• Aaron Donald’s rookie campaign could stand the test of time: His elite 90.2 PFF overall grade that year was the lowest of his decade-long NFL career.

• Some new faces after 2024: Brian Thomas Jr. and Bucky Irving put together the top rookie seasons in the PFF era for the Jaguars and Buccaneers, respectively.

• Subscribe to PFF+: Get access to player grades, PFF Premium Stats, fantasy football rankings, all of the PFF fantasy draft research tools and more!

Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

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Every season, NFL rookies come in and play at a high level from Day 1. Whether it’s the highly touted early-round prospects or the late-round gems, a team’s success often comes down to the contributions of its rookie class.

Last year, PFF’s top-graded cornerback was rookie Cooper DeJean (86.3). Quarterback Jayden Daniels (90.6), edge defender Jared Verse (89.3), wide receiver Malik Nabers (86.7) and tight end Brock Bowers (85.1) also had exceptional rookie campaigns but still didn’t top the list of highest-graded rookies for their respective teams over the past 20 years.

Let’s look at every team’s highest-graded rookie in the PFF era, dating back to 2006.

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JUMP TO A TEAM:

ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

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Arizona Cardinals: LB Daryl Washington, 2010 (86.9)

After being selected out of TCU in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Washington was the Cardinals’ highest-graded defender as a rookie. His 40 defensive stops ranked fourth among his teammates, even though he played just 518 snaps for the year. He earned high PFF grades across the board, particularly in run defense and coverage.

Grades, advanced statistics and more: Available in PFF Premium Stats

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Atlanta Falcons: WR Drake London, 2022 (83.2)

The Falcons selected London eighth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he made an immediate impact in the NFL. London’s 83.2 PFF overall grade ranked 11th out of 113 qualifying wide receivers in 2022. He led the team in receptions (72), yards (866) and touchdowns (four) and dropped just two passes all season long.

Grades, advanced statistics and more: Available in PFF Premium Stats

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Baltimore Ravens: S Dawan Landry, 2006 (89.9)

Landry was a Day 1 starter on the best defense in football as a fifth-round pick out of Georgia Tech. He was elite in run defense and coverage, where he intercepted five passes, broke up four others and did not allow a touchdown all season.

Grades, advanced statistics and more: Available in PFF Premium Stats

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Buffalo Bills: CB Tre’Davious White, 2017 (89.4)

White’s 89.4 PFF overall grade as a rookie was good for fifth among 120 qualifying cornerbacks that year. He allowed a catch on just 48.1% of passes thrown his way and was among the league leaders with 17 combined interceptions and pass breakups. Most impressively, White completely shut down his opposition three times, allowing zero catches in each of those outings.

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Carolina Panthers: CB Richard Marshall, 2006 (88.1)

Marshall surrendered just one touchdown in coverage in his rookie campaign while intercepting three passes and breaking up seven others. His 57.9 passer rating when targeted ranked in the top 10 among all cornerbacks in 2006.

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Chicago Bears: C Cody Whitehair, 2016 (87.5)

Despite finishing the year 3-13, the 2016 Bears fielded one of the best offensive lines in the league, ranking in the top 10 in team PFF pass-blocking grade (84.4) and run-blocking grade (78.6).

Second-round pick Cody Whitehair started every game at center as a rookie, and his 87.5 PFF overall grade ranked third among 38 qualifying centers for the season.

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Cincinnati Bengals: WR Ja’Marr Chase, 2021 (85.3)

Chase was widely regarded as one of the best wide receiver prospects in recent memory ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft and immediately cemented himself as one of the game’s best early on. Including the playoffs, Chase ranked second among all wide receivers with 49 explosive plays (15-plus yards) and third in yards per reception (17.5) as a rookie in 2021.

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Cleveland Browns: T Joe Thomas, 2006 (84.9)

Thomas went down as one of the best offensive tackles in NFL history, and that was apparent from Day 1. He did not allow a sack over 607 pass-blocking snaps as a rookie and let up no more than one pressure in 10 of his 16 games that season.

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Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Micah Parsons, 2021 (89.7)

Back in 2021, Parsons’ 92.9 PFF pass-rush grade led the league and his 21.3% pass-rush win rate ranked third. He also ranked among the league leaders with 58 defensive stops and helped transform a Dallas defense that had placed near the bottom of the league just a year prior.

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Denver Broncos: EDGE Von Miller, 2011 (90.0)

The Broncos finished the 2010 season 4-12, their worst record since their 2-7 strike-shortened season of 1982. They were immediately back in the playoffs the following year, thanks in large part to Von Miller, whom they selected second overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Miller’s 90.0 PFF overall grade ranked third among 93 qualifying edge defenders, and he helped change the culture in Denver as an elite difference-maker as a rookie.

