- Chargers QB Justin Herbert makes the list at No. 99: Although his performance tailed off in the second half of the season, Herbert got off to a very strong start. In fact, his 90.6 PFF grade through nine weeks ranked third among all quarterbacks. Although Herbert ranked tied for sixth among quarterbacks in PFF overall grade when kept clean (91.0), that situation was rare for him, as he was pressured at the highest rate at his position.
- Kyle Pitts delivered his best season in a contract year: Pitts' 82.0 PFF receiving grade ranked eighth among tight ends. His 1.71 receiving yards per route run ranked sixth, while his nine broken tackles ranked tied for sixth.
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The PFF 101 highlights the top individual performances in 2025, regardless of position, and credits the best players of the season that was.
PFF remains a player evaluation site at its core, and the 101 is our chance to acknowledge and praise the best players from the 2025 season one last time before we look ahead to assembling rosters for the upcoming season.
Here is a quick reminder of our basic criteria:
- This list is based solely on play in 2025. Past or future play is not accounted for. This isn't about class or talent; it's about performance throughout the 2025 NFL season.
- This list is created with an “all positions are created equal” mantra. So, you won't see 32 quarterbacks heading the list, even though that is the game's most valuable position. Instead, we take a look at how players performed relative to what is expected from their position.
- We will unveil this list throughout the week, in sections of 20, with the top 20 players dropping on Friday, Feb. 20.
101. S Julian Love, Seattle Seahawks
Similar to last season, Love comes in at No. 101 despite missing a significant portion of the year. However, when he returned, he was excellent for the Seahawks, particularly in coverage. Over his final eight games, he allowed just five receptions on 15 targets and capped his season with an interception in the Super Bowl. Love’s 82.7 PFF coverage grade ranked fifth among all safeties this season.
100. DI Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
Chris Jones’ 2025 season was a tale of two phases. His 70.5 PFF grade marked the first time he’s dipped below 72.0 since his rookie year and just the third time in his 10-year career that he’s graded under 85.0. He remained elite as a pass-rusher, recording seven sacks, 19 hits and 37 hurries on 495 pass-rush snaps en route to a 90.7 pass-rush grade, which ranked second at the position. However, his 43.4 run-defense grade (107th out of 142 qualifying interior defenders) dragged down his overall mark.
99. QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Although his performance tailed off in the second half of the season, Herbert got off to a very strong start. In fact, his 90.6 PFF grade through nine weeks ranked third among all quarterbacks. Although Herbert ranked tied for sixth among quarterbacks in PFF overall grade when kept clean (91.0), that situation was rare for him, as he was pressured at the highest rate at his position.
98. RB Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
While it may have been a quiet year by his standards, Henry was still among the best running backs in the league. His 1,103 rushing yards after contact ranked third among all running backs and would have ranked 12th among running backs in total rushing yards. Henry’s 21 runs of 15 or more yards ranked second at the position.
97. WR Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
First and foremost, Olave logged a career-high 887 snaps in 2025, playing in every game except the Saints’ season finale. Among the 43 wide receivers with at least 25 targets from the slot, Olave ranked 10th in PFF receiving grade on those plays (82.5). Furthermore, his 57 targets from the slot were the most among receivers without a single drop on such targets.
96. RB Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Taylor led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (18) this season, while he ranked first in rushing yards after contact (1,136) during the regular season. In addition, his 67 broken tackles on runs ranked second among all running backs. Finally, Taylor ranked seventh in PFF rushing grade at 84.1.
95. CB Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots
After a slow start, Gonzalez finished the season strong, highlighted by an 86.8 PFF coverage grade in the Super Bowl. Overall, Gonzalez ranked 11th among 109 qualifying cornerbacks in PFF coverage grade (76.9) in 2025. He allowed a passer rating of just 57.0 when targeted, which ranked fourth at the position.
94. ED Demarcus Lawrence, Seattle Seahawks
Lawrence won a Super Bowl in his first season with the Seahawks, and while he may not be as effective as a pass rusher as he once was, he made up for it with his work against the run. Lawrence ranked second among all edge defenders in PFF run-defense grade (83.7), and he was the only player at the position to force more than one fumble on runs all season.
