• Jordan Love surpasses expectations, leads Packers to playoffs: Green Bay's new starting quarterback got off to a rocky start but is on a torrid pace heading into the postseason.
• Jaylon Johnson earns himself significant money with huge 2023: Despite playing a hefty 530 coverage snaps, Johnson allowed just 25 catches on 50 targets for 195 yards and one touchdown to go along with four interceptions.
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Estimated Reading Time: 22 minutes
Ahead of the 2023 NFL season, we put together a team of players poised to break out, based on factors such as how they finished the 2022 season, expected increases in opportunity and talent showing through.
After all that happened during the 2023 regular season, the team is due for an update. This list will follow the same rules as the preseason breakout team — which means no rookies, as there should be an established baseline of NFL performance.
We’ll be sticking with 11 personnel for offense (one running back, one tight end, three wide receivers) and a nickel defense (two edge defenders, two interior defenders, two linebackers, three cornerbacks and two safeties).
Quarterback: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Perhaps no player was under more pressure to succeed this season than Jordan Love. Not only was he taking over as the face of one of the league's iconic franchises, but he was replacing future first-ballot Hall of Famer and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
It was a rocky start to Love's tenure as the face of the franchise, as he didn’t earn a 70.0 passing grade in a game until Week 9 against the Rams. Heading into that matchup, Love owned just a 62.8 passing grade, which ranked 24th out of 35 quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks at the time. Since then, he has put up a whopping 90.9 passing grade, ranking second only to Brock Purdy by a tick (91.0) during that stretch.
This torrid pace was a major factor in Love leading the Packers to the final wild-card spot in the NFC. A closing note on Love’s breakout season:
| Player | Passing Grade | Passing Yards | TD Passes | INTs | Season Result |
| Aaron Rodgers’ 2022 | 75.9 | 3695 | 26 | 12 | 8-9 (missed Playoffs) |
| Jordan Love’s 2023 | 82.7 | 4158 | 32 | 11 | 9-8 (wild card) |
Preseason Pick: Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
This pick was looking strong after the preseason, as Pickett and the Steelers' offense were basically perfect, scoring a touchdown on all five drives with him at the helm.
However, the regular season didn't produce nearly the same success for Pickett. Before suffering an ankle injury in Week 13, he had thrown just six touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 games played to go along with 2,070 passing yards and a 68.8 passing grade. Pickett’s best performance came in Week 12 against the Bengals — Pittsburgh’s first game after firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada — when he threw for a season-high 278 passing yards, made four big-time throws and recorded an elite 91.8 passing grade.
Taking that game out of the picture, Pickett’s passing grade was just 62.3, which isn’t the encouraging leap one would hope to see from a second-year quarterback, especially considering it was a downgrade from the 73.0 passing grade he registered as a rookie.
Running Back: Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Kyren Williams was a revelation in 2023. Despite missing five games and starting the season as Cam Akers’ backup, Williams finished third in rushing yards (1,144), tied with Derrick Henry for fifth in rushing touchdowns (12) and tied with Christian McCaffrey for fourth in rushing grade (90.6).
Williams was so good that the Rams felt comfortable trading Akers to the Vikings early in the season. His unlikely breakout won a lot of fantasy football leagues this season, too.
Preseason Pick: Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders
We put Robinson as a breakout candidate because of how he finished a promising rookie year that included him missing the first four games due to a gunshot wound to the leg.
As a rookie, Robinson put up an 82.5 overall grade to go along with an 81.0 rushing grade, recording 797 yards and two scores on 205 carries. He improved dramatically as a receiver in 2023, as he went from 60 receiving yards in 2022 to 367 and added four touchdown receptions and a 71.4 receiving grade. However, his ground-game numbers stagnated, as he ended the season with 732 rushing yards, five scores and a 73.7 rushing grade, never recording a 100-yard game all season. Robinson had a solid sophomore campaign, but he was outshined by another second-year back.
Wide Receiver: Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
Brandon Aiyuk has been a solid receiver ever since the 49ers made him the 25th selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, as his receiving yardage has improved every year and his receiving grade always hovers around 80.0.
