10 NFL players playing above their pay grade this season

• Brock Purdy is key to the 49ers' success: Purdy is the highest-graded quarterback in football but counts for only $1 million on the books.

• The Colts have two budding young stars: WR Josh Downs and OT Bernhard Raimann are both much better than their salary rankings would indicate.

• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all of our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer, and more. Sign up now!

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

What makes the NFL such an amazing product every year is watching the best — and highest-paid — players dominate and find new ways to elevate themselves. But what also never gets old are the diamond-in-the-rough athletes who perform much better than their salary would indicate.

From offensive players set to cash in this offseason to unheralded burgeoning stars, these 10 names have performed much better than their 2024 salary and/or relative average annual value (AAV) ranking.

QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

2024 Cap Number: $1 million

Purdy is the next San Francisco 49er in line to receive a hefty payday, and for good reason. The former Mr. Irrelevant selection has been one of the best quarterbacks in football this year. Purdy’s 1.33 WAR ranks second among all quarterbacks, and his 88.2 overall PFF grade is the best at the position.

Yes, Purdy has arguably the best crop of skill-position players at his disposal, but he has improved his own play. Purdy’s turnover-worthy play percentage has dipped from 3.2% to 1.8%, while he's largely maintained his high big-time throw percentage. Plus, San Francisco has been without Christian McCaffrey the entire year, and Brandon Aiyuk largely hasn’t looked like himself.

Purdy will likely become one of the top quarterbacks in total cash this offseason, but for now, he remains arguably the biggest bargain in the NFL.

RB Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

2024 Cap Number: $2.3 million

Even as the Seahawks have come back down to Earth in the last three weeks, Walker has remained a major bright spot. The former second-round pick leads the NFL with a 90.5 rushing grade and is averaging 3.04 yards after contact per attempt, up from his 2.91 in that category a season ago.

The entire running back position has been devalued immensely, but Walker is a player worth paying — and much better than a 32nd-place ranking in AAV. He’s never recorded a PFF rushing grade below 84.4 in a season, plus he has forced a combined 126 missed tackles in the last three years, good for fifth among backs in that span.

WR Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints

2024 Cap Number: $5.2 million

Considering how inflated the receiver market has become, the Saints still having Olave on his rookie deal is an unbelievable steal. The former Ohio State stud has emerged as one of the best receivers in the NFL: His 85.1 receiving grade is fifth, and he’s one of only 11 receivers to have 29-plus targets and not drop a pass.

Beyond his sure-handedness, Olave has made himself into a better contested-catch asset. Olave has hauled in five of his eight contested targets, a rate much higher than his first two years (40% in 2023; 33.3% in 2022). In the broader scheme, Olave has been superb all three years as a pro, recording a receiving grade of 82.9 in every season with the Saints.

WR Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts

2024 Cap Number: $1.25 million

As the 2024 season has wound on, it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore just how much fun of a player Downs is. His 83.6 receiving grade sits sixth among all receivers, and his 4.0 yards after catch per reception are tied for 24th.

He may only be 5-foot-9, but Downs utilizes his lateral quickness and change of direction to exploit mismatches in the slot. His 90.5 receiving grade inside is second to only Olave, while his 13 first downs gained are tied for fourth.

Still having two more years on his deal, Downs is worth far more money than what he’s earning this season. The Colts — who have a penchant for extending talent — might make the 23-year-old next up.

TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

2024 Cap Number: $3.3 million

It’s not often that a high-profile first-round pick enters the NFL and immediately becomes the best at their position, but there’s a real argument that Bowers is already the best tight end in football. His 85.2 overall grade is nearly five points better than George Kittle, who is in second place.

Much like at Georgia, Bowers has been nearly unstoppable as a receiver. His 2.23 yards per route run ranks second among all tight ends, and his seven contested catches are tied for first. Beyond that, Bowers has proven solid as a blocker, having earned a 70.4 run-blocking mark.

Only a rookie, Bowers won’t be eligible for an extension for a few more seasons. Until then, the Raiders should be extremely lucky he only sits 25th among tight ends in AAV.

OG Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

2024 Cap Number: $3.4 million

Since he entered the NFL, there haven’t been many guards better than Smith. The 25-year-old ranks 15th in PFF WAR among his positional counterparts since 2021, and he’s even transcended his prior play in 2024. Smith’s 82.7 overall grade ranks fifth among guards.

The Tennessee product has actually weakened a bit in pass protection, which has never been a forte: his 62.6 pass-blocking grade would be the second-lowest of his career. Nonetheless, Smith has bolstered himself as a run-blocker, upping his run-blocking grade from 76.2 to 84.5 in only one year.

Set to be a free agent this year, Smith should rapidly vault from a bottom-10 AAV among guards to a top-10 one, if not higher.

OT Bernhard Raimann, Indianapolis Colts

2024 Cap Number: $1.4 million

Another surprising young offensive Colt makes this list. Indianapolis has fielded the best offensive line in the NFL this year, and Raimann has been an instrumental reason for this. The 27-year-old is fifth among qualified tackles with an 86.9 overall grade.

Raimann’s pass protection has quietly improved throughout his time with the Colts, and it’s rendered him one of the best at his position. Raimann has allowed only five pressures and one sack on 205 opportunities this year. Altogether, his 87.0 pass-blocking grade is easily a career-high.

Only signed through one more year, expect Colts GM Chris Ballard to handsomely reward Raimann this offseason at one of the more lucrative contractual positions.

Edge Jonathon Cooper, Denver Broncos

2024 Cap Number: $3.1 million

The Broncos defense has been one of the best in football so far this year, and Cooper deserves major credit. His 24 pressures are tied for 10th among all edge rushers, and his 78.5 overall grade is tied for 16th (min. 100 snaps).

Cooper already proved himself to be a solid pass-rusher in 2023, but he’s taken a major step forward as a run defender this year. His 79.0 run defense grade would be a career-high, and he is fifth among qualified edge defenders.

The former seventh-round pick will be a free agent this offseason, and expect his AAV to skyrocket from only $895K per year.

CB Christian Benford, Buffalo Bills

2024 Cap Number: $1.03 million

The Bills needed reliable secondary pieces during the 2024 season, and Benford has established himself as exactly that. The 24-year-old has maintained his stellar play from 2023, recording an 82.6 overall grade that ranks fifth among qualifying cornerbacks.

Benford has regularly applied the clamps in coverage. He’s permitted a catch on only 40% of targets, and his passer rating when targeted is a paltry 20.1. Oh, and he also hasn’t missed a tackle all year.

With an AAV of $963K, Buffalo is lucky to have Benford on one of the more team-friendly deals in the NFL this year. That’ll likely change soon, though.

S Brian Branch, Detroit Lions

2024 Cap Number: $1.1 million

After recording a strong rookie season in 2023, Branch has only developed even further in 2024. The 22-year-old has posted an 88.1 overall grade, which ranks sixth among all safeties.

Branch was coveted for having a versatile skillset at Alabama, and he’s extrapolated that as a pro. Branch is the only NFL safety with a grade of 80.0 or higher in both coverage and pass-rushing. His ball-hawking skills have also translated well, with Branch amassing five pass breakups, three interceptions and a forced fumble in only four games.

The fact that Branch fell to the 46th overall selection remains puzzling, but it did help the Lions keep his cap hit down. Having a player of this caliber sit 59th among safeties in AAV is ludicrous.