• Malaki Starks dominates for the Ravens: Baltimore’s first-round pick was the highest-graded rookie in Week 9 as he hauled in his first interception.

• Tory Holton flashes on Sunday night: The Seahawks receiver caught all five of his targets, two of which went for scores.

• Unlock your edge with PFF+: Access Premium Stats, dominate fantasy with in-season tools and projections and make smarter bets with the new PFF Player Prop Tool.

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

It’s hard to believe, but we’ve arrived at the halfway point in the 2025 NFL season. This year has had so many twists and turns through nine weeks, and some of the most impactful have been the emergence of the rookies in this year’s class.

This week, we’ll look at the best rookies at each position. To qualify for this list, a player must have played at least 10 snaps.

It was another difficult week for the Giants, but Dart once again put together a strong showing in defeat, completing 24-of-33 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. He also added two big-time throws and zero turnover-worthy plays to the mix for a 107.0 passer rating. It’s been tough sledding for the Giants, but Dart has been something for their fans to look forward to each week.

It was a tough night for the Commanders, but Jacory Croskey-Merritt made the best of a bad situation. While the stats aren’t flashy, as he only rushed for 38 yards on 12 carries, they could have been much worse. Croskey-Merritt averaged 3.2 yards per carry but 3.4 yards after contact on each run, meaning he was often first being contacted behind the line of scrimmage on his attempts. The former seventh-rounder out of Arizona was making something out of nothing all night and was a rare bright spot for Washington.

Wide Receiver: Tory Horton, Seattle Seahawks – 80.7

It was a big night for the Seahawks as they dismantled the Commanders, and their rookie fifth-rounder put a huge dent into the scoreboard. Horton caught all five of his targets for 53 yards and two touchdowns. Horton was also perfect on contested targets, catching both of his opportunities.

Harris wasn’t much of a factor in the passing game, as he only caught two passes for 18 yards, though both receptions resulted in first downs. He was, however, dominant as a run blocker, posting a 74.9 grade in that field.

The Panthers pulled off a massive upset win over the Packers in Lambeau Field, with McMillan being his usual reliable self. McMillan caught four passes, three of which resulted in first downs, for 46 yards. 

The former fourth-rounder out of Texas had a career day in the loss to the Chargers, catching his only target on the day for a 15-yard first down with a defender draped all over him — good for an 89.4 PFF receiving grade. He was also dominant as a run blocker, particularly on outside zone runs, where he carried a 77.4 grade.

After multiple appearances on lists like this, Banks put together perhaps the best performance of his young career against the Rams in Week 9, generating a career high in both PFF grade and run-blocking grade (84.4). Banks was also strong in pass protection, allowing just two pressures on 27 such snaps for a 71.3 grade.

Offensive Tackle: Marcus Mbow, New York Giants – 73.1

Mbow saw the most playing time of his rookie season against the 49ers in Week 9 and compiled by far his best outing. He posted career highs across the board in PFF grade, pass-blocking grade (60.4) and run-blocking grade (82.3), the latter of which included five positively-graded blocks.

The Bears and Bengals played one of the most chaotic games of the season, but perhaps the steadiest player on the field was Fairchild, the former third-rounder out of Georgia. In pass protection, Fairchild permitted just one pressure and was only beaten one other time on 53 pass-blocking snaps. Likewise, he totaled four positively-graded run blocks.

It was a big week for the Vikings, getting one over on the division rival Lions in J.J. McCarthy’s return to action. Providing protection for McCarthy was rookie Donovan Jackson, who only surrendered a single pressure on 34 pass-blocking snaps for a 78.1 such grade. That was his best performance since a perfectly clean Week 1 showing against the Bears.

Jackson’s Lions counterpart Ratledge has been inconsistent in pass protection this season, as his run blocking has generally been his stronger suit. But this week, he put together by far his best performance protecting Jared Goff. Ratledge established a career high with a 77.4 PFF pass-blocking grade, allowing zero pressures and only losing one rep on 39 such snaps.

It was a disappointing outcome for the Chiefs, as they lost to the Bills to fall to 5-4. However, rookie pass rusher Ashton Gillotte helped keep Kansas City in the game, recording his first NFL sack on a career-high three pressures and 76.2 PFF pass-rush grade. 

Stewart suited up on a career-low 14 snaps on a stacked Rams defensive line, but he made his plays count — he carried a 20% pass-rush win rate. Stewart recorded PFF grades over 60.0 as a pass rusher, run defender and in coverage.

Defensive Interior: Tyleik Williams, Detroit Lions – 69.6

The Lions’ top draft pick in 2025 had been quiet up until this point, but he made the most of his limited action against the Vikings — particularly against the run. On five run-defense snaps, Williams received a 68.8 grade that included a stop.

Like Williams, Stackhouse saw limited action but made his presence felt in the run game, compiling a 65.1 grade that included a stop. In all, 20% of his run-defense snaps resulted in a positive grade.

With Jihaad Campbell and Carson Schwesinger both on a bye this week, it was a struggle across the board for rookie linebackers. Stutsman was up-and-down for the Saints, missing two tackles against the run but also recording more positively-graded plays than negative. However, he was solid in coverage, allowing just one reception for four yards into his coverage.

Buchanan has been a steady presence in the middle of the Ravens defense all season, and it’s been against the run where he has particularly shined. On 17 run-defense snaps against the Dolphins on Thursday, Buchanan generated a 75.8 grade, the second-highest mark of his career. Nearly a quarter of his run-defense snaps were given a positive grade, and he even added a run stop to the mix while not missing any tackles.

Two weeks coming off injury, and two appearances on this list for the Bills’ top selection in this year’s draft. Hairston was dominant in Buffalo’s win over the Chiefs, particularly in coverage — where he carried an elite 91.4 grade. Hairston gave up just one reception into his coverage while also recording the first interception of his young career, which came at a critical point in the game as the Chiefs were trying to mount a comeback late in the fourth quarter.

Cornerback: Quincy Riley, New Orleans Saints – 69.1

He hasn’t gotten a ton of buzz this season, but Quincy Riley has quietly been a great find for the Saints in the fourth round of this year’s draft out of Louisville. He’s only played one game with a PFF grade below 60.0 all year. Against the Rams, he put together a lockdown performance, only yielding one reception for five yards and a forced incompletion for a 76.9 PFF coverage grade.

Cornerback: Korie Black, New York Giants – 66.7

Korie Black was one of the last picks in the draft and didn’t play a defensive snap until last week against the Eagles. However, he saw an increase in playing time against the 49ers and had an excellent showing against the run. Black put up a dominant 83.4 PFF run-defense grade that included two stops and zero negatively-graded plays.

Safety: Malaki Starks, Baltimore Ravens – 91.2

The first safety taken in this year’s draft finally makes his debut on this list, and what an outing it was. Malaki Starks was the highest-graded rookie regardless of position in Week 9, shining brightest in coverage with an 89.0 grade. Starks allowed just one reception for five yards into his coverage while also securing his first NFL interception. He was also strong against the run with a 75.6 grade, recording two stops from his safety position. 

Safety: Xavier Watts, Atlanta Falcons – 68.9

Like Starks, Watts was also difficult to throw on in Week 9, as he permitted just one reception for four yards into his coverage while also recording a stop. His 70.5 PFF coverage grade marked the third time this season the former third-rounder out of Notre Dame eclipsed a 70.0 grade in that field.