He took his game to new heights in 2023, though, catching 75 passes for 1,342 yards and seven scores en route to a 92.3 receiving grade that trailed only Tyreek Hill for the top mark in the NFL. Aiyuk was also one of the most explosive receivers in the league, as his 17.9 yards per reception trailed only Tennessee’s Chris Moore (who led the league at 19.3 — but on only 22 catches) and Pittsburgh’s George Pickens (18.1 on 63 grabs).
In an offense that features the likes of Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey, the fact that Aiyuk may have been the best receiving threat says a lot about his 2023 season.
Preseason Pick: Kadarius Toney, Kansas City Chiefs
This was probably the biggest miss from our preseason breakout list. Toney originally looked like a much better fit in the Chiefs’ offense than he did with the Giants, putting up an 80.4 receiving grade following the 2022 midseason trade.
While Toney was never going to replicate that production, it seemed he had the potential to take over Tyreek Hill’s role with a full season in the Chiefs' offense. Instead, he has been the face of the Chiefs’ receiving struggles this year. His 2023 campaign wasn’t nearly as bad as many made it out to be — he only dropped four passes and none between Weeks 2 and 13 — but it still left a lot to be desired.
Toney finished this regular season with a 62.9 receiving grade (73rd out of 102 qualifying receivers) and a 37.4 drop grade (98th). He was a nonfactor in the Chiefs’ offense, as his final line was just 27 catches for 169 yards and one score, never recording more than five catches or 35 yards in any game.
Wide Receiver: Nico Collins, Houston Texans
Under new offensive coordinator and former PFF analyst Bobby Slowik, the Houston Texans made huge strides en route to a division title — and Nico Collins‘ emergence played a significant role.
Collins showed promise in his first two NFL seasons, going over 400 yards in both. He even led the NFL in contested catch rate in 2022 (75%). With rookie sensation C.J. Stroud at quarterback and Slowik calling plays, Collins entered another stratosphere and established himself as a true No. 1 receiver, catching 80 passes for 1,297 yards and eight scores on his way to a 90.6 receiving grade.
He saved his best for last, though, as he practically willed the Texans to victory over the Colts in Week 18, catching all nine of his targets for a career-high 195 yards and a score. Collins earned a 92.1 receiving grade for the effort, and the Texans defeated the Colts in what ended up as an AFC South-clinching victory.
Preseason Pick: Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers
Injuries played a big factor in Watson not panning out in 2023. Despite Jordan Love having a big year, it came mostly without the guy many in Green Bay hoped would be his top target.
Watson played only nine games in 2023, catching 28 passes for 422 yards and five scores and earning a 70.6 receiving grade. Just as he was starting to get going, a hamstring injury cut his season short. In Week 12 on Thanksgiving, he caught five passes for 94 yards and a score against Detroit to earn an 88.0 receiving grade. He followed that up in Week 13 against Kansas City with seven catches for 71 yards and two scores with an 86.7 receiving grade before the injury took him out.
Wide Receiver: George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
This was a difficult choice, as Pickens’ season was loaded with peaks and valleys. He had six games with a receiving grade below 60.0 and another four above 80.0. If you removed Chris Moore’s smaller sample size, Pickens led the NFL in yards per reception (18.1), though that number may be a bit inflated since it included a game where he averaged 31.8 yards per catch and another where he averaged 48.8.
Pickens finished the year with 63 catches for 1,140 yards and five scores, earning a 76.4 receiving grade. Each figure was a noticeable improvement over his rookie season.
Preseason Pick: Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
Drake London had a strong rookie season in which he showed encouraging signs that he could break out as a big-time threat in Atlanta, as he caught 72 passes for 866 yards and four scores with an 85.3 receiving grade.
However, like teammates Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson, London fell victim to now-former head coach Arthur Smith’s odd player usage tendencies. London finished with respectable numbers in 2023, as he caught 69 passes for 905 yards and two scores — although he scored his last touchdown of the season in Week 4. He earned a 78.9 receiving grade and didn’t have a bad year by any means, but it wasn't what one would consider a breakout performance.
Tight End: Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
It was a 2023 season to forget for Cardinals fans. Despite the team winning only four games, many in the industry felt Arizona exceeded expectations. Trey McBride, a 2022 second-round pick, stood out after an underwhelming rookie season in which he caught just 29 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown to go along with an unimpressive 50.9 PFF grade.
