- Cam Skattebo joins the top 15: The Giants’ rookie running back makes his first appearance on this list, slotting in at No. 2, after excelling in a workhorse role in Week 3.
- Emeka Egbuka continues to impress: The wideout logged a season-high 81.8 PFF receiving grade against the Jets and has looked right at home in the Buccaneers’ offense.
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Estimated Reading Time: 8minutes
We’re diving into the top rookies by PFF overall grade through Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season. To qualify, players needed to have logged at least 50 snaps.
1. TE Jackson Hawes, Buffalo Bills (91.8)
Hawes recorded a 75.8 PFF overall grade against the Dolphins on Thursday night, highlighted by his first career touchdown — a five-yard shovel pass flipped into a tight window between two defenders. Hawes earned a 76.2 PFF pass-blocking grade (second best) in the game, too. He logged a 62.0 PFF run-blocking grade due to three negative plays, his first such plays of the season.
Hawes now owns an 88.2 PFF receiving grade for the season. He has caught all three of his targets for 39 yards and remains seventh in PFF run-blocking grade at the position (78.6). He also places in the top 10 in pass blocking (77.4).
2. RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants (85.7)
Skattebo starred Sunday night against the Chiefs and takes over the No. 2 spot with his first appearance on this list. Before David Montgomery‘s Monday Night Football explosion, Skattebo led all running backs in Week 3 in PFF overall grade (83.0).
The Arizona State product rushed the ball 10 times for 64 yards against Kansas City, forcing five missed tackles and recording three plays of 10-plus yards, including a 13-yard touchdown near halftime for his second rushing score of the season. Skattebo averaged 4.4 yards after contact and notched a 30.0% first-down-plus-touchdown rate. He finished the night with a 78.1 PFF rushing grade.
As a receiver, Skattebo caught six of eight passes for 61 yards and four first downs, both top-two marks. He averaged 9.5 yards after the catch per reception and logged two catches of 15-plus yards on his way to an 86.6 PFF receiving grade (second best).
The fourth-round pick is the NFL’s highest-graded running back through Week 3. He ranks in the top two in PFF rushing (84.7) and receiving grades (81.9). Skattebo has turned 23 carries into 102 yards, gaining seven first downs, scoring twice and forcing eight missed tackles. As a receiver, he has caught 10 of 13 passes for 87 yards, with four first downs and three forced three missed tackles.
3. LB Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles (84.6)
Campbell earned a 76.7 PFF overall grade against the Rams, finishing in the top 10 at the position in PFF tackling (80.5) and coverage grades (77.7). Campbell was targeted once — a catch allowed for seven yards. He recorded five tackles in run defense, earning a 65.6 PFF grade in that department across 30 snaps. He also tallied a quarterback hurry and a 20% pass-rush win rate as a rusher.
Campbell now boasts a 90.1 PFF coverage grade on the season (fourth best). He has allowed two catches for 11 yards across four targets and is holding quarterbacks to a 56.3 passer rating when targeted. His resume also includes a 72.0 PFF run-defense grade, with eight tackles across 68 snaps.
4. LB Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns (81.7)
Schwesinger bounced back against Green Bay with his highest PFF run-defense grade of the season (74.9). He played a season-high 30 run snaps, making four stops while assisting on two other tackles. He also recorded a quarterback hurry on eight pass-rushing snaps. Schwesinger did earn the lowest PFF coverage grade of his young career (56.7), due to a three-yard touchdown allowed late in the third quarter. He still made two third-down stops across 23 snaps and limited receivers to 13 yards on three catches.
Schwesinger now has 14 tackles, seven assists and eight stops on the season. His 70.0 PFF tackling grade ranks second among rookie linebackers, behind Jihaad Campbell (84.3). He also boasts a 20.9% positive play rate in run defense and leads all rookie linebackers in PFF run-defense grade (77.8). Despite the touchdown against Green Bay, Schwesinger still holds a 72.0 PFF coverage grade.
5. CB Jacob Parrish, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (78.5)
Parrish had an up-and-down day against the Jets, finishing with a 66.8 PFF overall grade. He led the position in PFF pass-rush grade (83.2), recording a sack, a hit and two hurries across seven snaps. However, he also earned a 59.4 PFF coverage grade after allowing each of his four targets to be caught for 31 yards, including a four-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter that trimmed the Buccaneers’ lead to seven. He made a season-high three coverage stops in the game.
Despite the challenges, Parrish is now the highest-graded rookie cornerback entering Week 4. He leads the class in PFF run-defense (76.5) and pass-rush grades (77.8), while ranking second in PFF coverage grade (74.4). Parrish has allowed 36 yards in coverage across seven catches.
6. RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders (81.4)
Croskey-Merritt took a three-yard run up the gut for a touchdown late in the third quarter to extend the Commanders’ lead over the Raiders to 23 in Week 3. He turned eight carries on the day into 26 yards, with two first downs. Croskey-Merritt forced three missed tackles and averaged 3.8 yards after contact per attempt. He finished the game with a 77.4 PFF rushing grade.
