• Jalen Carter puts himself in prime position to win Defensive Rookie of the Year: He racked up five pressures and two other pass-rush wins against the Giants, finishing the regular season with an 89.0 overall grade.
• The Texans hit big on their first-rounders: Quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge defender Will Anderson Jr. each earned 80.0-plus overall grades this regular season.
• It's never too early to gear up for the 2024 NFL Draft: PFF has you covered throughout the college football season. Click here for our 2024 big board.
Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes
The end of the NFL regular season is upon us. While many of the first-round rookies’ seasons are over, some will continue to make an impact in the playoffs.
Several members of the class established themselves among the best players in football, while many others have a lot of room for improvement.
For the last time, we’ll summarize their performances and share some tidbits about their seasons as a whole.
Pick No. 1: Carolina Panthers: QB Bryce Young
Overall Rookie Grade: 56.7 (Rank: 6/6)
Principal Opponent: N/A
Week 18 Snaps: 52
Week 18 Grade: 58.7
Young’s disappointing rookie season came to a fitting end with a second straight shutout loss. He completed just 11 passes for 94 yards. Nearly half of that yardage came on his lone big-time throw, and D.J. Chark fumbled that ball on Tampa Bay’s one-yard line as he was about to score. Young finishes the year with more turnover-worthy plays than big-time throws, and his 52.6 passing grade is better than only the Patriots' Mac Jones among passers with 300 dropbacks.
Pick No. 2: Houston Texans: QB C.J. Stroud
Overall Rookie Grade: 83.1 (Rank: 1/6)
Principal Opponent: N/A
Week 18 Snaps: 56
Week 18 Grade: 83.7
Stroud was fantastic in the first win-and-in situation of his NFL career. He had his best day of the season while under pressure, posting a 92.7 overall grade. Both of his big-time throws were dimes down the middle to Nico Collins while under pressure. Stroud’s rookie season has been nothing short of spectacular. His 83.1 regular-season grade ranks behind only Russell Wilson, Robert Griffin III and Baker Mayfield for the best mark by a rookie quarterback in PFF history.
Pick No. 3: Houston Texans: Edge Will Anderson Jr.
Overall Rookie Grade: 81.8 (Rank: 1/15)
Principal Opponent: Bernhard Raimann
Week 18 Snaps: 31
Week 18 Grade: 55.8
Anderson increased his snap count from Week 17 but doesn’t look quite right yet as he recovers from an ankle injury. He struggled to match the Colts’ physicality in the run game and finished Week 18 with a 48.4 run-defense grade. He also generated two hurries as a pass rusher, but Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew escaped the pocket on both occasions. Nevertheless, Anderson finishes the regular season as Houston’s leader in pressures and pass-rush grade.
Pick No. 4: Indianapolis Colts: QB Anthony Richardson
Overall Rookie Grade: 52.2 (Rank: N/A)
Principal Opponent: N/A
Week 18 Snaps: 0
Week 18 Grade: N/A
Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5. He finished just one full game and will need to better protect himself coming off major surgery. When he did play, his explosive arm and rushing ability flashed. He’ll need to improve his accuracy, too, as he completed just 54.8% of his non-screen passes this year.
Pick No. 5: Seattle Seahawks: CB Devon Witherspoon
Overall Rookie Grade: 84.1 (Rank: 1/22)
Principal Opponent: Rondale Moore
Week 18 Snaps: 69
Week 18 Grade: 83.2
Witherspoon was excellent in coverage in Seattle’s finale. He allowed four catches for 16 yards and no first downs, adding three stops. As a result, he led the Seahawks with an 81.3 coverage grade on the day. Witherspoon finishes the regular season with the fourth-best overall grade among qualified cornerbacks. He and Antoine Winfield Jr. are the only NFL defensive backs to finish the regular season with a grade of at least 79.0 in run defense, coverage and pass rush.
Pick No. 6: Arizona Cardinals: OT Paris Johnson Jr.
