- QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears: Williams can finish as the overall QB1 in 2026 if he improves his accuracy this offseason.
- WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers: Injuries disrupted a promising second season for Pearsall.
- 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: 14 minutes
Second-year NFL players often confirm or disconfirm the play quality they demonstrated late in their rookie season.
The article below breaks down five second-year players who delivered varying, positive on-field and fantasy football results during the 2025 NFL season.
QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Williams finished as the overall QB6 in Weeks 1-17 of his second NFL season, making good on his high-end dual-threat potential discussed previously. His 77.5 PFF offense grade ranks sixth among 29 second-year NFL quarterbacks and skill position players with at least 400 offensive snaps in 2025.
As detailed previously, “rushing proved to be a more efficient point-scoring tactic than passing… QB1s [averaged] 0.84 fantasy points per rushing attempt and 0.53 fantasy points per passing attempt.” As detailed in a previous piece, “[t]he last two fantasy football seasons (Weeks 1-17) produced four quarterbacks apiece who averaged more than 21.0 fantasy points per game. Five-of-eight quarterbacks averaged 6.0-plus attempts per game and seven-of-eight averaged 3.6 or more.”
Williams earned a 63.5 PFF passing grade and an 80.4 PFF rushing grade as a rookie.
Williams’ passing data among 33 NFL quarterbacks with at least 270 dropbacks and his rushing data among 14 NFL quarterbacks with at least 55 rushing attempts.
| NFL QB Passing & Rushing | Caleb Williams |
| PFF Passing Grade | 72.2 (No. 18) |
| Yards Per Pass Att. | 6.9 (T-No. 21) |
| Adjusted Completion Rate | 69.4% (No. 32) |
| Big-Time Throw Rate | 5.3% (No. 7) |
| Turnover-Worthy Play Rate | 3.1% (No. 18) |
| Accuracy Rate | 57.7% (No. 29) |
| PFF Rushing Grade | 82.2 (No. 5) |
| Rush Att. | 86 (T-No. 7) |
| Missed Tackles Forced Per Rush Att. | 0.19 (No. 3) |
| Yards After Contact Per Rush Att. | 2.4 (No. 10) |
| Yards Per Rush Att. | 5.2 (T-No. 6) |
| 1st-Down &/Or TD Conversion Rate | 38.4% (No. 7) |
Williams’ elite rushing abilities offset concerns regarding his poor accuracy. Refining his touch and ball placement this offseason could unlock overall QB1 upside in 2026.
WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
Pearsall demonstrated high-end route running ability and per-route efficiency before being plagued by a recurring PCL sprain in his right knee and a low left ankle sprain. Pearsall’s 72.1 PFF offense grade ranks 12th among 29 second-year NFL quarterbacks and skill position players with at least 400 offensive snaps in 2025.
Across the full season, Pearsall improved his target rate from 14.4% to 16.9%, his yards per route run (YPRR) average from 1.31 to 1.68, and his PFF receiving grade from a 64.1 PFF receiving grade to a 73.2 PFF receiving grade.
He initially sprained his PCL in Week 4.
Pearsall’s Weeks 1-4 receiving data among 34 NFL wide receivers with at least 25 targets in Weeks 1-4.
| NFL WR Receiving | Ricky Pearsall |
| PFF Receiving Grade | 77.5 (No. 9) |
| Targets | 28 (No. 25) |
| Target Rate | 19.6% (No. 28) |
| Deep-Target Rate | 32.1% (No. 3) |
| Slot-Target Rate | 7.7% (No. 18) |
| Yards Per Route Run | 2.29 (No. 7) |
| Catch Rate | 71.4% (No. 12) |
| Average Depth Of Target | 15.9 (No. 2) |
| Receiving Yards | 327 (No. 4) |
| Yards Per Reception | 16.4 (No. 1) |
| Missed Tackles Forced | 0 (T-No. 29) |
| Yards After Catch Per Reception | 1.4 (No. 33) |
| Explosive Pass Plays | 9 (T-No. 5) |
Pearsall, 25, established himself as an elite downfield receiver. Pending good health in the spring and summer, Pearsall should return to form in year three.
WR Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers
Coker, was sidelined in Weeks 1-6 after suffering a “significant quad strain” in running a deep route in one-on-one drills late in August 2025. His 75.4 PFF offense grade ranks seventh among 29 second-year NFL quarterbacks and skill position players with at least 400 offensive snaps in 2025.
He spent Weeks 7-12 continuing his ramp-up process in-game before finishing as the half-points-per-reception (half-PPR) overall WR14 in Week 13. He closed the season by posting career highs in targets (11), receptions (nine) and receiving yards (134) while tying his single-game career-high touchdown sum (one) during Carolina’s Wild-Card Weekend loss.
Coker’s Weeks 13-Wild-Card Weekend receiving data among 32 NFL wide receivers with at least 32 targets in Weeks 13-Wild-Card Weekend.
| NFL WR Receiving | Jalen Coker |
| PFF Receiving Grade | 81.6 (No. 12) |
| Targets | 34 (T-No. 25) |
| Target Rate | 19.5% (No. 27) |
| Deep-Target Rate | 17.6% (No. 18) |
| Slot-Target Rate | 8.1% (No. 13) |
| Yards Per Route Run | 2.17 (No. 17) |
| Catch Rate | 82.3% (No. 2) |
| Missed Tackles Forced | 1 (T-No. 24) |
| Yards After Catch Per Reception | 3.8 (No. 21) |
| Explosive Pass Plays | 11 (No. 11) |
Coker earned a 73.8 PFF receiving grade in 2024 and a 75.3 PFF receiving grade in 2025. His consistently effective play bodes positively for his 2026 outlook.
WR Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys
Flournoy earned a 62.1 PFF receiving grade as a 2024 sixth-round rookie while earning just 14 targets. He earned a 78.8 PFF receiving grade while earning 54 targets in 2025, catching 40 passes for 503 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Among 79 NFL wide receivers with at least 50 targets in 2025, Flournoy’s 19.4% target rate ranks 39th, 1.74 YPRR ranks 31st and 5.0 yards after the catch per reception ranks 19th.
Flournoy, 26, could warrant flex treatment in 2026 after a strong second NFL season.
TE AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks
Barner nearly made good on his season-long TE1 potential, finishing as the Weeks 1-17 TE13. His 73.9 PFF offense grade ranks ninth among 29 second-year NFL quarterbacks and skill position players with at least 400 offensive snaps in 2025. His 66.5 PFF run-blocking grade ranks fourth.
Barner successfully won his training camp battle, detailed here, against Seahawks second-round rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo, who missed Weeks 15 through the NFC Championship Game after suffering his third recorded knee injury in four years. With only Super Bowl LX left to be played, Arroyo has earned a 56.2 PFF offense grade this season.
Despite battling elbow, hip, knee, shoulder and calf injuries this season, Barner increased his YPRR from 1.13 to 1.31 and earned a pre-Super Bowl LX 70.8 PFF receiving grade after earning a 63.7 PFF receiving grade in 2024. Unfortunately, his target rate decreased from 17.1% to 16.5%.
He remains a capable contributor in the play-action passing game, though he did not maintain his elite per-route efficiency marks outlined here. Among 20 NFL tight ends with at least 20 play-action targets, Barner’s qualifying 24.7% target rate ranks 15th, 2.37 YPRR ranks 10th, 6.8 yards after the catch per reception ranks seventh and 83.3% catch rate ties for sixth.
Barner proved himself as a reliable starter in his second NFL season, though he may lack reliable TE1 upside.
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