• Jayden Daniels could crash the elite QB tier in 2025: The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year ranked fifth in both overall and passing grade while leading Washington to the NFC title game, and with new weapons like Deebo Samuel, he’s poised to take another leap.

• Bijan Robinson has Offensive Player of the Year potential: Despite a crowded RB class in 2024, Robinson ranked second in rushing grade and now benefits from a stronger passing attack with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback.

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The top spots in NFL position rankings are tough to crack, with consistently elite players holding them year after year. Still, new stars emerge every season, creating opportunities for fresh names to rise into that top tier. Each position features at least one player poised to make that leap in 2025 — and we’ve identified one candidate at each spot.

The consensus is that the four best quarterbacks in the NFL are Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, with the only debate being the order in which they rank. Each is capable of leading the league in various statistical categories and enters every season as a legitimate MVP contender.

Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels is fresh off a scintillating rookie season in which he ranked fifth in both overall grade and passing grade while leading his team to the NFC championship game. He also recorded the league’s lowest turnover-worthy play rate at just 1.5% and earned an elite 90.0 rushing grade.

Daniels’ dual-threat ability, combined with Washington’s key offensive additions — including Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil — puts him in a position to potentially join the NFL’s elite quarterback tier.

The 2024 season was a banner year for running backs acquired in free agency, with players like Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs drawing national attention. One player who quietly took a massive step forward was Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson, who was overshadowed both by that group and by the instability at quarterback in his own offense.

Robinson’s 92.8 rushing grade ranked second among all running backs, trailing only Henry. He also finished top-five in yards after contact, missed tackles forced, explosive runs and receiving grade. Running behind one of the league’s elite offensive lines — and with Michael Penix Jr. now entrenched as the Falcons’ starting quarterback — Robinson should benefit from defenses needing to respect Atlanta’s vertical passing game more than they did with Kirk Cousins.

If Penix delivers, Robinson has clear Offensive Player of the Year potential entering his third season.

Nabers has every bit the potential of his LSU predecessors, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. His 87.1 receiving grade ranked ninth in the NFL last season despite catching passes from a rotating cast of quarterbacks that included Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tommy DeVito and Tim Boyle. He managed just seven receptions on 29 deep targets (20-plus yards), largely due to a lack of downfield accuracy from that group.

That could change with Russell Wilson expected to take over as the Giants’ starting quarterback. While no longer in his prime, Wilson’s deep ball remains one of the most effective in the league, as his 97.3 deep passing grade led all quarterbacks in 2024. And if rookie Jaxson Dart sees the field at any point, he brings a vertical mindset from his time at Ole Miss.

With improved quarterback play, Nabers’ downfield potential should be fully unlocked in 2025, giving him a real shot to build on an already impressive start to his career.

It might seem unusual to include the league leader in receptions and yards among tight ends on a list of breakout candidates, but Brock Bowers still has room to grow. He finished third behind George Kittle and Trey McBride in both overall grade and receiving grade last season. Of course, Kittle and McBride are more complete blockers and play very different roles in their respective offenses.

For Bowers to be considered the best tight end in the NFL, he’ll need to clearly establish himself as the top receiving option at the position, much like Travis Kelce did for years in Kansas City. He has a real opportunity to do that in 2025, with a significantly improved Raiders offense. Bowers set records last season despite the team ranking 31st in passing grade. With Geno Smith, who ranked eighth in passing grade last year, now under center, Las Vegas should feature a more balanced, efficient attack that allows Bowers to take another leap forward.

Brock Bowers: PFF grades by game in 2024

In just his second season as the Packers’ starting right tackle, Zach Tom emerged as the team’s best offensive lineman. His 87.8 run-blocking grade ranked third among all tackles, while his 81.0 pass-blocking grade was third among qualified right tackles. Just a year ago, there was speculation about Tom potentially moving inside to fill other team needs — now, he’s firmly entrenched on the edge.

The path to being crowned the league’s best right tackle is narrow but within reach. The only two players who graded higher than Tom last season were Penei Sewell and Lane Johnson. Tom actually outgraded Sewell in pass protection, and while Johnson continues to play at a high level, he’s entering his age-35 season. If Tom continues on his current trajectory, he deserves to be mentioned in the same elite tier as those two.