Overall Rookie Grade: 60.1 (Rank: 4/9)
Principal Opponent: Darrell Taylor
Week 18 Snaps: 70
Week 18 Grade: 72.8
Johnson finished his season on a positive note, allowing just one hurry across his 32 pass-blocking snaps against Seattle. He was also productive in the run game, producing a 67.7 grade that stands as his third-best mark of the year. From Week 10 onward, Johnson posted top-30 grades in both pass protection and run blocking. The Cardinals have plenty of holes to fill on offense, but they should be very encouraged by Johnson’s progress.
Pick No. 7: Las Vegas Raiders: Edge Tyree Wilson
Overall Rookie Grade: 47.1 (Rank: 14/15)
Principal Opponent: Cam Fleming
Week 18 Snaps: 25
Week 18 Grade: 66.8
Playing almost exclusively as a pass rusher, Wilson generated four pressures, including his fourth career sack, against Denver. His 64.4 pass-rush grade was his second-best mark in any game this season. Wilson racked up 15 pressures in his final five games after collecting just nine through Week 12. His potential emergence is worth watching next year as the Raiders continue to search for a consistent bookend to pair with Maxx Crosby.
Pick No. 8: Atlanta Falcons: RB Bijan Robinson
Overall Rookie Grade: 69.1 (Rank: 7/8)
Principal Opponent: Ugo Amadi
Week 18 Snaps: 45
Week 18 Grade: 67.8
Robinson’s explosiveness was on display as he raced down the sideline for a 71-yard touchdown against New Orleans in Week 18. It was the first 40-plus-yard play of his career. Otherwise, he was reasonably quiet, gaining 60 yards on his other 17 touches. Despite some debate about his usage, Robinson finished the season with the sixth-most yards from scrimmage among running backs.
Pick No. 9: Philadelphia Eagles: DI Jalen Carter
Overall Rookie Grade: 89.0 (Rank: 1/13)
Principal Opponent: Mark Glowinski
Week 18 Snaps: 35
Week 18 Grade: 89.8
The Eagles have plenty of issues on defense, but Jalen Carter is already their best player. He racked up five pressures and two other pass-rush wins against the Giants. His quickness inside is elite, and he is on track to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Carter closes the regular season with top-six marks in overall grade, pass-rush grade and pass-rush win rate.
Pick No. 10: Chicago Bears: OT Darnell Wright
Overall Rookie Grade: 62.4 (Rank: 2/9)
Principal Opponent: Rashan Gary
Week 18 Snaps: 47
Week 18 Grade: 71.4
Wright drew a tough assignment of facing Rashan Gary in Chicago’s season finale but performed well. He allowed just one hurry and finished the day as the Bears’ highest-graded offensive lineman by a wide margin. Wright overcame a lot in his rookie season and proved to be durable and reliable, leading the team in snaps played by more than 100. If he cleans up his footwork and cuts down on penalties, he’ll be a key contributor in Chicago for a long time.
Pick No. 11: Tennessee Titans: G Peter Skoronski
Overall Rookie Grade: 61.6 (Rank: 2/13)
Principal Opponent: Roy Robertson-Harris
Week 18 Snaps: 55
Week 18 Grade: 69.7
Skoronski finished his 2023 season with a fine day in pass protection. He allowed a quarterback hit as his only blemish in pass protection and earned a 74.3 pass-blocking grade — his best mark since Week 12. Skoronski’s transition to guard was tough, and he had to acclimate himself to NFL-level play strength, but he showed promising flashes in pass protection.
Pick No. 12: Detroit Lions: RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Overall Rookie Grade: 76.0 (Rank: 4/8)
Principal Opponent: Pat Jones II
Week 18 Snaps: 29
Week 18 Grade: 58.3
Gibbs didn’t put up gaudy numbers against Minnesota’s tough defense in Week 18, but he did score his 10th rushing touchdown of the season. That mark leads all rookie running backs, and his scrimmage yards and forced missed tackles totals rank second behind Bijan Robinson. Gibbs is rightfully thought of as an explosive playmaker in space. However, he embraced Detroit’s inside run game and finished behind only Christian McCaffrey in rushing grade between the tackles (89.4).
