Mitchell Evans is producing during the Panthers' win streak: He is PFF's highest-graded qualifying tight end, with much of his work coming in blocking.
Oronde Gadsden II joins the top 15: A big week from the Chargers' up-and-coming tight end propels him to No. 7 in PFF overall grade.
Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
We're diving into the top rookies by PFF overall grade through Week 7 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.
PFF+ Logo
PFF+ Logo
1. S Nick Emmanwori, Seattle Seahawks (84.8*)
*Check back once Monday Night Football grades are released!
2. TE Mitchell Evans, Carolina Panthers (83.8)
Evans opened his account against the Jets with a 13-yard catch. His second reception of the game also went for double digits, an 11-yard gain across the middle to move Carolina into the red zone. Those were his only two targets of the game, earning him a 78.3 PFF receiving grade (fifth best in Week 7).
Evans, however, struggled in run blocking, recording four negative plays across 17 snaps (59.9 PFF run-blocking grade). Despite that challenge, he still graded out as the seventh-best tight end for the week (73.4).
The Notre Dame alumnus now sits as PFF’s highest-graded tight end. He has brought in all nine of his targets for 90 yards and six first downs. He also ranks seventh in PFF run-blocking grade (75.7). Evans is especially strong in gap schemes, where he owns a 77.0 PFF run-blocking grade (fifth best) across 46 snaps.
3. TE Jackson Hawes, Buffalo Bills (83.7)
The Bills were on a bye in Week 7.
4. LB Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles (82.5)
Campbell didn’t fill up the stat sheet, but he was solid all around against the Vikings. He recorded an 11.8% positively graded play rate in run defense across 17 snaps without logging any negative plays. He also recorded a quarterback hurry across three designed rushes. Campbell allowed two of his three targets to be caught but held receivers to 14 yards on those plays — his lowest total allowed since Week 3. He finished the day with a 67.6 PFF overall grade.
The first-round pick is the Eagles' highest-graded linebacker and second-highest-graded defender entering Week 8. He boasts the fifth-best PFF tackling grade at the position (83.3), having recorded 33 tackles with six stops and zero misses. He also leads all rookies in PFF run-defense grade (76.2) and is up to third overall in pass-rush win rate (20.5%).
Campbell continues to shine in coverage (83.1 PFF grade, fifth best), where he owned an elite 90.1 PFF coverage grade through the first three games. Campbell was targeted four times in that span, allowing only 11 yards receiving and forcing an incompletion. Since Week 4, he has been targeted 13 times, surrendering 141 yards and a touchdown while also picking off a pass.
5. RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants (80.6)
Skattebo rushed for 60 yards on 16 carries against the Broncos, picking up three first downs. He fought through traffic at the line for an 18-yard gain early in the fourth quarter, forcing two missed tackles along the way. He created four missed tackles in total. As a receiver, Skattebo caught three of five targets for 34 yards, including his first receiving touchdown of the season midway through the second quarter.
However, Skattebo recorded a position-worst 8.6 PFF pass-blocking grade, allowing one hurry on two snaps. It was his third game in four weeks with a sub-20.0 PFF pass-blocking grade.
The Arizona State product continues to rank in the top five in PFF rushing grade (81.5), now with 98 carries for 398 yards. Although he didn’t score on the ground in Week 7, he’s still tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns (five) and places in the top 10 in first downs (27) and missed tackles forced (20). Skattebo has 10 rushes of 10-plus yards to pair with a 19.1% breakaway rate.
6. RB Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns (77.3)
Judkins roared back from his lackluster performance against the Steelers in Week 6, with 84 yards and three touchdowns against the Dolphins in Week 7. His first score came on a 46-yard dash early in the second quarter. Later in the period, he punched it in from three yards out, lined up in the wildcat. His third touchdown was also a red-zone score, this time from two yards out. Judkins carried the ball 25 times, forced six missed tackles, gained five first downs and racked up 95 rushing yards after first contact (third most). Nineteen of his rushes came from gap schemes.
The Ohio State star now ranks 10th in rushing yards (467) and 11th in PFF rushing grade (76.7). He is also tied with fellow rookie Cam Skattebo in rushing touchdowns (five). Judkins places in the top 10 in first downs (29) and missed tackles forced (21). He has 10 rushes of 10-plus yards, with half going for more than 15 yards.
7. TE Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers (75.3)
Gadsden torched Indianapolis’s defense for 164 receiving yards (most) across seven catches. Gadsden recorded five explosive plays on the day, including catches of 30 and 53 yards. His only reception to not go for more than 20 yards was a 15-yard touchdown catch on a third-down play early in the fourth quarter.
Gadsden averaged 8.6 yards after the catch per reception and 3.42 yards per route run, both top-10 marks. He generated a 116.2 passer rating when targeted and led all tight ends in PFF overall grade for the week (85.8). Most of his production (156 yards) came against zone coverage, where he earned a 95.4 PFF receiving grade.