The seventh-round pick was the last running back taken in the 2025 NFL Draft and is currently the league’s third-highest-graded running back through three games. Croskey-Merritt leads the position with an 89.3 PFF rushing grade, carrying the rock 22 times for 125 yards. He has gained 84 yards after contact, at a 67.2% rate. He also ranks eighth in yards after contact per attempt (3.8).
The Arizona product has moved the chains seven times with two touchdowns, generating a 31.8% first-down-plus-touchdown rate (second best).
7. T Armand Membou, New York Jets (74.3)
Membou struggled for the second week in a row. He was beaten four times in pass blocking against the Buccaneers, surrendering a sack. He earned the second-lowest PFF run-blocking grade among Week 3 tackles (39.6), with a 0.0% impact rate and an 18.8% defeated rate across 16 snaps.
Membou has allowed four pressures on the season, at a 3.9% rate, and owns a 69.7 PFF pass-blocking grade. He still ranks first among rookie tackles in PFF run-blocking grade (73.7) and is tied for first among the group in zone PFF run-blocking grade (73.2).
8. TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts (77.1)
Warren notched a 58.2 PFF overall grade against the Titans in Week 3, his worst figure in three games. He caught three passes for 38 yards, including two plays of 15-plus yards. He also dropped a pass early in the game. As a run blocker, Warren earned a 57.5 PFF grade across 15 snaps.
Despite that grade, Warren maintains a 72.3 PFF run-blocking grade (second best among rookies) and ranks second at the position in PFF pass-blocking grade (79.1). He boasts a 74.2 PFF receiving grade, fueled by a position-best 79.7 mark against zone coverages. Most of his production has come when facing zone, against which he has caught 12 of 16 targets for 178 yards and nine first downs.
9. CB Will Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (77.9)
Johnson was inactive in Week 3 due to a groin injury.
10. S Lathan Ransom, Carolina Panthers (76.4)
The fourth-round pick from Ohio State played 34 defensive snaps against Atlanta, his most of the season. He finished second at the position in PFF overall grade (91.2), recording a tackle, an assist and a forced fumble across nine run-defense snaps played. As a coverage defender, he allowed one catch for nine yards.
Ransom owns the sixth-best PFF tackling grade (87.5) and the second-best PFF run-defense grade (92.0) among safeties entering Week 4. He has played 44 coverage snaps, with two catches allowed for just 18 yards. He has also tallied five tackles, two assists and two coverage stops.
11. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers (73.2)
McMillan earned a 66.9 PFF receiving grade against the Falcons‘ defense. He saw eight targets but was held to three catches for 48 yards. Two of those grabs were gains of 20-plus yards, both in the first half.
McMillan now has 14 catches on the year for 216 yards. He has gained first downs on all but two catches (12) and has seven plays of 15-plus yards. McMillan sports a 75.8 PFF receiving grade through three games.
(72.5)
Egbuka earned a season-high 81.8 PFF receiving grade against the Jets, finishing with six catches for 85 yards and four first downs. He recorded a highlight grab in the second quarter — a one-handed catch along the sideline for a 30-yard gain against Sauce Gardner. Later in the game, he made a 28-yard catch, this time against Andre Cisco, once again near the sideline. Egbuka finished the game with a 108.9 passer rating when targeted and generated a 34.8% threat rate and a 37.5% deep target rate.
Egbuka has caught 14 of 21 passes for 181 yards on his way to a 71.1 PFF receiving grade through three games. He has gained nine first downs, caught three touchdown passes and tallied a catch of 15-plus yards in every game this season (five total). The Ohio State product has gained 36 yards after contact and is averaging 5.2 yards after the catch per reception.
13. S Xavier Watts, Atlanta Falcons (71.6)
Watts recorded his lowest PFF overall grade of the season, a 55.4 outing against Carolina. He earned a 71.5 PFF run-defense grade through five tackles, an assist and two stops across 27 snaps. However, he finished with a 48.5 PFF coverage grade, allowing all three of his targets to be caught for first downs, including a 23-yard gain to Tetairoa McMillan on a fourth-down play while in slot coverage.
Watts now owns a 77.3 PFF run-defense grade (third best among rookies). His PFF coverage grade has dropped to 64.8 but still ranks second best among rookie safeties, and he has surrendered explosive gains in back-to-back games.
14. DI Elijah Roberts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (73.6)
Roberts posted a 70.0 PFF overall grade against the Jets, powered by four pressures as a pass rusher.
The fifth-round pick from SMU holds the seventh-best PFF run-defense grade at the position (80.4), along with a 12.2% pressure rate.
(70.6)
Sampson recorded his worst PFF overall grade of the season (53.5) against the Packers, as he was held without a target and carried the ball only once for two yards. He still leads all running backs in PFF receiving grade (91.8) entering Week 4.
