- Jackson Hawes holds onto No. 1: The Bills‘ rookie blocking tight end continues to do great work in the run game, where his 78.6 PFF grade ranks fourth in the NFL.
- Will Johnson returns — and climbs the rookie rankings: The Cardinals cornerback earned a position-leading 83.6 PFF overall grade in Week 5 and is now up to No. 3 in the rookie rankings.
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Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
We're diving into the top rookies by PFF overall grade through Week 5 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. TE Jackson Hawes, Buffalo Bills (90.7)
Hawes rebounded in the Bills' loss to the Patriots with an 82.6 PFF overall grade. He earned an 80.3 PFF run-blocking grade and placed in the top five for the week in gap schemes (84.3) and zone schemes (76.2). Hawes also notched a 73.9 PFF pass-blocking grade, allowing zero pressures across three snaps.
The Georgia Tech product remains the NFL's highest-graded rookie entering Week 6. He ranks fourth at the position overall in PFF run-blocking grade (78.6), with 46.5% of his snaps coming in zone schemes, where he owns an 81.4 PFF run-blocking grade (fifth best). Hawes has yet to surrender any pressure in pass protection, earning a 79.0 PFF pass-blocking grade (seventh best).
2. RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders (84.9)
Croskey-Merritt powered the Commanders' running game in the team's upset win over the Chargers. He recorded his first 100-yard game, carrying the ball 14 times for 111 yards (fourth most), six first downs (tied for second most) and two scores. He gained 74 yards after contact (fourth most) at an average of 5.3 yards per attempt (third best), in addition to tying for first in first-down-plus-touchdown rate (42.9%) and ranking second in 10-plus-yard runs (seven),
Croskey-Merritt is now the second-ranked running back by PFF overall grade (84.9) and top player in PFF rushing grade (90.1). He is the only back with a 90.0-plus PFF rushing grade through this point of the season. Croskey-Merritt has seen 10 or more carries in only two games, yet he places in the top 20 in rushing yards (283). He is averaging 4.4 yards gained after contact (second best) and has notched nine explosive gains (tied for eighth most). Most of his carries have come in gap schemes (34), where he’s gained 212 yards (fifth most).
3. CB Will Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (84.5)
Johnson returned to the field against the Titans after a two-game absence and earned a position-leading 83.6 PFF overall grade in Week 5. He recorded an 82.9 PFF coverage grade (sixth best) after allowing two of four targets to be caught for eight yards. He tallied a pass breakup against Calvin Ridley in the second quarter and recorded a coverage stop late in the game.
Johnson is the NFL's highest-graded cornerback through five weeks. He ranks second, behind Isaiah Rodgers, in PFF coverage grade (84.2) and places third among rookie cornerbacks in PFF run-defense grade (71.6). He has surrendered just two catches for eight yards with two forced incompletions in single coverage, leading to a 77.5 PFF coverage grade (fifth best) in those situations. Most of his snaps (43.3%) have come in zone coverage, where he ranks eighth in PFF coverage grade (81.9) and boasts a 36% forced incompletion rate (seventh best).
4. LB Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles (83.8)
Campbell recorded a 75.6 PFF overall grade in the Eagles' first defeat of the season. He ranked fourth at the position in PFF tackling grade for the week, recording nine total tackles with three stops. Two of those stops came in run defense, where he finished with a season-high 80.6 PFF grade (ninth best). Campbell held receivers to 44 yards across five catches. He also recorded a coverage stop, limiting Courtland Sutton to a four-yard gain on a third-and-6 play midway in the first quarter.
Campbell has now surrendered nine catches for 127 yards over his past two games but remains ranked third among linebackers in PFF coverage grade (83.8). He is up to four run stops and maintains the second-best PFF run-defense grade among rookie linebackers (75.6).
5. RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants (81.3)
Skattebo notched a 56.9 PFF rushing grade against the Saints, his lowest mark since Week 1. He took 15 carries for 61 yards, with four first downs. He also had a costly fumble to start the fourth quarter, which was returned 86 yards for a touchdown, giving New Orleans a double-digit lead. Skattebo forced two missed tackles and gained 44 yards after contact (tied for 10th most). He also caught all six of his targets for 45 yards and three first downs, finishing with a 74.1 PFF receiving grade.
Skattebo dips to third in the running back rankings, but he maintains a 77.6 PFF rushing grade. He now has 63 carries for 242 yards. He also ranks third in PFF receiving grade (81.6), with 18 catches for 143 yards and seven first downs, and leads the position in PFF run-blocking grade (89.9).
6. LB Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns (80.9)
Schwesinger logged a stop in run defense and coverage, forcing a punt, and allowed four catches for 37 yards (season high) and two first downs in the Browns' Week 5 loss. He recorded five tackles in run defense, finishing with a 72.5 PFF run-defense grade. He finished the game against the Vikings with a 63.7 PFF overall grade.
The UCLA product is the 11th-highest-graded linebacker through five weeks. He’s now up to an 80.4 PFF run-defense grade and is tied for eighth in tackles (17). Nine of his 13 stops have come in run defense. Schwesinger also boasts a 72.8 PFF coverage grade.
