- Colston Loveland looks like the next dominant tight end: The Bears stud was the second-best receiver at the position from Week 9 onward and is poised to join the elite ranks in no time.
- Everything may fall in place for Justin Herbert in 2026: Herbert's offensive line, weaponry and play-calling could all foster his first career All-Pro selection.
- Chase Young looked unblockable during an injury-shortened 2025: Young's 86.3 PFF pass-rush grade was the highest of his young career, and he could turn things up further for a rising Saints team.
Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes
With the bulk of 2026 NFL offseason transactions complete, it’s an ideal time to take stock of teams and players around the league. That includes rising stars who will benefit from better surrounding talent and/or coaching.
Last season was ripe with emerging names receiving recognition, as 22 of 51 non-specialist players named to an All-Pro team — including Matthew Stafford, Bijan Robinson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devin Lloyd — garnered first- or second-team nods for the first time in their careers. Given the rising talent of incoming draft picks and a changing of the guard at certain positions, this era may be a perfect one for young players to capitalize early on in the pros.
Which names could feature on this year’s list of first-time honorees? These 10 players, who have never been named to any All-Pro squad in their careers, have the tools to build a case.
TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
The Bears’ offense exploded last season, placing ninth in success rate during Ben Johnson’s first year. A significant part of that improved efficiency was Loveland, who looked unstoppable late in the season. Indeed, Loveland’s 86.9 PFF receiving grade was the second-best among qualified tight ends from Week 9 onward, as were his 34 first downs gained.
On an offense full of young — and somewhat unproven — playmakers, Chicago will assuredly continue to funnel the ball through the game-changing Loveland this season. With Travis Kelce declining of late and George Kittle’s status uncertain after suffering a torn Achilles in the playoffs, Loveland should be firmly in the All-Pro mix alongside Trey McBride and Brock Bowers.
QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert’s 2025 season still feels like a vastly underappreciated one. Despite playing behind the league’s lowest-graded offensive line and with a receiving corps that placed 20th in PFF receiving grade, the Chargers stud ranked 10th in overall PFF grade (78.0) among qualified quarterbacks. Also encouraging was that Herbert’s 2.6% turnover-worthy play rate tied for the fifth-lowest.
The circumstances for Herbert will be diametrically different in 2026 as he returns two Pro Bowl-caliber tackles in Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, plus ushers in one of the game’s foremost offensive minds in Mike McDaniel. As the gunslinger boasting the fourth-best PFF passing grade (90.6) since 2021, it’s fairly surprising that Herbert has never made an All-Pro team. The cards may finally fall into place in 2026, although he’ll also face steep competition.
RB De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
With how well Achane has performed as a pro, it’s getting increasingly difficult to not rank him high atop the running back totem pole. Since 2023, Achane’s 92.7 overall PFF grade is third at the position, featuring a league-leading 93.7 PFF rushing mark and an 85.7 PFF receiving grade.
Fresh off a four-year, $64 million extension, Achane returns as the centerpiece on a Miami offense devoid of much skill-position talent. In many ways, that bodes well for Achane’s volume and cumulative stats in both the pass and run game, as does the Dolphins adding first-round lineman Kadyn Proctor.
With Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey coming off fairly down seasons as rushers, Achane could be in position to capitalize like Robinson did in 2025.
CB Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers
In his three years as a pro, Porter has gone from talented but inconsistent youngster to an outright lockdown cornerback. Porter made a legitimate leap in Year 3, with his 76.6 PFF coverage grade the 10th-highest among qualifiers at the position. The Steelers standout also placed third in forced incompletion rate (24%) and fourth in snaps per reception (17.5).
Porter already looked dominant on a defense that finished near league average in passing success rate, plus 21st in PFF coverage grade. Those metrics figure to augment in 2026 with Pittsburgh signing impressive corner Jamel Dean and hiring Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator. The 25-year-old Porter has the combination of length, physicality and bravado to take another step this season.