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Detroit Lions: G Larry Warford, 2013 (85.1)

Warford started every game at right guard as a rookie for the Lions in 2013. Across 694 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed just 15 pressures (and no sacks) for the year. In an offense headlined by star wide receiver Calvin Johnson and quarterback Matthew Stafford, Warford was an unsung hero in the trenches for Detroit.

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Green Bay Packers: CB Casey Hayward Jr., 2012 (91.5)

Hayward was a lockdown cornerback as a rookie in 2012, giving up just a 29.3 passer rating when targeted — the lowest for any cornerback in the league that season. He did not allow a single touchdown in coverage and picked off six passes while breaking up 12 others. Hayward’s 2012 season was arguably the most dominant we’ve seen by a rookie cornerback dating back to 2006.

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Houston Texans: QB C.J. Stroud, 2023 (83.1)

Houston selected both the Offensive Rookie of the Year (Stroud) and Defensive Rookie of the Year (Will Anderson Jr.) in 2023, helping the team go from worst to first in the AFC South in just one season. Stroud struggled early in the season but was the seventh-ranked quarterback in PFF overall grade from Weeks 9-18.

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Indianapolis Colts: TE Dwayne Allen, 2012 (85.9)

The Colts drafted quarterback Andrew Luck first overall in the 2012 NFL Draft and then doubled up on tight ends in Rounds 2 (Coby Fleener) and 3 (Allen). Allen was the more productive player as a rookie, finishing fourth on the team in targets (70), receptions (49) and yards (572) and third in touchdowns (three). His 84.4 PFF run-blocking grade ranked among the top 10 tight ends for the season, as well.

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Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Brian Thomas Jr., 2024 (82.0)

2024 featured a great wide receiver rookie class, with four players (Malik Nabers, Ladd McConkey, Brian Thomas Jr. and Marvin Harrison Jr.) ranking among the top 30 wide receivers in PFF overall grade for the year.

Thomas’ 1,282 receiving yards ranked third in the NFL, and he was the focal point of an offense that didn’t get much production behind him. His receiving metrics were up there with the best of them, with top-five marks in yards after the catch (572) and yards per route run (2.45). Thomas and 2025 second-overall pick Travis Hunter are now set to form one of the NFL’s most explosive wide receiver duos for years to come.

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Kansas City Chiefs: C Creed Humphrey, 2021 (91.8)

Humphrey joined a Kansas City offense filled with talent, including future Hall of Famers Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. He immediately established himself as an elite player, earning a league-best 91.8 PFF overall grade at center as a rookie. He was particularly dominant as a run blocker, earning a 93.1 PFF run-blocking grade.

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Las Vegas Raiders: EDGE Khalil Mack, 2014 (86.9)

When the Raiders drafted Mack fifth overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, it marked the first time a player from the Buffalo Bulls had been selected in the first two rounds of a draft. Mack made an immediate impact, with his 86.9 PFF grade ranking third among 99 qualifying edge defenders. He was especially dominant in run defense, where his 90.3 PFF grade was tops at the position.

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Los Angeles Rams: DI Aaron Donald, 2014 (90.2)

How good was Aaron Donald? Well, his 90.2 PFF overall grade in his rookie season of 2014 was the lowest of his decade-long career. He led all interior defenders in PFF overall grade for seven straight years from 2015 to 2021. With three Defensive Player of the Year awards and eight first-team All-Pro selections, there’s a very strong argument that Donald is the greatest defensive player to ever play in the NFL.

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Los Angeles Chargers: EDGE Joey Bosa, 2016 (86.6)

Bosa was the first of five Ohio State players drafted in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He racked up 59 quarterback pressures despite missing the first four weeks with a hamstring injury. His 86.6 PFF overall grade was good for eighth place among 111 qualifying edge defenders that season.

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Miami Dolphins: T Jake Long, 2008 (88.4)

The 2008 Dolphins joined the 1999 Colts as the only two teams in NFL history to have a 10-win improvement from the previous season. No. 1 overall pick Jake Long was a big reason why: He did not allow a sack over the final 13 weeks of the season and was dominant as a run blocker for Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and the wildcat offense.

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Minnesota Vikings: WR Justin Jefferson, 2020 (90.4)

The Vikings selected Jefferson with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft as part of a trade that sent Pro-Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills. Both Jefferson (90.4 PFF overall grade, second) and Diggs (90.2, fourth) ranked in the top five at the position in PFF grade that year, so it was a deal that many considered to be a win-win at the time.