McBride did a complete 180 in his second season, hauling in 81 passes for 825 yards and three scores for a 76.3 PFF grade and an 80.5 receiving grade. His Week 10 game in Atlanta was particularly impressive, as he caught eight of nine targets for 131 yards for a staggering 96.2 game grade. He earned a 94.3 receiving grade and an 82.2 run-blocking grade in that contest as the Cardinals upset the playoff-hopeful Falcons.
Preseason Pick: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
Okonkwo was the only notable Titans player whose play didn’t drop off during their seven-game skid to close the 2022 season. As such, we projected him for a big 2023, but that didn’t quite become a reality. Despite upping his receptions from 32 to 54 and receiving yards from 449 to 528, Okonwko regressed in almost every other category, as his overall PFF grade dropped from 75.4 to 62.1, his receiving grade fell from 84.6 to 63.2 and his drops grade moved from 61.2 to 46.8.
Offensive Tackle: Bernhard Raimann, Indianapolis Colts
We’ve gone through all the offensive skill position players before the preseason breakout list gets its first hit. Raimann was a raw prospect out of Central Michigan, having played offensive tackle for only a couple of years before becoming a third-round pick by the Colts.
He showed some promise as a rookie in 2022, as both his run- and pass-blocking grades came out above 70.0. He broke out in year two, finishing as the seventh-highest-graded tackle in the NFL (82.3). Raimann continued to be very well-rounded as a pass blocker and a run blocker, grading out at 80.6 and 74.6 in those fields, respectively. He allowed just four sacks all year, and they all came against elite pass rushers — Myles Garrett, Josh Allen and Trey Hendrickson twice.
Preseason Pick: Bernhard Raimann, Indianapolis Colts
Offensive Tackle: Zach Tom, Green Bay Packers
The 2022 fourth-rounder out of Wake Forest secured the Packers' right tackle job and never looked back, playing more than 1,000 snaps — and well. Tom's 75.8 run-blocking grade in 2023 ranked 15th among all tackles, a massive jump from the 55.7 mark he posted as a rookie. He also finished 23rd with a 73.9 pass-blocking grade, allowing just two sacks and 33 pressures all season, with the sacks coming against Danielle Hunter and Chris Jones.
Preseason Pick: Colton McKivitz, San Francisco 49ers
The McKivitz pick was more about opportunity than anything. After letting Mike McGlinchey walk in free agency, the 49ers handed over the starting right tackle job to the long-time backup.
While McKivitz was one of 23 tackles to play more than 1,000 snaps in 2023, the results were mixed. He earned a 65.1 PFF grade with a 68.1 run-blocking mark and a 56.4 pass-blocking mark. He allowed the fourth-most sacks (nine) and the eighth-most pressures (47) among tackles. His 94.8 pass-blocking efficiency rating tied for 70th out of 89 qualifying tackles with, ironically, McGlinchey.
Guard: Kevin Dotson, Los Angeles Rams
The Steelers traded Dotson to the Rams shortly before the season opener in a deal that involved a swap of mid-to-late-round picks. The move paid immediate dividends for Los Angeles, as Dotson broke out in a big way.
Dotson was the highest-graded guard in the league for much of the season before being overtaken by the Falcons’ Chris Lindstrom late in the year. He still finished second in overall grade among guards (85.2) while tying for the highest run-blocking grade in the NFL (88.8) with another member of the updated All-Breakout team. Dotson's 68.3 pass-blocking grade was actually a career-low mark, but the fourth-year pro still managed to rank 19th out of 88 qualifying guards in that department.
Preseason Pick: Cole Strange, New England Patriots
This was another preseason pick who was hampered by injuries. Strange finished 2022 with at least an 80.0 pass-blocking grade in four of his last five games, but he suffered a knee injury in training camp that lingered throughout the season, limiting him to just 10 games before he was placed on season-ending injured reserve following a Week 15 loss to the Chiefs.
Strange was unimpressive when he was on the field, as his 66.3 run-blocking and 57.7 pass-blocking grades amounted to a 64.7 overall grade.
Guard: Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos
Quinn Meinerz as a prospect was best known for being the Division III lineman who dominated the 2021 Senior Bowl with his gut on full display. His performance impressed the Broncos enough for them to make him a third-round pick, and since then, Meinerz has developed into one of the NFL's best guards.
