- Donovan Ezeiruaku's rise continues: The Cowboys edge defender is up to No. 2 in the rankings after notching a season-high five pressures (tied) and logging the sixth-best pass-rush win rate in the NFL (28.0%) this past week.
- Jackson Hawes' blocking has been a major boon for Buffalo: Hawes owns an 81.2 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 72.2 PFF run-blocking grade — both top-10 figures among tight ends this season.
- Get PFF+ for 30% off: Use promo code HOLIDAY30 to unlock the PFF Player Prop Tool, Premium Stats, fantasy dashboards, the PFF Mock Draft Simulator, industry-leading fantasy rankings and much more — everything you need to win your season.
Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
We're diving into the top rookies by PFF overall grade through Week 13 of the 2025 NFL season. To qualify, players needed to have logged at least 100 snaps. Changes may occur once Monday Night Football grades are released.
1. DI Walter Nolen, Arizona Cardinals (84.6)
Nolen did not play in Week 13 due to a knee injury.
2. EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Dallas Cowboys (81.2)
Ezeiruaku finished Week 13 as the Cowboys’ second-highest-graded defender (77.7) in their Thanksgiving win against the Kansas City Chiefs. He missed a tackle in run defense late in the first quarter but still recorded a 30% positive play rate as a run defender across limited snaps (10).
He made his biggest impact as a pass rusher, turning the tide from his previous two games. Ezeiruaku posted a poor 2.4% pass-rush win rate, along with the fifth-worst PFF pass-rush grade (48.0), across Weeks 11 and 12. In Week 13, he tied a season high with five pressures and logged the sixth-best win rate in the NFL (28.0%).
The Boston College product ranks second among rookie edge defenders in PFF run-defense grade (69.9) and PFF pass-rush grade (70.9). His 13.7% pass-rush win rate leads the class, and he places in the top 10 at the position in quarterback hits (11). Ezeiruaku also paced all edge rushers in PFF run-defense grade in November (88.8). He has 13 stops on the season at a rate of 8.3% (both first among rookies). He is also generating a 20.4% positive play rate and a 9.6% negative play rate as a run defender.
3. TE Jackson Hawes, Buffalo Bills (81.2)
Hawes closed out November with a 78.8 PFF overall grade against the Pittsburgh Steelers (sixth best). He was targeted once, securing the catch for a 10-yard gain and a first down midway through the third quarter. He also recorded a 75.5 PFF run-blocking grade in zone concepts (sixth best), leading to the fourth-best overall run-blocking mark for the week (71.0).
The Georgia Tech alumnus is PFF’s sixth-ranked tight end by grade heading into the last month of the regular season. He ranks first among rookies in PFF receiving grade (78.2, minimum of 10 targets), with 11 catches for 149 yards and 10 first downs. Hawes owns an 81.2 PFF pass-blocking grade, along with a 72.2 PFF run-blocking grade — both top-10 figures. He also sports an 81.8 PFF overall grade over his past two games, tying for fourth among tight ends in that span.
4. RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants (80.5)
Skattebo is out for the season with a leg injury.
5. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers (77.9)
McMillan made just one catch in the Panthers' upset win over the Rams, but it went for 43 yards and a touchdown. The grab came on fourth-and-2 midway through the fourth quarter. McMillan initially slowed down on a crossing route with Emmanuel Forbes in coverage, before breaking upfield away from him into space. McMillan was targeted only twice in the game, dropping the first. He finished the day with a 57.7 PFF receiving grade.
The eighth overall pick has struggled in his past two games, earning a 55.8 PFF receiving grade (bottom-15 mark). He has caught only three of 10 targets for 78 yards, and while he’s notched two touchdown passes, he also has two drops.
McMillan is still enjoying a great rookie season, placing in the top 10 at the position in receiving yards (826), touchdowns (six), first downs (46) and plays of 20-plus yards (14). He has 57 catches and 25 explosive gains this year, along with an average of 4.1 yards after the catch per reception.
6. LB Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles (77.6)
Campbell did not see any defensive snaps in the Eagles' Week 13 loss to the Bears as he continues to cede time to Nakobe Dean and Jaelen Phillips. He did play six snaps on special teams, where his snap count has risen over the past month (17 of his 21 special teams snaps have come since Week 10).
The first-rounder played just 64 defensive snaps in November. He earned a 43.7 PFF overall grade, a bottom-15 mark among linebackers with at least 50 defensive snaps logged. Campbell logged a sub-60.0 PFF grade in every defensive facet in that span.
7. TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears (77.0)
Loveland gained 28 yards on three catches and six targets against the Eagles, albeit for two first downs, including a seven-yard gain on a fourth-down play late in the third quarter. He also earned a 60.5 PFF run-blocking grade across 21 snaps and finished with a 70.8 PFF overall grade for the outing.