Jefferson ranked third in the league with 36 explosive plays of 15-plus yards and established himself as one of the premier deep threats in the NFL, scoring four touchdowns on targets thrown 20-plus yards down the field in 2020.

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New England Patriots: T Sebastian Vollmer, 2009 (91.0)

Vollmer joined an already formidable offensive line in New England as a second-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He made starts at both left and right tackle as a rookie, and his 92.6 PFF run-blocking grade was the highest among all tackles that season.

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New Orleans Saints: RB Alvin Kamara, 2017 (90.4)

Kamara joined quarterback Drew Brees and a stacked Saints offense as a third-round pick in 2017. His 90.4 PFF overall grade ranked first among 58 qualifying running backs that season. He was a game-changer both on the ground and through the air, leading the league in the percentage of carries that went for a first down or touchdown (28.9%) and missed tackles forced per attempt (0.23).

Kamara also led all running backs in various receiving categories, including explosive plays (23), missed tackles forced (30) and yards per route run (2.76).

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New York Giants: WR Odell Beckham Jr., 2014 (90.8)

Beckham’s 2014 season was one of the best in NFL history for a rookie wide receiver. Despite missing the first four games of the year with a hamstring injury, he caught 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.

From Weeks 9-17, the LSU product recorded at least 90 yards in every game, passing the 100-yard mark seven times. His 3.14 yards per route run and 14 forced missed tackles in the second half of the season led all wide receivers.

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New York Jets: CB Sauce Gardner, 2022 (87.9)

The Jets earned a 37.9 team PFF coverage grade in 2021, 30th in the NFL. One year later, they drafted Sauce Gardner fourth overall, and he helped turn them into an elite coverage unit, one that finished the 2022 season with the third-best team PFF coverage grade in the league (89.6).

Gardner allowed a catch on just 45.2% of the targets thrown his way and a 53.5 passer rating when targeted in coverage on his way to a position-best 87.9 PFF overall grade.

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Philadelphia Eagles: DI Jalen Carter, 2023 (87.4)

The Eagles traded up one spot to select Carter — the No. 2 overall player on the PFF Big Board — at ninth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Carter’s 87.4 PFF overall grade ranked sixth among 130 qualifying interior defenders. He was most effective as a pass rusher, where he ranked fifth at his position in win rate (17.2%).

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Pittsburgh Steelers: WR Santonio Holmes, 2006 (80.1)

Holmes did not see the field much early on in his rookie season, playing just 94 snaps through the first five games, but earned an every-down role as the campaign progressed. That season, 41 of his 49 receptions (83.6%) resulted in a first down.

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San Francisco 49ers: EDGE Aldon Smith, 2011 (90.5)

Smith displayed elite pass-rushing traits as a rookie, proving that he was worthy of a top-10 selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. He led all edge defenders in pass-rush win rate (18.6%) and pressure rate (20.3%). He was no slouch against the run, either, as he ranked among the top 20 edge defenders in PFF run-defense grade.

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Seattle Seahawks: QB Russell Wilson, 2012 (90.6)

When ranking rookie quarterbacks in the PFF era, Russell Wilson is at the top. The 2012 third-round pick finished his first season in Seattle with a 90.6 PFF overall grade, second best among 37 qualifying quarterbacks. Wilson made incredible throws without putting the ball in danger, evidenced by his 36 big-time throws and just 10 turnover-worthy plays for the season.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: RB Bucky Irving, 2024 (90.8)

Irving didn’t have as much volume as other top running backs early in the 2024 season but was a workhorse down the stretch, leading the NFL in yards after contact per attempt (3.93) and forcing 62 missed tackles in the process. He earned elite PFF grades as a runner (90.0) and a receiver (90.5) for the NFC South champion Buccaneers.

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Tennessee Titans: WR A.J. Brown, 2019 (81.8)

Brown quickly established himself as the go-to option in the Titans’ passing game, a rookie who was a big play waiting to happen. He led all receivers with 20.5 yards per reception and 9.4 yards after catch per reception in 2019.

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Washington Commanders: RB Alfred Morris, 2012 (91.0)

Washington drafted Morris in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and he wasn’t named the starting running back by coach Mike Shanahan until the day before their season opener. He went on to have an incredible rookie season, finishing second in rushing yards (1,613) and rushing touchdowns (13). His 57 explosive runs (15-plus yards) ranked second behind Adrian Peterson, the league’s MVP that season.

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