Walter Nolen climbs to No. 1 despite his injury: Although Nolen played only six snaps this week due to a knee injury, he found the end zone on a fumble recovery and crossed the 100-snap threshold to qualify for this top 15.
Jihaad Campbell continues to see less work: He played a season-low 11 snaps in Week 12 with the Eagles leaning more on Nakobe Dean in their linebacker corps.
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Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
We're diving into the top rookies by PFF overall grade through Week 12 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.
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1. DI Walter Nolen, Arizona Cardinals (84.6)
Nolen shoots to the top of the list, making his top-15 debut, after notching a fumble recovery for a touchdown against the Jaguars and surpassing the 100-snap threshold. The play occurred late in the first quarter after safety Jalen Thompson sacked Trevor Lawrence, knocking the ball into the air and right into Nolen’s arms. Unfortunately, Nolen exited the game shortly after with a knee injury, finishing with only six defensive snaps.
The 16th overall pick out of Ole Miss missed the first half of the season with a calf injury and made his season debut in Week 9 against the Cowboys. Nolen has played 101 defensive snaps in that time, ranking sixth in PFF overall grade among interior defenders.
Nolen has logged a 73.5 PFF run-defense grade, powered by five tackles with three stops across 44 snaps. He’s generating a 22.7% positive play rate as a run defender. He also ranks seventh in PFF pass-rush grade (78.7) and 15th in pass-rush win rate (13.7%). He has notched a sack, a quarterback hit and a batted pass across 51 such snaps.
2. Cam Skattebo, New York Giants (80.5)
Skattebo is out for the season due to a leg injury.
3. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers (80.4*)
Check back for updates after Monday Night Football grades are released!
4. EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Dallas Cowboys (79.5)
Ezeiruaku's 75.0 PFF run-defense grade this week ranked eighth among edge defenders. He struggled again as a pass rusher, recording one clean-up pressure on a 0% pass-rush win rate (19 snaps). That was ultimately the catalyst for his 48.2 PFF pass-rush grade (eighth worst) and 63.9 PFF overall grade.
Still, the 22-year-old moves up to second among rookie edge rushers in PFF run-defense grade (69.0). He leads the class in run stops, with five of his 13 coming in his past three games. He has a 35.3% positive play rate against the run and the second-best PFF run-defense grade (86.7) over that span.
Ezeiruaku struggled to get after the quarterback in Weeks 11 and 12, evidenced by his poor 2.4% pass-rush win rate (tied for third worst). He owns the fifth-worst PFF pass-rush grade in that span (48.0) but maintains a strong 70.1 mark for the season.
5. TE Jackson Hawes, Buffalo Bills (79.2)
Hawes is trending up again. He notched a seventh-ranked 76.5 PFF overall grade against the Texans on Thursday Night Football in Week 12, securing both of his targets for 26 yards, including an 18-yard gain against busted coverage early in the third quarter. He also posted a 70.3 PFF pass blocking grade on only two pass-blocking snaps. Meanwhile, his 77.1 gap run-blocking grade ranked third at the position this week.
The fifth-round pick's 77.8 PFF receiving grade ranks 10th among tight ends (minimum of 10 targets). He has caught 10 of 13 passes for 139 yards, nine first downs and two touchdowns, highlighted by five catches of 15-plus yards. Hawes also places in the top five in yards per route run (2.28) and passer rating when targeted (150.3).
He remains excellent in pass protection, having gone 22 such snaps with zero pressure surrendered on his way to a third-ranked 80.8 PFF pass-blocking grade. Hawes' PFF run-blocking grade also remains strong, at 69.8 (eighth best), and he is particularly excelling in zone schemes (78.2).
6. LB Jihaad Campbell, Philadelphia Eagles (77.6)
Campbell earned a 51.2 PFF overall grade on just 11 snaps against the Cowboys. He spent most of his time in coverage (seven snaps), where he allowed one catch — to tight end Jake Ferguson — for a five-yard gain. While the gain was limited, it did result in a third-down conversion.
Campbell has struggled in recent weeks and has been somewhat phased out in favor of Nakobe Dean, but he remains the NFL's ninth-highest-graded linebacker heading into Week 13. He hasn’t recorded any run-defense stats in his past two games, but he maintains an 8.6% positive play rate along with a 73.1 PFF run-defense grade. He has missed only one tackle as a run defender across 201 snaps.
The former Alabama star also places in the top 10 in PFF coverage grade (77.2) and PFF tackling grade (80.1). He has allowed 19 catches on 24 targets for 212 yards and four first downs.
7. T Armand Membou, New York Jets (75.8)
Membou enjoyed another solid outing, recording a 70.0 PFF overall grade against the Ravens, led by a 75.4 PFF pass-blocking grade. He surrendered two hurries and a sack across 34 snaps but still finished with a 94.1 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating. His 71.1 gap PFF run-blocking grade this week ranked 10th among tackles, but he was also hit with four negative grades as a run blocker, resulting in a 63.4 overall PFF run-blocking grade.