Porter's Stable 2025 PFF Grades
WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
Smith may not have tons of plaques next to his NFL career so far, but he’s been a consistently above-average wideout. Since his pro debut in 2021, Smith ties for 20th in PFF receiving grade (89.4), and his 257 receiving first downs place 11th. On top of that, the Heisman Trophy recipient has never finished below a 77.1 receiving grade or 1.73 yards per route run in a single season.
Smith has largely fallen second fiddle to A.J. Brown over the last four years, but that’s expected to change given the team’s presumptive trade of the All-Pro. Now, Philadelphia’s offense should revolve around Smith in the passing game, while newcomers such as Makai Lemon and Dontayvion Wicks can operate as complements.
EDGE Chase Young, New Orleans Saints
Young has put his prodigious skill on display before, claiming Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2020 while with Washington. Injuries and poor performance have led him askew since, but that changed in a big way last season.
Although Young didn’t play until Week 6 because of a calf issue, he racked up 49 pressures and 35 hurries across only 10 games. More specifically, Young’s 86.3 PFF pass-rush grade ranked eighth among qualified edge rushers, and his 15.2% pass-rush win rate placed in the 79th percentile.
Staying on the field will be the foremost priority for Young. But there’s no denying that the former second overall pick has the talent to be one of the game’s most disruptive pass-rushers. Playing on a New Orleans team that’s ascending going into this season could also help attract more recognition.
Dl Byron Murphy II, Seattle Seahawks
Murphy broke out last year to help anchor Seattle’s run to the Super Bowl. His 72.8 overall PFF grade tied for 15th among qualifiers, rooted in a 77.3 PFF pass-rush grade and a 12.3% pass-rush win rate. Still, Murphy has room to grow against the run after earning a sub-54.0 grade for the second straight season.
The Seahawks’ defense should be championship-caliber yet again even after losing a handful of pieces, giving Murphy another year to build along a ferocious front. If the former first-rounder can play more consistently on the ground, he’s capable of reaching another level of stardom in Year 3.
LB Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers
Cooper has flourished since arriving in Green Bay. Over the last two seasons, the second-round pick has turned into one of the sport’s foremost linebackers. Cooper’s 83.2 overall PFF grade since 2024 ranks fifth among his counterparts to play at least 1,500 snaps, producing a 76.2-plus grade in all three major categories (run defense, coverage and pass-rushing).
Cooper’s tackling has been his biggest weakness so far, missing 13.9% of his career attempts. If he can minimize those mistakes, he should firmly enter rarefied air at the position. It’s very plausible to see the Texas A&M product following the trend set by Lloyd and Jack Campbell a year ago, taking incremental progress to a higher tier.
T Paris Johnson Jr., Arizona Cardinals
Although the Cardinals have sputtered in recent seasons, that isn’t Johnson’s fault. The former sixth overall selection has rounded into one of the sport’s better tackles, as reflected by his career 74.7 overall PFF grade. Since 2024 in particular, Johnson has generated the eighth-highest PFF pass-blocking mark (80.4) with a strong 5.6% pressure rate surrendered.
Now in Year 4, Johnson has shown the makeup of being a consistently great tackle who can handle difficult assignments, which he does on the regular in the NFC West. Playing next to accomplished veteran guard Isaac Seumalo on the left side as well as under new head coach Mike LaFleur could be what unlocks another level in Johnson, who has room to improve in the run game.
S Kam Kinchens, Los Angeles Rams
Kinchens went from a well-kept secret to a breakout force in 2025, playing to a 78.0 overall PFF grade across 975 snaps for the Rams’ sound defense. Kinchens’ 81.9 PFF coverage grade was the sixth-highest among his positional counterparts, and he finished in the 75th percentile in coverage mark at safety.
What would enable Kinchens to become a true star is more balanced work vs. the run, although he took a step in the right direction with a 6.4% run stop rate last season. Working alongside new top-tier cornerback duo Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson — and bringing Kam Curl back into the fold — could spark the former third-round pick to blossom even more in Chris Shula’s defense, which might better its 10th-place finish in EPA per play.
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