- Matthew Golden should thrive with more playing time: The Packers' crowded wide receiver room left Golden on the outside looking in following Christian Watson's return from injury. The rookie still flashed and is a breakout candidate for 2026, especially with Romeo Doubs set to hit free agency.
- Bhayshul Tuten and Ashton Jeanty will be in better spots to produce in 2026: For Tuten, Travis Etienne Jr.'s expected departure would thrust him into the Jaguars' RB1 role. For Jeanty, the Raiders should do everything they can this offseason to improve their run blocking.
- 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes
The 2025 NFL season is nearly complete, which means we can begin to assess the state of each team’s roster for next year. We’ll attempt to find one breakout player for each team ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Arizona Cardinals: DI Walter Nolen
The Cardinals' first-round pick was limited to just six appearances and 169 defensive snaps in his rookie season, but he produced an excellent 80.1 PFF pass-rush grade across that small sample. Had he played enough snaps to qualify, Nolen would have recorded the 13th-best pass-rush win rate (13.0%) among defensive tackles. The Cardinals will surely be hoping that he can fully recover from his season-ending knee injury and replicate that production.
Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Jalon Walker
Walker battled through some minor injuries to produce a 71.6 PFF overall grade as a rookie. He racked up 29 pressures, including six sacks. Perhaps the more surprising part is that his 81.3 PFF run-defense grade ranked sixth among qualified edge defenders. Walker was supposed to go through a longer transition period in the run game as he made the move from linebacker to edge defender. If he maintains that production while continuing to improve as a pass rusher, he could soon become a bona fide star.
Baltimore Ravens: S Malaki Starks
Starks served as a respectable understudy to veterans Kyle Hamilton and Alohi Gilman in Baltimore’s secondary this season. He earned a solid 68.9 PFF overall grade across more than 1,000 snaps in his rookie season. Starks’ 79.9 PFF run-defense grade was a top-20 mark among qualified safeties, and he should continue to improve in coverage with more experience.
Buffalo Bills: DI Deone Walker
Walker was a fourth-round pick who always had the potential to outperform his draft slot. He did so immediately, playing 549 snaps this season and placing second among Buffalo’s defensive linemen with a 78.3 PFF pass-rush grade. Walker tallied 20 pressures, two sacks, five batted passes and even an interception in the team’s playoff game against the Broncos. His development will be a major storyline in 2026 as the Bills try to improve their defense for a Super Bowl run.
Carolina Panthers: WR Jalen Coker
Coker missed the first six games of the 2025 season due to injury and took a while to find his rhythm as he recovered. He became a key piece for Carolina’s offense during the stretch run, and his production crescendoed with a 134-yard outing in the team’s playoff loss to the Rams. Those efforts resulted in Coker earning a 75.3 PFF receiving grade this season, which would be incredibly useful if he can play all 17 games in 2026.
Chicago Bears: T Ozzy Trapilo
Trapilo’s respectable level of play once he was inserted into the starting lineup may have earned him the Bears’ left tackle job heading into 2026. From Week 12 through the wild-card round, Trapilo earned a 73.5 PFF overall grade — a top-30 figure among qualified offensive tackles. It should be noted that he had not played left tackle since 2022, so there should be further improvement in store.
Cincinnati Bengals: T Amarius Mims
After a season and a half full of consistent struggles, Mims may have turned a corner late in the season, potentially changing the complexion of Cincinnati’s offensive line. From Week 12 through Week 18, Mims earned an 81.0 PFF overall grade that ranked 13th among qualified offensive tackles. He also did not allow a sack across his final eight games of the season.
Cleveland Browns: DI Mason Graham
Graham put together a consistent, though not necessarily flashy, debut season in the NFL. He racked up 36 pressures as a pass rusher and improved after a bumpy first few weeks in run defense. From Weeks 7 through 18, Graham earned a 73.8 PFF overall grade that ranked 16th among qualified defensive tackles. If he adds strength in his first full NFL offseason, Graham could become the impact player that Cleveland drafted him to be.
Dallas Cowboys: LB DeMarvion Overshown
Overshown returned from a devastating knee injury that ended his 2024 season to produce a respectable 67.4 PFF overall grade across 218 snaps in 2025. Dallas has now seen nearly 1,000 snaps of solid play from Overshown across his first two seasons. Dallas needs all the defensive help it can get, and the team should be able to rely on a healthy Overshown to improve the unit in 2026.
Denver Broncos: WR Pat Bryant
Bryant didn’t get many opportunities in the first half of his rookie season, but he became a reliable contributor to Denver’s offense down the stretch. Since Week 8, he produced a solid 73.0 PFF receiving grade while placing third on the team with 364 receiving yards. He should continue to garner further opportunities alongside Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin in 2026.
