• Road grading tackles in Detroit lead the way: Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell paved the way for the Detroit Lions run game, both earning over 90.0-plus PFF grades in the facet.
• Six offensive linemen featured in top 15: Play in the trenches proved vital in the divisional round, as five offensive linemen exceeded an 86.0 overall PFF grade.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
The 2023-24 NFL playoffs are underway. Contenders are going head-to-head vying to be the last team left standing when it’s all said and done. Franchise cornerstones make their names in the regular season, but legends cement their legacies in the playoffs.
These are the top-15 graded players in the Divisional Round:
Editor's note: 20% minimum snap share to qualify.
1. OT Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions: 94.1 PFF grade
PFF’s highest-graded run-blocking offensive lineman of the 2023 regular season had a big day in the divisional round. Sewell’s 97.5 PFF run-blocking grade was the highest single-game grade recorded this season by an offensive lineman. On outside zone plays, he earned a 95.4 PFF grade, highlighted by an incredible play in which Sewell took on a pair of blocks on the backside to open up the cutback lane, which sprung a 31-yard score by Jahmyr Gibbs.
2. OT Taylor Decker, Detroit Lions: 93.6
Decker joins his teammate atop this list due to an incredible outing in all facets. The Lions left tackle came away from the divisional round as the only offensive lineman to secure a 91.0-plus PFF grade in both run blocking (93.0) and pass blocking (91.0) — no other lineman exceeded 82.0 in both.
In 48 pass-blocking snaps, Decker won every rep, allowing zero pressures. That equated to the highest pass blocking in the divisional round.
3. C Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs: 91.7
The Chiefs center set the tone in the run game for this offense in the division round. On 22 run-blocking snaps, Humphrey amassed a positive grade on over 40% of them, the most by a qualifying lineman this past week. Equally as impressive, Humphrey also allowed no pressures on 28 pass block sets.
4. DI Karl Brooks, Green Bay Packers: 90.7
The Packers' first-year interior pass-rusher made fantastic use of his limited workload in the divisional round. On just 16 pass-rushing snaps, Brooks totaled five pass-rush wins, amounting to a 31.3% win rate – one of just four defenders to surpass the 30% win rate threshold.
5. LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Detroit Lions: 90.6
Primarily featured on passing downs, Reeves-Maybin was incredible in his role this past week. The Lions linebacker earned an 85.3 PFF coverage grade, credit for allowing just a pair of receptions into his coverage for just nine yards. Reeves-Maybin also managed to secure a crucial sack late to help secure the win.
6. OG David Edwards, Buffalo Bills: 90.4
Operating as the Bills' sixth offensive lineman, Edwards makes this list for a second straight week. In the divisional round, Edwards allowed a single pressure and earned a positive grade on over 27.7% of his run-blocking snaps.
Over the Bills playoff run, Edwards earned a 91.9 overall PFF grade, second-highest on the offensive side of the ball this postseason.
7. QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: 90.2
The former MVP had one of his most impressive performances in his first-ever road playoff game. Mahomes saw just 28 dropbacks, yet he tallied three big-time throws, without recording a single turnover-worthy play. The Chiefs signal-caller kept his offense on schedule throughout the game, earning a league-high 90.1 PFF passing grade on first and second down.
8. S Chamarri Conner, Kansas City Chiefs: 90.2
Even as a rookie, Conner found himself leading the divisional round in snaps taken by a defender (77) while also finishing as the only defender this past weekend to earn a 70.0-plus PFF grade in coverage (82.2), run defense (80.9), and pass rushing (71.7). The Chiefs' first-year safety allowed just 0.58 yards in coverage while also accumulating a run stop and pass-rushing pressure.
9. LB Dre Greenlaw, San Francisco 49ers: 90.0
The fifth-year pro had a phenomenal coverage performance in the divisional round, earning the second-highest PFF coverage grade (87.7) among all defenders. On 40 coverage snaps, Greenlaw allowed just 0.63 yards per snap, the highest among linebackers this past week. Perhaps most impressively, Greenlaw secured a pair of interceptions late in the second half to help turn the tide in the Niners' favor.
10. DI Michael Pierce, Baltimore Ravens: 89.4
Pierce was a force as both a pass-rusher and run stuffer in the Raven’s divisional-round win. On the ground, Pierce earned a positive grade on 22.2% of his run snaps, all without earning a single negative grade. Against the pass, the Ravens' interior pass rush racked up four pass rush wins on just 12 snaps, amounting to an impressive 33.3% win rate.
11. LB Tyrel Dodson, Buffalo Bills: 89.3
After missing the wild-card round due to an injury, Dodson returned to the Bills shorthanded lineup. The Bills linebacker was a force fitting the run, racking up three run stops, including a late-game tackle for loss while producing a positive grade on over 28.6% of his snaps. Dodson was also fantastic in coverage allowing just 0.76 yards per coverage snap.
12. LB Leo Chenal, Kansas City Chiefs: 89.1
Chenal’s day in the divisional round marked his highest-graded performance of his young career, due largely to his incredible ability to stop the run. The Chiefs linebacker produced a 30.8% positively-graded play rate on running downs, the highest among qualifying linebackers.
13. LB Drue Tranquill, Kansas City Chiefs: 86.3
The second Chiefs linebacker to make this list, Tranquill was all over the ball in the divisional round. In coverage, Tranquill allowed just 0.22 yards per coverage snap, while also tacking on a pair of coverage stops. The Chiefs linebacker was just as impressive on the ground as well, amassing a positive grade on over 24% of his snaps, including a pair of crucial fourth-quarter run stops.
14. OG Jonah Jackson, Detroit Lions: 86.1
Despite going down in the first half of the Lions' divisional-round matchup, Jackson was incredible in his time on the field. Jackson allowed no pressures on his 18 pass protection snaps. In the run game, Jackson was asserting his will prior to going down earning a positive grade on a third of his snaps, all without committing a single error.
15. OG Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs: 85.8
The sixth-Chief to make this list off an incredible divisional round performance, Smith had a perfect outing as a pass protector. On 28 pass protection snaps, Smith allowed zero pressures, earning an 87.0 PFF pass protection grade. Smith was also fantastic in the run, in particular on inside zone concepts, in which he earned an 89.1 PFF run-blocking grade.
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