Pick No. 13: Green Bay Packers: EDGE Lukas Van Ness
Overall Rookie Grade: 64.0 (Rank: 6/15)
Principal Opponent: Braxton Jones
Week 18 Snaps: 12
Week 18 Grade: 44.2
Van Ness played a season-low 12 snaps against Chicago but managed to collect his fifth career sack. His poor grade was primarily due to losing contain twice in the run game. Overall, Van Ness was as advertised — a rugged contributor who wins with power instead of agility. He struggled in two games against the Bears but otherwise had a nice year in run defense. Van Ness also generated at least one pressure in each of his last seven regular-season games.
Pick No. 14: Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Broderick Jones
Overall Rookie Grade: 60.7 (Rank: 3/9)
Principal Opponent: Jadeveon Clowney
Week 18 Snaps: 62
Week 18 Grade: 48.1
Jones struggled in his final regular-season start of the year. He allowed three pressures, including a Jadeveon Clowney strip sack, en route to a 34.2 pass-blocking grade that stands as his second-worst mark of the season. He also consistently failed to move defenders laterally in the run game and finished the game with five negatively graded run blocks. Despite some inconsistency, Jones finishes the regular season as Pittsburgh’s highest-graded tackle.
Pick No. 15: New York Jets: Edge Will McDonald IV
Overall Rookie Grade: 71.6 (Rank: N/A)
Principal Opponent: Mike Onwenu
Week 18 Snaps: 17
Week 18 Grade: 72.0
McDonald continued to play limited snaps down the stretch despite the Jets being well out of contention. He picked up a sack, his third in the team's last five games, and a hurry against New England. It seems odd that McDonald played so little this year (183 snaps) even though he flashed his pass-rush prowess fairly consistently. Among rookies with at least 75 pass-rush reps, McDonald’s 15.2% pass-rush win rate sits behind only Ivan Pace Jr., Will Anderson Jr. and Jalen Carter.
Pick No. 16: Washington Commanders: CB Emmanuel Forbes
Overall Rookie Grade: 50.9 (Rank: 19/22)
Principal Opponent: CeeDee Lamb
Week 18 Snaps: 71
Week 18 Grade: 54.6
Following the blueprint of other teams during the regular season, Dallas picked on Forbes in coverage in Week 18. He allowed catches on all seven targets into his coverage for 54 yards. He let up four first downs and a Jalen Tolbert touchdown. Forbes had plenty to endure this year, including a heavy target share, a midseason benching and an ejection against Seattle. He also finished with a league-low 28.4 run-defense grade. Washington has a ton of issues to alleviate on defense, one of them being the need for significant improvement in Forbes’ sophomore season.
Pick No. 17: New England Patriots: CB Christian Gonzalez
Overall Rookie Grade: 80.8 (Rank: N/A)
Principal Opponent: N/A
Week 18 Snaps: 0
Week 18 Grade: N/A
Gonzalez suffered a season-ending torn labrum in Week 4. He was off to an excellent start before the injury, posting an 83.4 coverage grade across three games to rank eighth in the NFL. His length and fluid athleticism were a consistent problem for opposing receivers, and his first career interception came while lined up as a free safety. Gonzalez’s future is bright, as long as he’s healthy.
Pick No. 18: Detroit Lions: LB Jack Campbell
Overall Rookie Grade: 57.3 (Rank: 2/4)
Principal Opponent: Josh Oliver
Week 18 Snaps: 41
Week 18 Grade: 62.2
Campbell was active against Minnesota, with nine tackles and his second career sack. For just the second time this year, he wasn’t targeted in coverage. He did, however, miss a tackle on Justin Jefferson in coverage and two others on Ty Chandler in the run game. Week 18 was just Campbell’s second game this year with multiple missed tackles. Generally, though, Campbell brings a physical element to Detroit’s defense and finished the regular season with a solid 75.9 run-defense grade.