7. S Jonas Sanker, New Orleans Saints (78.3)
Sanker limited Giants receivers to three catches for nine yards in Week 5, leading to a 70.0 PFF overall grade. He opened up the second half with a coverage stop, stopping tight end Theo Johnson for a two-yard loss on a screen play. Later in the fourth quarter, he boxed out Jalin Hyatt downfield to force an incompletion.
Sanker is the fourth-ranked safety in PFF overall grade over the past two weeks (81.5). He also places fourth in PFF coverage grade in that span (80.6).
8. RB Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns (77.8)
Judkins finished with a season-high 77.3 PFF overall grade in Week 5, after posting his first career 100-yard rushing game. He gained 110 yards rushing on 23 carries, finishing with a 75.7 PFF rushing grade. He racked up 94 yards after contact (third most), forced three missed tackles, picked up five first downs and tallied three gains of 10-plus yards.
Judkins owns a 76.2 PFF rushing grade on the season (fourth among rookies). He ranks ninth overall in rushing yards (347) and is tied for fourth in yards gained after contact (299). Judkins has gained 20 first downs (sixth most), with two touchdowns. As a receiver, he has hauled in nine of 10 targets for 62 yards and three first downs, earning a 77.4 PFF receiving grade.
9. S Xavier Watts, Atlanta Falcons (76.3)
Watts was on a bye in Week 5.
10. WR Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (76.1)
Egbuka caught all seven of his targets against the Seahawks for 163 receiving yards — the eighth most by a rookie receiver in a game over the past five seasons. He brought in his fifth touchdown of the season (tied for second most), a 20-yard contested grab on third-and-15 midway through the third quarter. He saw three deep targets, which he turned into 101 yards. Egbuka recorded five total explosive gains and generated a perfect passer rating when targeted.
The standout rookie pass catcher now has 25 receptions for 445 yards. He has gained 17 first downs and has nine catches of 20-plus yards. Thirteen of his 38 targets have come from the deep area of the field, where he’s caught eight passes for 291 yards (most) and sports a third-ranked 98.8 PFF receiving grade.
11. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers (75.1)
McMillan caught six of eight targets against the Dolphins for 73 yards and four first downs. He recorded two gains of 20-plus yards, both on late downs, and notched season highs in yards per route run (2.21) and average depth of target (15.4). McMillan finished the day with a 102.6 passer rating when targeted.
The first-rounder is up to 24 catches for 351 yards and 19 first downs. Like Emeka Egbuka, he has brought in nine catches of 20-plus yards. He also owns an elite 94.7 PFF receiving grade.
12. WR/CB Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars (74.2 on Defense)
Hunter enjoyed his best night of his young rookie season against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football, finishing with a 76.9 PFF offensive grade and a 77.3 PFF defensive grade. He broke up a slant pass to tight end Travis Kelce on third-and-2 early in the first quarter to force a punt. He also came down with a highlight catch in the third quarter, adjusting and leaping to secure a 44-yard reception with Chamarri Conner and Bryan Cook closing in. Hunter caught all three of his targets for a season-high 64 yards and forced three missed tackles along the way. He was targeted three times in coverage but allowed just one catch for seven yards.
The two-way star has 16 catches on the season for 182 yards, the second most among Jacksonville’s receivers. He has gained five first downs, secured three of five contested catches and logged a 15-plus-yard catch in three straight games.
On defense, he ranks as the 16th-best cornerback by PFF overall grade. Hunter's 72.2 PFF coverage grade ranks second among rookie cornerbacks, and he has held receivers to two catches for 14 yards in his past two games. Overall, he has surrendered seven catches for 78 yards and five first downs while forcing two incompletions.
13. EDGE Abdul Carter, New York Giants (73.4)
Carter came back down to earth a bit from his 90.2 PFF overall grade in Week 4, with a 71.1 mark against the Saints. He generated three hurries across 23 pass-rush snaps, finishing with an 8.7% win rate. He also earned a 70.1 PFF run-defense grade after recording two stops and limiting rushers to five total yards on those plays.
Carter still leads all rookie edge rushers in PFF pass-rushing grade (82.4). He owns a 19.4% pass-rush win rate on true pass sets and ranks 11th at the position in pressures (22). He has a 15.3% pressure rate through five games.
14. T Armand Membou, New York Jets (73.2)
Membou secured his best PFF pass-blocking grade since Week 1, earning a 69.9 mark across 54 snaps. He allowed five hurries against Dallas, giving him nine total in his past two games, but he still owns a solid 70.0 PFF pass-blocking grade on the season, with 13 pressures allowed through five games.
Membou posted a 62.4 PFF run-blocking grade across 19 snaps and recorded a 10.5% impact-block rate against the Cowboys. He now sits 10th in PFF run-blocking grade (77.2) and ranks 15th in impact-block rate (15.4%).
15. RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (73.1)
Hampton left the Chargers' Week 5 matchup against the Commanders with an ankle injury and did not return. He had 12 rushes for 44 yards at the time of injury, with two first downs. Hampton forced five missed tackles and averaged 3.6 yards after contact per attempt, earning a 76.4 PFF rushing grade. He also caught all six of his targets for 26 yards and a first down, forcing two missed tackles along the way.
Hampton owns an 82.1 PFF overall grade over his past two games and leads the position in PFF rushing grade in that span (86.2), powered by 26 carries for 183 yards. He has forced 11 missed tackles in that time (most) and has secured each of his 11 targets for 63 yards.
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