Detroit Lions: G Tate Ratledge
Ratledge did a fine job as Detroit’s starting right guard in his rookie season while leading the team with 1,088 offensive snaps played. His 70.3 PFF overall grade and 73.5 PFF run-blocking grade both ranked second among qualified rookie guards. Another year of improvement in pass protection, where he excelled while at Georgia, could turn Ratledge into a well-above-average starter in the near future.
Green Bay Packers: WR Matthew Golden
Golden’s playing time drastically declined when Christian Watson returned from injury in Week 8. However, he showed up when it mattered most with 84 yards and a 90.0 PFF receiving grade in Green Bay’s playoff loss to the Bears. Romeo Doubs will be a free agent this offseason, which should provide Golden the opportunity to start in 2026.
Houston Texans: WR Jayden Higgins
Higgins took a while to get going, but he brought his trademark brand of reliable football to Houston during the second half of his rookie season. From Week 10 through the divisional round, Higgins earned a 77.3 PFF receiving grade, tying him for 20th among qualified wide receivers. As expected when he was drafted, he displayed his excellent hands all season, dropping just one pass. Higgins should garner a heavier target share in 2026.
Indianapolis Colts: T Jalen Travis
Travis, a rookie fourth-round pick, didn’t see significant action until the Colts’ final five games this season. As he filled in for the team’s injured starting tackles, Travis showed he could be a capable starter. In those five games, four of them at right tackle, he earned a solid 72.1 PFF overall grade while allowing just one sack. Starting right tackle Braden Smith seems likely to depart in free agency, so Travis will have a prime opportunity to succeed Smith in that role.
Jacksonville Jaguars: RB Bhayshul Tuten
Starting running back Travis Etienne Jr. will be a free agent this offseason, and it’s unclear whether he will remain in Jacksonville. The team could look for reinforcements at the position, but 2026 could serve as a prime opportunity for Tuten to seize the starting role. Tuten recorded a respectable 67.7 PFF rushing grade this season while forcing 19 missed tackles across just 87 carries. An expanded role in the passing game could also lead to his breakout.
Kansas City Chiefs: CB Nohl Williams
Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams are both set to be free agents this offseason, which could open the door for some cornerback competition in Kansas City. Of course, the Chiefs seem to have found another productive defensive back in 2025 third-round pick Nohl Williams. The rookie out of California earned a solid 75.6 PFF coverage grade this season while breaking up four passes. He should have every opportunity to earn a starting role in 2026.
Las Vegas Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty
While Jeanty rushed for nearly 1,000 yards in his debut campaign, he did so at an incredibly inefficient rate. He averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, and more than 80% of his yards came after contact. That was primarily the result of Las Vegas' 30th-ranked PFF run-blocking grade. If the team can improve its offensive line and quarterback play, Jeanty could be set on a path toward greater production in 2026.
Los Angeles Chargers: S R.J. Mickens
The sixth-round pick made 11 appearances, including six starts, and earned a 70.8 PFF overall grade in the process. His fundamentally sound play style fit in perfectly with the Chargers’ secondary, and he reeled in two interceptions to boot. Veteran Tony Jefferson will be a free agent, so Mickens could assume an expanded role in 2026.
Los Angeles Rams: TE Terrance Ferguson
The Rams love their multiple-tight-end sets, and veteran Tyler Higbee is slated to be a free agent this offseason. That leaves Colby Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson as the top internal options remaining at the position. Parkinson is a favorite of quarterback Matthew Stafford, but Ferguson racked up 250 receiving yards and three touchdowns this season, including postseason play. Incredibly, he produced that yardage total across just 12 receptions. More big plays from Ferguson should be in store in 2026.
Miami Dolphins: T Patrick Paul
Paul proved himself capable of being Miami’s starting left tackle in 2025 after increasing his PFF overall grade by more than 20 points from his poor 2024 mark. He earned a solid 74.4 PFF pass-blocking grade while allowing just four sacks this season. Miami has very few constants on its roster right now, but Paul’s presence and potential improvement at left tackle are major assets for a team seemingly entering a rebuild.
Minnesota Vikings: EDGE Dallas Turner
Turner may have finally found his footing during the second half of this season. From Weeks 10 through 18, the former first-round pick racked up 24 pressures and seven sacks while ranking 16th among qualified edge rushers in PFF pass-rush grade (76.5). Turner also seemed to find further comfort in run defense, which could make him a more viable three-down player in 2026.
