NFL rookie rankings: Highest-graded players after Week 4

• Mansoor Delane leads all NFL rookies: The Kansas City Chiefs cornerback tops the rankings with an 84.5 PFF grade across 153 snaps, adding eight defensive stops, two pass breakups and an interception.

• Defenders occupy the top five spots: Harold Perkins Jr., Zakee Wheatley, Genesis Smith and Josiah Trotter follow Delane, each earning a PFF grade of at least 79.2.

• Denzel Boston leads rookie offensive players: The Cleveland Browns receiver ranks seventh overall with a 77.0 PFF grade, 284 receiving yards and two touchdowns through four weeks.

Click here to subscribe to PFF+ Monthly — $9.99 a month

Now four weeks into the season, we are starting to get a clearer picture of how NFL rookies are performing, with several first-round selections beginning to rise to the top of the class.

As we highlight the 15 highest-graded first-year players in the NFL, the key caveat is that we require a minimum of 20 snaps per game. That means a player must have played at least 80 snaps through the first four weeks of the season to qualify for this list.

Here are our highest-graded rookies in the NFL through four weeks.

1. CB Mansoor Delane, Kansas City Chiefs (84.5)

Delane missed some time early in the season but has looked anything but a rookie in his early action for the Kansas City Chiefs. He leads all rookies in PFF grade (84.5) on 153 snaps and has recorded eight defensive stops, two pass breakups and an interception.

2. LB Harold Perkins Jr., Atlanta Falcons (82.6)

Perkins’ usage remains one of the biggest outliers in the NFL, with just 12 of his 145 snaps as a run defender. He has impressed against the pass, though, earning an 87.1 PFF coverage grade on 114 coverage snaps and recording six tackles resulting in defensive stops.

3. S Zakee Wheatley, Carolina Panthers (82.6)

Wheatley has made an impact as a run defender and in coverage for the Panthers early in his career and has missed just 6.7% of the tackles he has attempted in his first three NFL games. He has recorded four defensive stops, while his 82.3 PFF run-defense grade ranks second among qualifying rookies.

4. S Genesis Smith, Los Angeles Chargers (82.3)

Smith has not missed a tackle through the first four games of his NFL career and has earned PFF grades above 70.0 both as a run defender and in coverage. He has allowed a touchdown in coverage but has also recorded two interceptions and a pass breakup.

5. LB Josiah Trotter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (79.2)

Trotter returned to the field for the Buccaneers in Week 4 after missing the previous week. He was again impressive against the run, earning a 77.9 PFF run-defense grade. Through three games, he has recorded 10 defensive stops, which ranks fifth among rookies.

6. LB Arvell Reese, New York Giants (77.1)

Reese had the best game of his young career this past weekend in the Giants’ win over the Arizona Cardinals. He earned a 90.5 PFF grade, recording five defensive stops, an interception and a batted pass while tipping another pass at the line of scrimmage.

7. WR Denzel Boston, Cleveland Browns (77.0)

The highest-graded rookie on the offensive side of the ball, Boston has become the Browns’ best receiver early in his NFL career. He has turned 22 targets into 13 receptions for 284 yards and two touchdowns and has not dropped a pass through four weeks.

8. LB Sonny Styles, Washington Commanders (76.9)

Styles had another strong showing in the Commanders’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts in London, earning a 74.3 PFF grade. It was his best performance against the run so far in his career, with Styles recording a tackle resulting in a defensive stop on 13.6% of his run-defense snaps and earning a positive grade on 18.2%.

9. S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Cleveland Browns (76.2)

McNeil-Warren comes in right at the snap threshold here but has seen his workload increase in each of the past two weeks. He has yet to miss a tackle this season and recorded the first two pass breakups of his career in the Browns’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.

10. WR Antonio Williams, Washington Commanders (74.8)

Williams saw a career-high eight targets in the Commanders’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts this past week, but just four were catchable, and he turned those into four receptions for 34 yards. His 1.85 yards per route run is the best mark among Commanders wide receivers so far this season.

11. TE Matthew Hibner, Baltimore Ravens (73.3)

Hibner has established himself as the secondary target among tight ends in the Ravens’ offense early in his rookie season. He has been targeted just five times but has turned those opportunities into five catches for 70 yards and a touchdown, averaging 2.12 yards per route run so far this season.

12. S Dillon Thieneman, Chicago Bears (71.2)

Thieneman has made an impact as both a run defender and a coverage player for the Bears early in his career. He has already recorded an interception and a pass breakup in coverage and has made three tackles resulting in defensive stops, helping him earn a 79.2 PFF run-defense grade that ranks third among qualifying rookies.

13. CB Keionte Scott, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (70.7)

Scott has excelled as a slot cornerback for the Buccaneers early in his career and leads all rookies with an 82.9 PFF run-defense grade through four weeks. His seven defensive stops rank second among rookie cornerbacks, while the 5.9 yards per catch he has allowed is the lowest mark among rookies at the position.

14. WR Caleb Douglas, Miami Dolphins (70.4)

Among Dolphins wide receivers with at least 15 routes run, Douglas leads the group with 2.05 yards per route run through the first four weeks of the season. He racked up 113 yards on seven receptions over the first two weeks before missing the past two games due to injury, but he could return for their Week 5 clash with the Cincinnati Bengals.

15. G Austin Barber, Cleveland Browns (70.2)

Barber is the highest-graded rookie offensive lineman so far this season, earning a 75.1 PFF run-blocking grade and a 68.1 PFF pass-blocking grade. He has allowed six pressures on 152 pass-blocking snaps, while his 9.1% negatively graded play rate against the run is the best mark among rookie offensive linemen.