Meinerz tied the Rams' Kevin Dotson for the best run-blocking grade among guards (88.8), and his grade in that field has gone up at least 10 points in every year of his career. On top of his run-blocking prowess, Meinerz put up a 67.8 pass-blocking grade. Both sacks he allowed this season came on Christmas Eve against the Patriots. The converted center earned an 83.8 PFF grade this season, ranking third among guards.
Preseason Pick: Teven Jenkins, Chicago Bears
Teven Jenkins getting dropped from the breakout list isn’t an indictment on him; he played well despite dealing with injuries to start the year. It’s just that his replacement was much better. That being said, Jenkins was still solid, as he put up a 72.2 run-blocking grade and a 68.5 pass-blocking grade, ultimately forming a 72.9 PFF overall grade that tied with Dallas’ Tyler Smith for 10th among guards.
Jenkins had the best game of his career against New Orleans in Week 9, allowing only one pressure on his way to a 78.8 pass-blocking grade and dominating in the run game en route to a 90.0 run-blocking grade. In all, he posted an elite 91.1 overall grade, one of the best performances of any offensive lineman all season.
Center: Connor Williams, Miami Dolphins
Connor Williams played tackle in college at Texas, then guard in the NFL with the Cowboys and then center upon joining the Miami Dolphins in 2022. He showed a lot of promise when he first took over the role, garnering grades of 85.5 and 68.8 in run blocking and pass blocking, respectively, for a then-career-high 78.4 grade.
Despite injuries limiting him to just nine games in 2023, Williams took his game to another level, as he was the top run-blocking center (90.5) and improved his pass-blocking grade to 71.7 after allowing just six pressures on 280 pass-blocking snaps.
Preseason Pick: Josh Myers, Green Bay Packers
There weren’t many options to choose from when trying to pinpoint a breakout center during the preseason. Myers was the pick because his grades had steadily improved over his first two years. That progress ended in 2023, as Myers regressed mightily as a pass blocker, with his grade dropping from 74.3 to 52.7. His run blocking stayed below average, although he did put up a career-high 55.2 mark in that regard. Myers allowed 28 pressures, including five sacks, both of which were more than his two previous seasons combined.
Edge Defender: Andrew Van Ginkel, Miami Dolphins
While Van Ginkel suffered a foot injury that will knock him out for the postseason, he was a key contributor in getting the Dolphins to the playoffs in 2023. He had largely been a backup for most of his career, but with injuries to Dolphins pass rushers running rampant, he stepped up in a big way, ranking seventh among edge defenders in PFF overall grade (91.1), including a 90.6 mark as a pass rusher and an 87.3 mark in coverage.
Van Ginkel set career highs in both sacks (eight) and pressures (53) while also recording four pass breakups — more than his other four NFL seasons combined.
Preseason Pick: David Ojabo, Baltimore Ravens
Ojabo played only 28 snaps as a rookie due to injury in 2022 but made the most of them, putting up an 80.3 PFF grade. With how well he performed in college opposite Aidan Hutchinson at Michigan, Ojabo was looking like a prime candidate to break out in 2023 with a clean bill of health. However, the injury bug struck again, as Ojabo suffered a partially torn ACL that ended his season after Week 3.
Edge Defender: Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers
Highsmith has been a solid pass rusher and a complementary piece to T.J. Watt since entering the league as a third-round pick out of Charlotte in 2020. That being said, his performance skyrocketed in 2023, as he put up an elite 90.3 defensive grade. His sack total dropped from 15 in 2022 to seven in 2023, but his pass-rush grade jumped from 70.7 to 86.2 thanks to recording 14 more pressures this season. His coverage grade was just as impressive (86.5) after he snagged two interceptions, one of which he returned for a score.
Preseason Pick: Micheal Clemons, New York Jets
Clemons was dominant in run defense as a rookie, so it seemed likely he could improve as a pass rusher and become a dangerous edge rusher on an already loaded Jets defensive line. However, he regressed in almost every facet in his second season.
| Season | Defense Grade | Pass-Rush Grade | Run-Defense Grade | Tackling Grade |
| 2022 | 78.7 | 58.6 | 86.4 | 81.5 |
| 2023 | 65.9 | 57.9 | 66.3 | 39.7 |
Interior Defender: Christian Barmore, New England Patriots
While the Patriots endured their worst season in the Robert Kraft era, Christian Barmore was one of the few bright spots. He ranked in the top 10 among interior defenders in PFF overall grade (83.8), pass-rush grade (84.9) and sacks (eight) while also recording 49 pressures.
