- The Texans’ two first-round picks have shone: C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson both lead their respective positions in PFF overall grade through two seasons
- Puka Nacua tops the list: The Rams’ fifth-round pick in 2023 owns the highest PFF overall grade in the class, regardless of position.
- Subscribe to PFF+: Get access to player grades, PFF Premium Stats, fantasy football rankings, all of the PFF fantasy draft research tools and more!
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
The 2025 NFL Draft came and went, and as the excitement and tension surrounding the spectacle continues to wane, we look forward to when the players take the field in earnest.
For now, we’re looking back at the 2023 NFL Draft and examining the highest-graded player at every position.
QB: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (85.2)
Before there was Jayden Daniels, there was C.J. Stroud. The Texans quarterback had, arguably, one of the greatest ever seasons by a rookie signal-caller in 2023, completing 63.9% of his pass attempts for 4,103 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing only five interceptions.
Stroud’s 83.2 PFF overall grade was the highest ever for a rookie quarterback, and his play mirrored that of a ten-year veteran, helping the Texans to a 10-win season and their first AFC South title since 2019.
The 2024 season presented more challenges, and Stroud was sacked 52 times behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Despite the struggles, Stroud earned a 79.9 PFF overall grade and has comfortably been the best quarterback in the 2023 class to date.
RB: De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins (91.3)
Achane was the next step in the Dolphins’ plan to overrun the NFL with speed. The former Texas A&M running back brought his 98th-percentile speed to an offense that was already littered with game-breaking talent, and Achane took the league by storm in his rookie year. His 92.1 PFF overall grade in year one was the highest among all running backs, and he averaged a hard-to-believe 7.8 yards per carry while scoring 11 touchdowns on 130 touches.
Although his volume hasn’t been as high as that of Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs, Achane has been efficient with his touches, and his 3.6 yards after contact per attempt average since 2023 ranks third among running backs.
De'Von Achane's Career PFF Grades
WR: Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams (92.1)
Nacua set the record for the most catches and receiving yards by a rookie receiver in 2023, recording 105 grabs for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. And his 87.9 PFF overall grade ranked 10th among all receivers. One year later, he recorded the highest PFF overall grade among wide receivers in just 11 games.
His two-year career to date has been wildly impressive, and his 92.1 PFF overall grade leads all receivers drafted in 2023. It also places him second among all receivers in the NFL. The sky is the limit for the former fifth-round pick.
TE: Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions (77.8)
LaPorta hit the ground running at a position where few produce early in their careers. In his rookie season, he caught 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning a 76.5 PFF overall grade and helping the Lions' offense become one of the best in the NFL.
He caught fewer passes in 2024, just 60, but LaPorta became more of a big-play threat, averaging 12.1 yards per reception while flashing his ability to produce after the catch. Through two seasons, LaPorta has the highest PFF overall grade among tight ends drafted in 2023, and his impact has outweighed that of every other tight end in the class.
T: Darnell Wright, Chicago Bears (74.8)
Wright was the second offensive tackle off the board in 2023, landing with the Chicago Bears to help them fix a shaky offensive line. The former Tennessee tackle struggled with penalties and pressures in his rookie season, earning a 62.4 PFF overall grade, but rebounded in 2024, posting a 79.3 mark while allowing 21 fewer pressures and six fewer penalties than in his rookie season.
Only six tackles recorded a higher PFF run-blocking grade than Wright in 2024, and his ability to maul defenders in space with his 6-foot-5 frame means he’ll likely be a big scheme fit in Ben Johnson’s incoming offense.
G: Matthew Bergeron, Atlanta Falcons (68.1)
The Falcons drafted Bergeron with the No. 38 pick, providing him with an excellent ecosystem to grow. The former Syracuse guard was a day-one starter for the team, earning a 59.1 PFF overall grade in his first season and allowing 33 pressures. His grade improved to 70.9 in 2024, and no guard drafted in 2023 has a better career grade than Bergeron.
A big part of his improvement is in run blocking. In 2024, the Falcons posted the second-highest team PFF rushing grade and ranked eighth in EPA per rush, and Bergeron earned a 73.1 PFF run-blocking grade.
C: Joe Tippmann, New York Jets (70.3)
Tippmann flashed in 2024, even on a bad Jets offensive line. The former second-round pick earned a 73.4 PFF overall grade, the eighth highest among centers, and his 77.8 run-blocking grade was a massive improvement from his rookie campaign.
Five centers from the 2023 NFL Draft have played significant snaps for their teams, but none have logged more than Tippmann, who has been a near-constant for the Jets in two seasons. Ultimately, his 70.3 PFF overall grade leads the position class.
DI: Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles (85.1)
Carter has been a force to be reckoned with since stepping onto an NFL field. As a rookie, he earned an 89.0 PFF overall grade, registering 49 pressures and seven sacks in the regular season while finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The former No. 9 pick has already asserted himself as one of the best interior pass-rushing options in the league, and though his PFF overall grade in 2024 dropped to 74.1, Carter still notched 53 pressures and 12 quarterback hits.
Big players shine in big moments, and Carter went on a tear in the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl. He tallied 22 pressures and two sacks in four games and earned a 79.4 PFF pass-rushing grade. In just two years in the NFL, Carter has elevated himself to an All-Pro level.
EDGE: Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans (88.1)
Anderson was the second of the Texans’ two first-round picks in 2023 and was viewed as one of the safest picks in the draft — a toolsy, powerful defensive end with a high floor as a run defender and the traits to rush the passer. So far, Anderson has lived up to the billing. He owns the highest PFF overall grade among all edge rushers drafted in 2023 and has 110 pressures in his first two seasons.
His 85.1 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked 10th among all edge rushers, and his 77.0 mark against the run was a top-20 figure at the position. Anderson is already one of the best every-down edge defenders in the NFL.
LB: Ivan Pace Jr., Minnesota Vikings (74.1)
Some players are just perfect fits for their systems, and Pace is the perfect example. The Vikings’ linebacker boasts the highest grade among those in the 2023 class, despite being an undrafted free agent. Pace plays quick and smart downhill and has been an excellent blitzer in Brian Flores’ defense, registering 34 pressures in two seasons.
He has logged 174 total tackles in two seasons with the Vikings and earned an 85.4 PFF grade against the run in 11 games in 2024.
CB: Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks (85.0)
Witherspoon was a top-five pick for the Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft and has since been the highest-graded cornerback from the 2023 class, earning an 85.0 mark in two seasons. The former Illinois defensive back has been excellent in coverage, allowing just 10.4 yards per reception in two seasons, the 30th-lowest mark among cornerbacks.
Where Witherspoon has really stood out is as a run defender. He’s an excellent tackler in space, and has nine tackles for loss or no gain against the run since 2023 — the third-most at the position. Witherspoon earned a 90.0 PFF grade against the run in 2024, also the third-highest mark at the position.
S: Ronnie Hickman Jr., Cleveland Browns (87.0)
The Browns picked up Hickman as an undrafted free agent after the 2023 NFL Draft, but the former Ohio State Buckeye has been the highest-graded safety in a class that featured Brian Branch. Hickman has been a good rotational safety covering the back end for a Cleveland defense that was red-hot in 2023 but struggled in 2024.
He has allowed only 6.4 yards per reception on 19 targets, and he earned an 81.7 PFF grade against the run in 2024. Hickman is more often used as a roaming free safety and has proven to be a valuable tool for the Browns’ defense thus far.
© 2025 PFF - all rights reserved.