• Ladd McConkey is rising: The Chargers rookie is now the NFL's highest-graded first-year wide receiver.
• A tough week for rookies overall: Numerous players on the list had their lowest-graded performance to date.
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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
After 12 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 12 weeks of action.
1. QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
PFF Grade: 88.5
Daniels earned a PFF grade above 80.0 for the fifth time in his career on Sunday during the loss to the Cowboys. He completed 25 of 38 passes for 275 yards and recorded two big-time throws. However, Daniels also logged a turnover-worthy play for the second consecutive week and now has a turnover-worthy play on just 1.6% of his dropbacks this season.
2. TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
PFF Grade: 83.1
Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos marked the lowest-graded game of Brock Bowers' career, as he earned a PFF grade of just 46.2. He averaged only 0.75 yards per route run—the lowest single-game mark of his career—converting nine targets into just 38 receiving yards on four receptions.
3. CB Andru Phillips, New York Giants
PFF Grade: 82.1
Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers wasn’t Deonte Phillips' best outing, much like the rest of the Giants roster. His 57.9 PFF grade was the second-lowest single-game grade of his rookie season, with a pair of missed tackles contributing to the dip. Despite the struggles, Phillips continued to make plays and now has 24 defensive stops on the year.
4. EDGE Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
PFF Grade: 81.4
Like several players ranked above him, Verse had the lowest-graded game of his career this week. He earned a PFF grade of 40.8 and managed just one pressure in the game. For context, Verse recorded at least three pressures in every game before Week 12.
5. WR Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
PFF Grade: 80.2
McConkey caught all six of his targets for 83 yards on Monday Night Football, averaging 1.89 yards per route run in the loss. The highest-graded rookie receiver in the NFL this season, McConkey has averaged an impressive 2.19 yards per route run during his rookie campaign.
6. WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
PFF Grade: 79.6
Thomas and the Jaguars didn’t play this week, but he will be hoping to get Trevor Lawrence back at quarterback soon. So far this season, Thomas has earned an 81.1 PFF receiving grade and has averaged 2.27 yards per route run.
7. CB Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles
PFF Grade: 79.6
DeJean has continued to improve as the season progresses and put up a PFF grade above 70.0 for the sixth time in seven games during Sunday’s win over the Rams. Through the first 12 weeks of the season, he has allowed an average of just 6.8 yards per reception.
8. WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants
PFF Grade: 79.3
Nabers saw nine targets in the Giants' loss to the Buccaneers, turning them into six receptions for 64 yards. He hasn’t found the end zone since Week 3, and the switch to Tommy DeVito at quarterback resulted in his second-lowest single-game grade of the season.
9. T Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers
PFF Grade: 79.0
Alt delivered another solid performance in the Chargers’ Monday Night Football loss to the Ravens, earning a 72.8 PFF pass-blocking grade while allowing just one pressure. This season, Alt has surrendered only 13 pressures on 376 pass-blocking snaps.
10. G Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers
PFF Grade: 78.4
Puni had his lowest-graded game of the season this past week, earning a sub-60.0 PFF grade for just the third time in the loss to the Packers. Despite the setback, he has maintained a 70.1 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 77.6 PFF run-blocking grade on the season.
11. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
PFF Grade: 78.4
Harrison delivered a solid, if unspectacular, performance in the Cardinals’ loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, earning a 63.4 PFF receiving grade. He came close to making a sensational grab down the left sideline but was unable to get his second foot in bounds.
12. C Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers
PFF Grade: 77.4
Frazier had the worst game of his career on Thursday Night Football, earning a 20.3 PFF pass-blocking grade while struggling particularly against stunts from the Browns defense. However, he remained solid as a run blocker and has posted an 81.2 PFF run-blocking grade through the first 12 weeks of the season.
13. CB Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles
PFF Grade: 73.4
Mitchell delivered another impressive performance in the Eagles’ win over the Rams on Sunday Night Football, earning a 66.0 PFF coverage grade while allowing just 26 yards on three receptions in coverage. Over the past four weeks, he has surrendered only seven receptions for 63 yards on throws into his coverage.
14. EDGE Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts
PFF Grade: 73.1
The first defensive player off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft had the best game of his young career as a pass-rusher on Sunday against the Lions. From 27 pass-rushing snaps, he racked up a sack, a pair of quarterback hits and a pair of quarterback hurries.
15. QB Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
PFF Grade: 72.8
Bo Nix has now earned a PFF passing grade above 70.0 for three consecutive weeks, continuing to impress in his rookie season. While he hasn’t been the most dynamic passer—posting a big-time throw rate of just 3.1%—he has excelled at protecting the football, with a turnover-worthy play rate of only 1.4%.
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