Pick No. 19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DI Calijah Kancey
Overall Rookie Grade: 46.6 (Rank: 11/13)
Principal Opponent: Gabe Jackson
Week 18 Snaps: 40
Week 18 Grade: 41.6
Kancey made a run stop on his first snap of the game but struggled to keep things together thereafter. Carolina ran directly at Kancey with the intent of forcing him to be physical. Several of their best plays came when running at him, and he earned six negative grades among his 21 run-defense snaps. Kancey ends the regular season with a 29.8 run-defense grade, the second-worst figure among qualified defensive tackles.
Pick No. 20: Seattle Seahawks: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Overall Rookie Grade: 63.3 (Rank: 11/17)
Principal Opponent: Starling Thomas V
Week 18 Snaps: 36
Week 18 Grade: 53.9
Smith-Njigba caught three passes for 14 yards in a quiet punctuation to his rookie season. He also dropped a screen pass, damaging his receiving grade for the day. The looming question for Smith-Njigba is whether the Seahawks can consistently utilize him downfield moving forward. His 6.4-yard average depth of target is the fourth-lowest figure among wide receivers with at least 40 targets. He showed, especially against Dallas and San Francisco, that he can win vertically. Seattle has to trust him to do so.
Pick No. 21: Los Angeles Chargers: WR Quentin Johnston
Overall Rookie Grade: 58.9 (Rank: 13/17)
Principal Opponent: Joshua Williams
Week 18 Snaps: 72
Week 18 Grade: 54.7
Johnston caught just two of his five targets for 17 yards in his season finale against Kansas City. He also drew a pass interference penalty. Considering his size and speed, it’s concerning that Johnston struggled against press coverage all year and finished the season just 7-of-22 in contested-catch situations. His 0.88 yards per route run is the sixth-lowest average among 70 receivers with at least 60 targets.
Pick No. 22: Baltimore Ravens: WR Zay Flowers
Overall Rookie Grade: 75.6 (Rank: 5/17)
Principal Opponent: N/A
Week 18 Snaps: 0
Week 18 Grade: N/A
Flowers was inactive in Week 18 due to a calf injury. He gave Baltimore solid contributions all year and greatly improved down the stretch. From Week 10 to Week 17, Flowers posted a 78.2 overall grade that ranked 22nd in the NFL among qualified receivers. His 77 receptions during the regular season were the fourth most among all rookies, trailing only Puka Nacua, Sam LaPorta and Rashee Rice.
Pick No. 23: Minnesota Vikings: WR Jordan Addison
Overall Rookie Grade: 68.6 (Rank: 9/17)
Principal Opponent: Cameron Sutton
Week 18 Snaps: 68
Week 18 Grade: 57.4
Addison caught his 10th touchdown of the season this week. He finished the year leading all rookie wide receivers in touchdowns and ranking third in yards, behind Puka Nacua and Rashee Rice. Addison proved he can be a legitimate threat as teams hone in on Justin Jefferson. He excelled in the intermediate (10-20 yards) range, posting a 98.1 receiving grade that is identical to elite players like A.J. Brown and Chris Olave. Minnesota’s passing attack should continue to be dangerous, pending the team's offseason quarterback decisions.
Pick No. 24: New York Giants: CB Deonte Banks
Overall Rookie Grade: 51.4 (Rank: 18/22)
Principal Opponent: N/A
Week 18 Snaps: 0
Week 18 Grade: N/A
Banks was inactive in Week 18 due to a shoulder injury. He missed the final two games of the regular season. Banks’ degree of difficulty was as high as any cornerback in football, as the Giants often played him in shadow coverage against opponents’ best receivers. From Week 7 to Week 10, he allowed 393 yards and earned a 32.9 coverage grade. He improved in his final five games, allowing no more than 40 yards in any of them while earning a respectable 66.9 coverage grade.
Pick No. 25: Buffalo Bills: TE Dalton Kincaid
Overall Rookie Grade: 67.2 (Rank: 2/5)
Principal Opponent: DeShon Elliott
Week 18 Snaps: 43
Week 18 Grade: 75.3
Kincaid hauled in seven of his eight targets for 84 yards against Miami in Week 18. He picked up three first downs, none more important than his excellent catch on a wheel route on Buffalo’s game-winning drive. He did drop a pass after running a hot slant behind a blitz but made up for it later in the game with a third-down conversion on an identical route. The Bills’ offense got better as Kincaid’s usage ramped up. From Week 7 onward, he recorded the seventh-most catches and the ninth-most yards among tight ends.
