86.9 two-year grade.
Moses returns to the Jets after a two-year stint of protecting Lamar Jackson. He has been great in pass protection and run blocking, resulting in an 85.0 two-year PFF grade.
We’ll have no idea what Rodgers, who is coming off a torn Achilles, would have looked like in 2023 with an improved group of receivers. If he has a post-40-year-old resurgence, he could be a top-five player on this list. Regardless, if Rodgers is on the field, he should continue to have success.
The question with Diggs is whether he started to decline in 2023 due to losing a step or due to his frustration with Josh Allen and the Bills. Diggs has been so good for so long that he deserves a spot on this list, as his 89.4 two-year PFF grade indicates he still has juice left.
An ageless wonder, Graham continues to play at an extremely high level — but in a reduced role. His 90.3 two-year PFF grade shows he still has what it takes to be a great player, but his part-time role makes it hard to push him higher up these rankings.
Evans is on a 10-year tear of producing 1,000 receiving yards each season. His longevity is impressive, even if his PFF grades don’t match his reputation, as his 81.4 two-year mark is very good but not elite.
Bitonio has been one of the best guards in the NFL for nearly a decade, but 2023 was the first time we saw a decline in his game (67.9 overall grade). He’s coming off three years of grades north of 87.6, including a dominant 94.1 in 2021.
Cooper isn’t the type to dominate game after game, despite a 265-yard performance in Week 16 in 2023, but will consistently get open and churn out yards and first downs. His 84.3 two-year PFF grade shows he still plays at a consistently high level.
Displaying consistently great play from the guard position, Thuney has been vital in protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the Chiefs’ past two Super Bowl runs. Pass protection is his calling card, as his 88.8 PFF pass-blocking grade over the past two years tops all guards and ranks third among all positions.