93. QB Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Darnold got off to an excellent start to his season and his Seahawks career, earning a 93.5 PFF overall grade over the first nine weeks that put him first among all quarterbacks in the league. While his performance declined in the second half of the season, he returned to form in the postseason, committing no turnovers in Seattle’s three playoff games. Darnold ranked fourth among 32 qualifying quarterbacks in PFF passing grade on deep passes (95.5).
92. WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Although Jefferson finished with the fewest receiving yards of his career in 2025, that was largely not his fault. Jefferson’s 80.5 PFF overall grade ranked 16th among wide receivers this season. However, his 87.8 PFF receiving grade against zone coverage ranked sixth.
91. CB Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos
The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year did not dominate in quite the same way he did a season ago, but he remained one of the league's best. Surtain’s 73.3 PFF overall grade ranked 23rd among cornerbacks, while his 73.9 passer rating allowed ranked 16th. He also allowed a reception once every 16.2 coverage snaps, 10th among cornerbacks.
90. DI Travis Jones, Baltimore Ravens
Jones was one of the few bright spots on a Baltimore front seven that struggled for much of the season. The fourth-year defender made his biggest impact against the run, where his 81.1 PFF run-defense grade ranked third among all interior defenders in the league. He also recorded a run stop on 9.6% of his run-defense snaps, which ranked tied for 10th among 82 qualifying players at the position.
89. WR Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams
Adams operated as his team’s No. 2 wide receiver for the first time in several seasons, and he thrived in the role. His 84.8 PFF overall grade ranked ninth at his position, his highest mark since 2022. Adams led the league in receiving touchdowns (15), and quarterback Matthew Stafford generated a 106.8 passer rating when throwing his way, 19th among 80 qualifying wide receivers.
88. TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Pitts delivered his best season in a contract year, as his 82.0 PFF receiving grade ranked eighth among tight ends. His 1.71 receiving yards per route run ranked sixth, while his nine broken tackles ranked tied for sixth.
87. CB Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs
The fourth-year cornerback turned in another strong season, further establishing himself as a complete player. McDuffie was one of just four cornerbacks to rank in the top 20 in both PFF coverage grade and PFF run-defense grade. He allowed just 9.2 receiving yards per reception, which ranked tied for fourth among cornerbacks.
86. DI Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle’s veteran interior defender delivered another strong season, earning a PFF grade above 70.0 in each of his 11 NFL seasons and consistently ranking among the top 40 interior defenders. This year, Williams ranked 10th at the position in PFF grade (76.1), while his 71.6 PFF run-defense grade ranked 12th.
85. ED Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts
Latu broke out in his second NFL season, as his 84.1 PFF overall grade ranked ninth among edge defenders. He also led the position in PFF coverage grade (88.3). After generating pressure on 10.7% of his pass-rushing snaps as a rookie, Latu improved that mark to 14.9% in Year 2.
84. C Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
Linderbaum continued to establish himself as one of the top centers in the NFL, earning a career-high 80.3 PFF overall grade in 2025 that ranked fourth among centers. He also ranked fourth in PFF run-blocking grade (83.7). In addition, he graded positively on 15.7% of run plays, which ranked seventh.
83. ED Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams
Young put together one of the most complete seasons of any edge defender in the league. He was one of only three players at the position — alongside Myles Garrett and Will Anderson Jr. — to rank among the top 15 in both PFF pass-rushing grade (81.2) and PFF run-defense grade (77.8). Young also led all edge defenders in run-stop rate (9.8%).
82. RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
The Rams’ running back again played a central role in Los Angeles’ offense in 2025. Williams’ 87.1 PFF rushing grade ranked fourth among 36 running backs. While his 4.7 yards per carry ranked tied for 12th, that figure is more impressive given how few explosive plays drove it. Just 17.2% of Williams’ rushing yards came on runs longer than 15 yards, the fourth-lowest rate, highlighting how consistently he generated yardage rather than relying on breakaway runs.
81. QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Purdy missed a significant portion of the season, but he was outstanding when he was on the field for the 49ers. His 82.6 PFF passing grade ranked sixth among quarterbacks, while his 75.7 PFF rushing grade ranked eighth. He was especially effective when getting the ball out within 2.5 seconds. On those plays, Purdy earned an 87.7 PFF overall grade, which ranked fifth in the NFL, and his 118.6 passer rating ranked third.
To be continued…
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