Puni was a revelation for the 49ers last season, finishing with the sixth-best overall grade among qualified guards at 80.5. A major factor in that success was his effectiveness in Kyle Shanahan’s outside zone scheme — his 82.1 outside zone run-blocking grade ranked fifth among all guards.

With another year of development in Shanahan’s system, both as a run blocker and pass protector, Puni could soon challenge for the top spot at the position. Atlanta’s Chris Lindstrom has held that title for the past three seasons as the NFL’s highest-graded guard. It won’t be easy to unseat him, but if any young player is positioned to do it, it might be Puni.

Pittsburgh had its share of struggles on offense last season, but rookie center Zach Frazier wasn’t one of them. His 77.9 overall grade ranked sixth among centers, and he allowed just one sack across 16 games.

Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey still holds a firm grip on the top spot at the position, but Frazier has a chance to close the gap. His 60.2 true pass-blocking grade ranked 13th among centers, and that’s likely where he’ll need to improve most. A healthier offensive line around him in 2025 should also help, after Frazier anchored a unit that battled injuries throughout last season.

Reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse is poised to build on his outstanding 2024 season. His 89 pressures, including the postseason, led the NFL. He was also one of just two qualified edge defenders — along with T.J. Watt — to earn at least an 80.0 grade in both run defense and pass rushing. The only blemish on his resume was a league-high 21 missed tackles.

The biggest challenge to Verse climbing to the top of the edge defender rankings isn’t talent — it’s the depth of elite competition at the position.

Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons and Nick Bosa all remain perennial contenders, with several other dynamic players also in the mix. Verse is the youngest among that next wave, but the numbers suggest he may be the closest to joining the NFL’s top tier.

Carter is already one of the NFL’s most dynamic interior pass rushers. Over the past two seasons, he ranks fourth in pass-rush grade and has posted an impressive 14.5% pass-rush win rate. His shortcomings as a run defender are the only thing keeping him from sitting atop the defensive tackle rankings. His 55.8 run-defense grade in 2024 placed him outside the top 60 at the position.

That said, Carter’s pass-rush dominance gives him a path to becoming the league’s best interior defender without needing to be elite against the run. Chris Jones earned the highest overall grade at the position last season despite posting a modest 64.0 run-defense grade. Jones was also one of only two interior defenders to generate more pressures than Carter.

With his talent level, Carter doesn’t need a complete overhaul — just a bit more balance — to be considered the best at his position.

The Lions’ defense dealt with a wave of injuries to several key players in 2024, but linebacker Jack Campbell managed to stay healthy and took a major step forward after a rocky rookie season. His 78.7 overall grade ranked 10th among linebackers last year.

Campbell’s grading profile was weighed down by two rough outings against Houston and Buffalo. Removing those games, his overall grade jumps to 86.9 — a mark that would have ranked fourth at the position over a full season.

Even with those performances included, Campbell was one of just three linebackers to rank inside the top 15 in both run defense and coverage grade.

While his teammate Cooper DeJean finished 2024 as the highest-graded cornerback in the NFL, Quinyon Mitchell’s development will be just as exciting to watch in Philadelphia this season. Mitchell tied for sixth in the league with a 79.2 coverage grade, recording 10 pass breakups and two interceptions.

What sets Mitchell apart is his versatility. He ranked fifth in man coverage grade at 82.2 — one spot ahead of DeJean — and added a strong 77.4 grade in zone coverage. That made him one of just three qualified cornerbacks, along with DeJean and Christian Benford, to post at least a 75.0 in both categories last season. Opposing offenses are now well aware of DeJean’s ability, but targeting Mitchell as an alternative could prove to be a costly mistake.

Jones was one of the most underrated free agent signings in the NFL last offseason. His first year in Denver was terrific, as he posted an 89.8 coverage grade that ranked third in the NFL. While many will be skeptical of a sudden breakout from a player in his fifth NFL season, they should be optimistic about Jones’ abilities because he wasn’t even used optimally last season.

Less than 55% of Jones’ snaps last season came as a true free safety. On those snaps, he recorded a 90.6 coverage grade, best in the NFL. When aligned anywhere else, that number drops to 64.6, which ranks outside the top 30 safeties.

Denver has decided to complement Jones with another free agent acquisition, Talanoa Hufanga, who is a more natural box safety. Increasing the number of snaps where Jones is playing in his most comfortable alignment could unlock another level of production for him.