The former Michigan Wolverine now has 31 catches for 406 yards and 18 first downs. He ranks 11th among tight ends in PFF receiving grade (76.9). While Loveland still grades as a bottom-10 pass blocker (42.4), he remains a top-15 run blocker (68.9).
Loveland was targeted 26 times in November, catching 20 for 290 yards. He secured three touchdown passes and four contested catches while moving the chains 12 times. He also recorded six plays of 15-plus yards and led the position in passer rating when targeted (151.1) while ranking sixth in PFF receiving grade (80.8).
8. EDGE Jalon Walker, Atlanta Falcons (75.9)
Walker recorded three pressures in the Falcons' Week 13 loss to the Jets, finishing with a 13.6% pass-rush win rate. He added a tackle in run defense and assisted on another, leading to a 72.7 PFF overall grade for the day.
The 15th overall pick ranks seventh in PFF run-defense grade (77.8) entering the final month of the season. His 85.0 PFF run-defense mark in November ranked second among edge defenders — behind only the Cowboys' Donovan Ezeiruaku (88.8). Walker has 12 tackles with five stops in run defense and is generating an 18.7% positively graded play rate compared to a 4.9% negatively graded play rate.
Walker also maintains a 70.3 PFF pass-rush grade, as he now has 21 pressures at a rate of 11.8%, including five sacks and three hits.
9. T Will Campbell, New England Patriots (75.5)
Campbell did not play in Week 13 due to a knee injury.
10. T Armand Membou, New York Jets (75.5)
Membou earned a 54.1 PFF overall grade against the Falcons (third worst), his worst showing since Week 6 against Denver. He finished in the bottom 15 in both blocking phases and surrendered two sacks. The first went to Leonard Floyd on third-and-18 in the second quarter, with the Jets backed up inside their own 11-yard line. The second came late in the fourth quarter as fellow rookie James Pearce Jr. spun around him for the play.
Despite the rough outing, Membou still had a strong month, tallying a 71.1 PFF overall grade in November. He enters December with the third-best PFF pass-blocking grade among rookie tackles (71.6), along with a rookie-best 73.5 PFF run-blocking grade.
11. G Tyler Booker, Dallas Cowboys (73.5)
Booker debuts in the top 15 after securing a rookie-best 78.9 PFF overall grade against the Chiefs in Week 13. He recorded a 98.7 pass blocking efficiency rating and finished with a 10th-ranked 79.0 PFF run-blocking grade. Booker was particularly strong in zone blocking schemes, earning an 80.0 PFF run-blocking grade across 15 snaps.
The 12th overall pick from Alabama is PFF’s eighth-ranked right guard heading into Week 14. His strength has been in run blocking, where he boasts the fifth-best impact rate at the position (18.9%) and the lowest defeated rate among rookie guards (14.9%). As a pass blocker, Booker has surrendered 16 pressures at a rate of 4.2%. He’s been charged with a sack and five hits, leading to a 61.7 PFF pass-blocking grade.
12. CB Will Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (73.4)
Johnson returned to the field against the Buccaneers after missing three games with back and hip injuries. He had an up-and-down day, resulting in a 57.8 PFF overall grade. He recorded two stops in run defense, limiting Bucky Irving to negative yards on both plays, but he also missed a tackle. Johnson also missed a tackle in coverage and was beaten on a third-down play in the fourth quarter. Yet, he still allowed only one catch on four targets, limiting Tez Johnson to an eight-yard gain on second-and-18.
The second-round pick from Michigan remains ranked second in the draft class with a 72.1 PFF coverage grade this season. He has now allowed 20 receptions on 35 targets for 170 yards, with a 20% forced incompletion rate. He’s holding quarterbacks to a 79.5 passer rating when targeted.
Johnson ranks 10th in PFF run-defense grade at the position (79.1), having recorded three tackles and three assists with two stops.
13. WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears (73.3)
Burden caught four passes for only 33 yards against the Eagles. He did pick up a first down with an 11-yard catch against Cooper DeJean early in the first quarter, forced two missed tackles and averaged 6.5 yards after the catch per reception. He earned a 60.6 PFF receiving grade for the game.
The Missouri product is up to 26 catches for 328 yards and 12 first downs this year. He has nine explosive gains and is tied for fifth in yards after the catch per reception (7.0). He’s generating a 115.8 passer rating when targeted.
Burden logged a 70.0 PFF receiving grade in November to lead the Bears' receiver group, bringing in 13 of 19 targets for 157 yards. Most of his work continues to come out of the slot, where he has 11 catches for 139 yards and a 62.8 PFF receiving grade.
14. WR/CB, Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars (73.2)
Hunter is out for the season due to a knee injury.
15. RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (73.0)
Hampton has been out since Week 5 with an ankle injury, although he has resumed practicing. He is poised to return to the field soon.
© 2026 PFF - all rights reserved.