New England Patriots: WR Kyle Williams
New England is suddenly flush with playmaking wide receivers, including Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas. But Kyle Williams could further enter the fray after displaying flashes of his big-play ability in 2025. He has averaged 19.6 yards per reception and scored three touchdowns across just 11 receptions.
New Orleans Saints: WR Devaughn Vele
Vele's 293 receiving yards this season may not seem like much, but he started to develop a nice rapport with quarterback Tyler Shough before missing the Saints' final three games due to injury. From Weeks 12 through 15, Vele earned an 84.7 PFF receiving grade while averaging nearly 60 yards per game. The Saints are searching for reliable weapons alongside Chris Olave, and Vele could be an option.
New York Giants: QB Jaxson Dart
Dart was certainly in the spotlight during his rookie season, and he earned a respectable 68.4 PFF overall grade with an injury-ravaged supporting cast. Star wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending injury in Dart’s first start. Running back Cam Skattebo suffered his own season-ending injury in Week 8. Left tackle Andrew Thomas also missed four games. Armed with a healthier supporting cast and a new coaching staff, Dart has a chance to improve significantly in 2026.
New York Jets: DI Jowon Briggs
Briggs experienced something of a breakout in 2025, which unexpectedly came in the form of pass-rush production. He earned an outstanding 85.6 PFF pass-rush grade this season while racking up 38 pressures. Briggs was known as more of a run stuffer in college and with the Cleveland Browns, but his PFF run-defense grade dipped to 55.5 this season. If he returns to form on the ground and maintains his excellent pass-rush numbers, he could quietly become a star in the Jets’ defense.
Philadelphia Eagles: LB Jihaad Campbell
Campbell got his opportunity to start in the absence of Nakobe Dean early in the season and performed very well. His playing time diminished when Dean returned, but Dean is set to be a free agent this offseason. Across his 10 starts, Campbell earned an excellent 82.1 PFF overall grade while missing just four tackles. He should soon become a mainstay in the Eagles’ defense alongside Zack Baun.
Pittsburgh Steelers: T Troy Fautanu
After missing nearly all of his rookie season due to injury, Fautanu seemed to find his footing in 2025. Bear in mind that he was still adjusting to playing right tackle, where he had logged just two snaps in college at Washington. He played well across 1,000 snaps this season, earning a 69.4 PFF pass-blocking grade and allowing just three sacks all year. Fautanu should be able to sustain and improve upon that production in 2026.
San Francisco 49ers: CB Upton Stout
Stout, a third-round pick, quickly became the 49ers’ primary nickel cornerback and improved as the season progressed. From Week 11 through the divisional round, Stout earned an 81.6 PFF overall grade, which ranked sixth among all qualified cornerbacks. That mark also ranked second behind Denver’s Ja'Quan McMillian among primary slot cornerbacks. The 49ers likely found a gem in Stout, and he should continue to improve as their nickel in 2026.
Seattle Seahawks: G Grey Zabel
Zabel has battled all season as the Seahawks’ starting left guard and is playing his best football in the most important moments of his team’s season. Since Week 14, Zabel has earned an 80.6 PFF overall grade — the ninth-best mark among all qualified guards in that span. That includes two outstanding performances, both of which earned him 80.0-plus grade, against the rival 49ers. Zabel has future Pro Bowler written all over him if he continues his late-season pace.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Jacob Parrish
Parrish filled a variety of roles for the Buccaneers this season. His 69.3 PFF overall grade ranked second among qualified rookie cornerbacks. He intercepted two passes while breaking up three others en route to a respectable 66.6 PFF coverage grade. More impressively, he owned a 78.5 PFF run-defense grade — a top-15 mark at his position. Parrish should be a mainstay in Tampa Bay’s secondary heading into 2026.
Tennessee Titans: S Kevin Winston Jr.
Winston didn’t see the field much until the second half of the season, but he displayed flashes of starting potential, particularly in the run game. His 89.4 PFF run-defense grade led all qualified safeties. Winston will need to improve upon his poor 43.4 PFF coverage grade, but his new defensive-minded head coach, Robert Saleh, should be able to find a valuable role for him.
Washington Commanders: T Josh Conerly Jr.
Conerly’s 59.9 PFF overall grade for the season may not portray an imminent breakout, but he improved down the stretch. From Weeks 9 through 18, Conerly ranked just outside the top 30 qualified tackles with his 71.6 PFF overall grade. He allowed just two sacks in that time frame while stabilizing his play in the run game. The Commanders should be very encouraged by what they saw from Conerly during the second half of the campaign.
© 2026 PFF - all rights reserved.