The fifth-round pick ranks fifth among tight ends in PFF receiving grade entering Week 8 (79.3), having now caught 22 of 27 passes for 308 yards (ninth most). His season-long stat line includes 13 first downs and seven gains of 15-plus yards. He also ranks third in yards per route run (2.20). Gadsden has been targeted 19 times against zone looks, making 16 catches for 256 yards (second most) and 10 first downs. He leads the position with a 90.5 PFF receiving grade against zone.
8. WR Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (75.3*)
*Check back once Monday Night Football grades are released!
9. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers (74.7)
McMillan caught three passes for 33 yards against the Jets, making it his second consecutive game with less than 50 receiving yards. He did tally two first-down gains of double-digit yards, including an 11-yard catch on fourth-and-3 late in the first half. McMillan finished the day with a 61.6 PFF overall grade.
The Arizona Wildcat now has 30 catches this season for 413 yards and 24 first downs. He sports 75.0-plus PFF receiving grades at every level of the field beyond the line of scrimmage, with most of his targets coming from the short area of the field (25). McMillan has caught 18 of those passes for 156 yards and 12 first downs, and he is averaging 6.24 yards per route run per reception on throws within nine yards of the line of scrimmage.
10. T Will Campbell, New England Patriots (74.7)
Campbell earned a 60.8 PFF overall grade against the Titans in Week 7, his first game with a sub-70.0 figure since Week 3. The top-five pick allowed two pressures across 36 snaps, a sack and a hit, both on third-down plays. It was his first hit allowed since Week 3, and his first sack surrendered since Week 1. Campbell still finished with a 70.1 PFF pass-blocking grade for the day.
He struggled to make an impact as a run blocker (60.6 PFF run-blocking grade), logging only a 4.3% impact-block rate across 23 snaps.
Despite his challenges, Campbell continues to rank in the top two among rookie tackles in PFF pass-blocking grade (73.4) and PFF run-blocking grade (68.1). He also places in the top 20 at the position in defeated rate (11.0%).
11. WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears (74.4)
Burden was targeted only twice against New Orleans, bringing down one for 22 yards. The play came midway through the third quarter as he found himself wide open across the middle in zone coverage. The gain moved the Bears into Saints territory. Burden finished the game with a 65.8 PFF overall grade.
The second-rounder has not been targeted as much as the other receivers on this list (14), but he has still hauled in 12 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. He has recorded four catches of 15-plus yards and forced three missed tackles. Burden leads all rookies in yards after the catch per reception (7.5) and yards per route run (3.02). He ranks second among the class in passer rating when targeted (141.7).
12. T Armand Membou, New York Jets (73.6)
Membou recorded a 73.6 PFF pass-blocking grade against the Panthers, his best outing since Week 1. He allowed three pressures across 45 snaps and recorded a 95.5 pass-blocking efficiency rating on true pass sets. Membou also logged his best PFF run-blocking grade since Week 4 (68.5).
Like Will Campbell, Membou continues to rank well in several metrics. He leads the draft class in PFF run-blocking grade (74.0) and maintains the class' third-best pass-blocking efficiency rating (tied, 95.6).
13. WR/CB Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars (73.2 on Defense)
Hunter broke out against the Rams with eight catches for 101 yards, both season highs. He was targeted 12 times, with 10 coming in the second half. In the final two quarters, he notched three gains of 15-plus yards, including a 34-yard touchdown where he was able to gain separation across the field, despite a hold from Quentin Lake. Hunter gained five first downs, forced a missed tackle and finished the game with a 72.7 PFF offensive grade.
On the other side of the field, he was targeted once on a third-down play in the third quarter and was able to break up the pass intended for Davante Adams, keeping up with him downfield and knocking the ball loose before Adams could secure it. Hunter tallied an 83.6 PFF coverage grade.
The second overall pick now has 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown this season. He has gained 12 first downs, forced nine missed tackles and made six catches of 15-plus yards. He has also secured four contested catches and is averaging 5.0 yards after the catch per reception.
As a cornerback, Hunter has allowed nine catches on 15 targets for 96 yards. He has forced three incompletions, holding quarterbacks to a 78.8 passer rating on his way to a 72.7 PFF coverage grade.
14. TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts (73.2)
Warren made big plays throughout Week 7, finishing with four catches for 69 yards against the Chargers. He got loose across the middle of the field for a 29-yard gain early in the first quarter. He later caught a five-yard touchdown pass along the back of the endzone in the second quarter. Warren got into space underneath the coverage again in the third quarter, turning upfield for another 29-yard gain. He finished the day with a perfect passer rating when targeted.
The 6-foot-6 pass catcher out of Penn State is up to 33 catches for 439 yards and 22 first downs in his rookie campaign. He has a touchdown catch in each of his past three games, as well as 13 explosive gains of 15-plus yards. He also now ranks first at the position in PFF pass-blocking grade (83.1), playing 13 pass-blocking snaps without allowing a pressure.
15. RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (73.0)
Hampton remains on injured reserve with an ankle injury.