Pick No. 26: Dallas Cowboys: DI Mazi Smith
Overall Rookie Grade: 49.8 (Rank: 10/13)
Principal Opponent: Ezra Cleveland
Week 18 Snaps: 15
Week 18 Grade: 63.3
Dallas utilized Smith mostly as a pass rusher in Week 18, and he generated one win but no pressure on 11 pass-rush snaps. While he occasionally made impact plays this year, Smith struggled with consistency, especially in the run game. His 60.7 run-defense grade this week was actually his best mark since Week 10. Despite that effort, Smith’s year-long 34.9 run-defense grade is the lowest among Cowboys defenders.
Pick No. 27: Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Anton Harrison
Overall Rookie Grade: 53.0 (Rank: 6/9)
Principal Opponent: Harold Landry III
Week 18 Snaps: 71
Week 18 Grade: 61.4
Harrison finished his rookie year with three excellent performances in pass protection, including an 80.5 pass-blocking grade in Week 18 against Tennessee. He allowed just one pressure, a hurry, which stands as the lone pressure on his stat sheet across the Jaguars' final three games. Harrison’s 81.4 pass-blocking grade in that span ranked third among qualified right tackles. Unfortunately, this week was also his third straight of earning a sub-40.0 run-blocking grade, so there is plenty of room to improve.
Pick No. 28: Cincinnati Bengals: Edge Myles Murphy
Overall Rookie Grade: 56.2 (Rank: 10/15)
Principal Opponent: James Hudson III
Week 18 Snaps: 32
Week 18 Grade: 52.8
Murphy tied his career high with 32 snaps in Week 18 but generated no pressure and made just one tackle. He struggled to find a rhythm early in the season, which is understandable, given that it’s tough to earn playing time behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. Murphy did have five games with multiple pressures but couldn’t consistently make enough of an impact to warrant more playing time.
Pick No. 29: New Orleans Saints: DI Bryan Bresee
Overall Rookie Grade: 45.5 (Rank: 12/13)
Principal Opponent: Chris Lindstrom
Week 18 Snaps: 35
Week 18 Grade: 54.2
Bresee improved upon his first matchup against Atlanta but still struggled to a 46.2 run-defense grade. Shedding blocks proved to be a challenge on a few occasions, though that didn’t hurt the Saints too badly due to their big lead. Bresee flashed as a pass rusher, finishing the year with 31 pressures and five sacks. Much like the Buccaneers' Calijah Kancey, Bresee will head into next year with the goal of proving he can be a consistent every-down player.
Pick No. 30: Philadelphia Eagles: Edge Nolan Smith
Overall Rookie Grade: 50.2 (Rank: N/A)
Principal Opponent: Andrew Thomas
Week 18 Snaps: 41
Week 18 Grade: 56.2
Smith played a season-high 41 snaps as the Eagles chose to lighten the load for some of their primary edge players. He picked up a hit and a hurry, both as Tyrod Taylor held the ball too long. Smith was neither terrible nor great against New York, so it’s tough to evaluate him. Before Week 18, he averaged just over nine snaps per game. Smith should see increased reps next year as Philadelphia’s veteran defensive line continues to age.
Pick No. 31: Kansas City Chiefs: Edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Overall Rookie Grade: 52.1 (Rank: 12/15)
Principal Opponent: Rashawn Slater
Week 18 Snaps: 61
Week 18 Grade: 55.1
Anudike-Uzomah’s 61 snaps in Week 18 were more than he played in his previous 11 games. His workload early in the season was heavier, but he was phased out and couldn’t find any opportunities. Against Los Angeles this week, he generated just two hurries on 41 pass-rush reps. He did make two run stops, including one where he snuffed out a trick play attempt to his side. Given how little he played this season, it’s hard to surmise much about Anudike-Uzomah’s performance as a rookie.
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