Barmore had always been an above-average pass rusher at the position, but his improvement as a run defender pushed him to new heights in 2023. While his 67.8 run-defense grade isn’t an elite number by any means — although it still ranked 26th among 142 qualifiers — it was a vast improvement over his previous two seasons, as he failed to record a season-long grade above 50.0 in that field until this year.
Preseason Pick: Christian Barmore, New England Patriots
Interior Defender: Osa Odighizuwa, Dallas Cowboys
The third-year UCLA product has made big leaps every year since the Cowboys selected him in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. His overall grade shot up from 46.9 as a rookie to 68.2 in his second season and then 81.4 in 2023. This year's mark ranked 15th among interior defenders, better than the likes of Vita Vea, Leonard Williams and Fletcher Cox. Odighizuwa’s run-defense, pass-rush and coverage grades have also increased every year of his career, grading out at 70.2, 80.0 and 66.8, respectively, in 2023.
Preseason Pick: Devonte Wyatt, Green Bay Packers
Wyatt registered 45 quarterback pressures, seven of which he converted into sacks en route to an 80.4 pass-rushing grade. However, his run defense and tackling were poor, as he put up grades of just 46.4 and 27.7, respectively, in those facets. He missed 28.9% of his tackle attempts, the third-highest rate among interior defenders. Despite Wyatt's pass-rushing prowess, his deficiencies against the run and as a tackler resulted in a mediocre 62.3 overall grade.
Linebacker: Tyrel Dodson, Buffalo Bills
The Bills’ linebacker room was in shambles after Tremaine Edmunds departed in free agency and Matt Milano went down with a broken leg in Week 5. It was up to Tyrel Dodson to fill the void, and he more than delivered. Dodson’s 89.5 overall grade trailed only Fred Warner and Demario Davis among linebackers this regular season, due in large part to being just as good in coverage (86.8 grade) as he was against the run (82.6). His best performance came in Week 11 against the Jets, when his 90.9 run-defense grade and 88.0 coverage grade culminated in a 92.9 game grade.
Preseason Pick: Nakobe Dean, Philadelphia Eagles
Dean was projected to take over the middle of the Eagles’ defense after T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White walked away in free agency. Unfortunately, the injury concerns that caused him to fall to the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft continued to hamper him, as he appeared in only five games. While his 49.2 coverage grade left a lot to be desired, Dean did record an 80.2 run-defense grade and an 89.2 tackling grade on 182 defensive snaps.
Linebacker: Blake Cashman, Houston Texans
Before 2023, Blake Cashman was a below-average linebacker whose main contributions came on special teams. He had never garnered a defensive grade above 60.0 in four seasons, excluding his 64.6 mark in 2020 on just three defensive snaps. He saw his most playing time as a rookie in 2019, recording 424 snaps but just a 49.1 PFF grade.
A switch flipped for Cashman in 2023, as he was the fifth-highest-graded linebacker in the league (83.7) on a career-high 655 snaps. He finished with an 84.7 run-defense grade, a 72.3 tackling grade, a 73.5 pass-rushing grade and a 75.4 coverage grade. Cashman’s emergence from a fringe player to a top-five talent at his position was a sight to behold in the 2023 regular season.
Preseason Pick: Patrick Queen, Baltimore Ravens
According to PFF grades, Queen had his best season as a pro, putting up career bests in overall grade (73.9), run-defense grade (64.8) and coverage grade (76.1). He continued to be a solid pass rusher (70.1), accumulating 24 pressures and four sacks. But while it was a very strong year for Queen as a pending free agent, Cashman broke out in an even bigger way.
Cornerback: Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs
The 2023 Kansas City Chiefs have struggled by their lofty standards, but 2022 first-round pick Trent McDuffie is playing at a high level. While McDuffie didn’t record any interceptions during the 2023 regular season, it wasn’t for a lack of coverage ability, as his 78.3 coverage grade can attest to.
What sets McDuffie apart from other cornerbacks is his pass-rushing ability. The Chiefs blitzed McDuffie on a whopping 56 snaps, which ranked second only to Christian Izien of the Buccaneers, though McDuffie was far more successful. McDuffie recorded 16 pressures (Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon was the only other cornerback with at least 10), which included three sacks and seven quarterback hits, both of which paced the position. Only Marlon Humphrey’s 92.8 pass-rushing grade was higher than McDuffie's 91.7 figure, and Humphrey rushed the passer only five times.
