• Drake Maye avoiding mistakes: The Patriots' rookie has zero turnover-worthy plays over the past two weeks.
• Jared Verse continues to impress: The Rams' rookie has registered 64 total pressures through 15 weeks.
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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
After 15 weeks of NFL action, the league's rookies are making their mark with standout performances. Among the top-graded first-year players are a mix of highly touted first-round picks and impressive Day 3 selections, showcasing talent from across the draft spectrum.
Here are the highest-graded first-year players after 15 weeks of action.
1. QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
PFF Grade: 88.3
Daniels delivered another strong performance as the Commanders defeated New Orleans on Sunday afternoon, completing 25 of his 31 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. This season, he has a turnover-worthy play rate of just 1.5%.
2. EDGE Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
PFF Grade: 85.1
Verse continued his impressive rookie campaign in the Rams' Thursday Night Football win over the 49ers, bringing his total pressures to 64 on the season. He has earned an 82.2 PFF pass-rushing grade through 15 weeks, and his 18.7% pass-rush win rate ranks seventh among all NFL edge defenders.
3. TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
PFF Grade: 84.3
Bowers earned the lowest single-game grade of his career on Monday night against the Falcons, with the 13th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft averaging just 0.76 yards per route run. That shouldn’t diminish what has been an incredible season so far, though, with Bowers earning an 87.3 receiving grade through 15 weeks.
4. G Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers
PFF Grade: 83.5
Puni earned a 57.3 PFF grade in the 49ers' Week 15 loss to the Rams, marking just the fourth time in his career he’s received a grade below 60.0. Despite that, he has maintained a solid 69.0 PFF pass-blocking grade and an impressive 84.2 PFF run-blocking grade this season.
5. WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants
PFF Grade: 82.0
Despite the Giants' struggles at the quarterback position this season, Nabers is proving that the Giants were right to draft him with the sixth overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. He is averaging 1.92 yards per route run and has earned an 82.6 PFF receiving grade.
6. CB Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles
PFF Grade: 80.6
DeJean bounced back from a rough outing against the Carolina Panthers last week with a strong showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. On the field for 24 coverage snaps, he allowed just two receptions for 12 yards.
7. CB Tarheeb Still, Los Angeles Chargers
PFF Grade: 80.0
Still had another strong performance despite the Chargers losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15. On the field for 35 coverage snaps, he allowed just two receptions for 28 yards and recorded an interception.
8. WR Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
PFF Grade: 79.5
McConkey had a tough outing against the Buccaneers on Sunday, dropping his fourth and fifth passes of the season. Despite that, he is averaging 2.32 yards per route run this year and sits just 127 yards away from reaching 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie campaign.
9. T Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers
PFF Grade: 78.4
With another strong performance, Alt continues to establish himself as the top offensive tackle from the 2024 draft class. In pass protection, he has allowed more than one pressure in a game just three times this season.
10. WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
PFF Grade: 78.4
Thomas is just 44 yards away from a 1,000-yard season and had the first multi-touchdown game of his career in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets. He has averaged 2.26 yards per route run and 14.9 yards per catch through 15 weeks.
11. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
PFF Grade: 77.3
Harrison was targeted six times in Sunday’s win over the New England Patriots, but he turned them into just two receptions for 32 yards. He has 15 contested catches through 15 weeks but has gone 0-for-4 in contested situations over the past two weeks.
12. DI T'Vondre Sweat, Tennessee Titans
PFF Grade: 76.2
Sweat set a career-high with a 92.1 PFF grade in Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He generated four pressures on 24 pass-rushing snaps, recorded three defensive stops and added a forced fumble and fumble recovery. He also earned a 73.5 PFF run-defense grade, capping off a well-rounded performance.
13. C Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers
PFF Grade: 75.1
Frazier didn’t allow a single sack, hit or hurry from 27 pass-blocking snaps in Week 15, the seventh time this season he hasn’t allowed any pressures in a single game. He has been better as a run-blocker than a pass-blocker as a rookie, though, earning a 77.7 PFF pass-blocking grade through 15 weeks.
14. CB Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles
PFF Grade: 74.9
On the field for 27 coverage snaps on Sunday, Mitchell allowed just two receptions for 25 yards and earned a 63.1 PFF coverage grade. Through 15 weeks, he has yet to allow a touchdown in coverage and has recorded eight pass breakups.
15. QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots
PFF Grade: 74.7
Earning a PFF grade above 70.0 for the third time in the past four games, Maye continues to look the part at quarterback for the Patriots. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play on 68 straight dropbacks over the past two weeks.
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