Preseason Pick: Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs
Cornerback: DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys
The sky was falling for Cowboys fans when Trevon Diggs tore his ACL early in the season, but those woes were quickly forgotten once Bland stepped up in a big way. He was getting Defensive Player of the Year hype for much of the season, thanks in large part to his league-leading nine interceptions — five of which he returned for touchdowns to set an NFL record.
Bland, despite his Defensive Player of the Year case dying out, ranked second in PFF grade (90.4) among cornerbacks. He was also stout against the run, as he tied for third in run-defense grade (86.5) at the position, making him arguably the most well-rounded cornerback in football.
Preseason Pick: Kaiir Elam, Buffalo Bills
Kaiir Elam came up big for the Bills in the 2022 playoffs, posting an 86.3 coverage grade on 56 such snaps. He was starting to figure things out in the NFL, so the 2022 first-rounder out of Florida ended up on the preseason All-Breakout team.
However, things never materialized for Elam. He played in only two games for the Bills and put up pedestrian numbers — a 58.8 overall grade and a 61.3 coverage grade. Elam was often a healthy scratch, getting outplayed by Christian Benford, who the Bills drafted five rounds after Elam. Benford also very easily could have made the updated All-Breakout team, for what it's worth.
Cornerback: Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears
With free agency looming, Jaylon Johnson likely made himself a lot of money with his 2023 performance. He was the only cornerback with a higher PFF grade than DaRon Bland (90.8), and he led the position in coverage grade (91.0).
Despite playing a hefty 530 coverage snaps, Johnson allowed just 25 catches on 50 targets for 195 yards and one touchdown to go along with four interceptions. Unless he gets hit with the franchise tag or signs an extension with the Bears, expect Johnson to be one of the most coveted players on the market in the 2024 offseason.
Preseason Pick: Martin Emerson, Cleveland Browns
While Martin Emerson put together a strong rookie season, finishing with a 72.5 overall grade and a 75.1 coverage grade, he wasn’t quite able to replicate those successes in 2023. Those marks dropped to 65.8 and 66.5, respectively — which aren’t bad numbers but also don't equate to the breakout that Browns fans were hoping for. He did make some plays here and there, not allowing a touchdown into his coverage while bringing in four interceptions.
Safety: Alohi Gilman, Los Angeles Chargers
Gilman, a sixth-round pick by the Chargers in 2020, never earned a PFF grade above 60.0 until 2023. He put up a career-best 86.1 mark — beating his previous high of 58.8 — that ranked seventh among safeties thanks in large part to an 89.2 coverage grade, which ranked fifth. Gilman also placed second in pass breakups (seven) on almost 100 fewer coverage snaps than the player he tied with, Antoine Winfield Jr.
Preseason Pick: Reed Blankenship, Philadelphia Eagles
Blankenship performed admirably when called upon due to injuries as an undrafted rookie in 2022, posting a 78.9 overall grade and an 88.9 run-defense grade. Now fully entrenched as a starting safety in Philadelphia, Blankenship played at a similar level, as his 73.4 PFF grade in 2023 ranked 19th at the position. While he was a solid player for the Eagles, others just broke out a little more.
Safety: Xavier McKinney, New York Giants
McKinney was a capable starter for the first three years of his career with the Giants, but not much more than that. He has always been one of the best tacklers at the position, never earning a tackling grade below 81.0 in his NFL career.
He took his game to new heights in 2023, posting the best coverage grade among safeties (91.2) and an impressive tackling grade (89.1). That resulted in an 87.8 PFF overall grade, placing fourth at the position. He saved his best performance for last, tormenting the Eagles’ offense with two interceptions and three run stops en route to a 95.3 game grade and a 95.5 mark in coverage in Week 18.
Preseason Pick: Dax Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
Hill played sparingly as a rookie in 2022 after being made a first-round pick while the Bengals prepared to lose both Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell in free agency. Hill got his opportunity in 2023, and while he did start every game, the results were mixed. He was a solid run defender and tackler, putting up grades of 71.0 and 76.6 in those departments, respectively, but he struggled in coverage to the tune of a 43.8 grade after allowing four touchdowns into his coverage, tied for the sixth most among safeties.
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