The 21-year-old Missouri product boasts the 14th-best PFF overall grade among tackles with at least 500 snaps played. He has the lowest knockdown rate among that group (1.3%) and the second-best PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating in the draft class (96.3).
Membou ranks 12th in PFF run-blocking grade (76.4) overall, fourth in defeated rate among right tackles (11.0%) and first in impact-block rate among rookie tackles (12.7%).
8. WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears (75.7)
Burden caught three passes for 46 yards — all first downs — against the Steelers, including two grabs of 15-plus yards. He came across the middle for a 17-yard gain early in the first quarter and picked up 19 yards on a screen play on third-and-9 on the last play of the first half.
Chicago’s second-round pick has now caught 22 of 28 passes for 295 yards and 11 first downs this season. He has the 11th-lowest average depth of target (7.8 yards) among wide receivers, but has still ripped off nine gains of 15-plus yards.
Burden has secured all three of his targets against single coverage for 47 yards, earning a 72.2 PFF receiving grade on such plays. His 75.5 PFF receiving grade against zone coverage leads Bears receivers, fueled by 15 catches on 19 targets for 213 yards. He is generating an impressive 130.9 passer rating when targeted against zone coverage.
9. CB Will Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (75.5)
Johnson did not play in Week 12 due to back and hip injuries.
10. T Will Campbell, New England Patriots (75.5)
Campbell earned the ninth-best PFF pass-blocking grade among tackles this week (80.5). He was beaten twice on 24 pass-blocking snaps against the Bengals but did not yield any pressure. However, Campbell also recorded the ninth-worst PFF run-blocking grade (48.9) and finished the outing with a 63.4 PFF overall grade.
The top-five pick ranks in the top 15 among starting left tackles in both blocking facets. His 5.9% pressure rate allowed (ninth best) has led to a 76.0 PFF pass-blocking grade. Meanwhile, Campbell boasts the eighth-best defeated rate as a run blocker (11.3%). Still, his 10.5% impact-block rate has limited his PFF run-blocking grade to 65.7.
11. TE Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears (74.9)
Loveland brought in four of five targets against the Steelers for 49 yards and two first downs. He caught his third touchdown of the season late in the second quarter — a five-yard pass over Kyle Duggar to trim Pittsburgh’s lead near halftime. Loveland struggled as a blocker, recording a 37.7 PFF pass-blocking grade and a 58.1 PFF run-blocking grade. He finished the day with a 63.2 PF overall grade.
The 10th overall pick has now caught 28 passes on 38 targets for 378 yards, leading to an 11th-ranked 76.3 PFF receiving grade (76.3). His resume includes 16 first downs, eight gains of 15-plus yards, five contested catches and an eighth-ranked passer rating when targeted (131.3). As a blocker, Loveland remains at his best in the run game, where he holds a 69.8 PFF run-blocking grade.
12. CB Marcus Harris, Tennessee Titans (74.3)
The sixth-rounder debuts in the top 15 after recording an 89.0 PFF overall grade against the Seahawks (third best) in Week 12. Harris did not allow a single catch across three targets and broke up two passes in the first half — one on a third down late in the first quarter. His biggest stop came late in the second quarter, forcing an incompletion to tight end AJ Barner and preventing a touchdown. Seattle would settle for a field goal on the drive. Harris also finished with a tackle in run defense and a quarterback hurry on his one snap as a pass rusher.
The California product has seen his role increase after Tennessee traded Roger McCreary to the Rams midseason. He has played 108 defensive snaps over the past four weeks and sports a top-10 PFF run-defense grade (78.9), along with a 71.2 PFF coverage grade. Harris has been targeted 15 times, with only five catches allowed for 35 yards. He has given up three first downs and a touchdown but is also sitting on a 27.2% forced incompletion rate and just 3.2 yards allowed per target.
13. TE Mitchell Evans, Carolina Panthers (74.3*)
Check back for updates after Monday Night Football grades are released!
14. EDGE Jalon Walker, Atlanta Falcons (74.1)
Walker notched a 72.5 PFF overall grade against the Saints. He played 14 snaps in run defense, finishing with a 68.6 PFF grade, and secured his fifth sack of the season early in the third quarter, working around fellow rookie Kelvin Banks Jr. to make the play. Walker recorded an 11.5% pass-rush win rate on 26 such snaps en route to a 66.1 PFF pass-rushing grade.
The former Georgia Bulldog has been on a tear in his past three games, grading out as the fourth-best edge defender in that span (82.7). He holds the third-best PFF run-defense grade (85.7), buoyed by a 21.9% positive play rate. He also has six pressures with two sacks and a quarterback hit, along with a 75.9 PFF coverage grade.
15. TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts (74.1)
Warren graded out as the 10th-best tight end of Week 12 (71.2), albeit in the Colts’ overtime loss to the Chiefs. He caught five of seven targets for 45 yards and two first downs. He also averaged 8.8 yards after the catch per reception, tying for third best among tight ends this week. His biggest catch was a third-quarter screen pass that he took for 16 yards to move Indianapolis inside the eight-yard line.
As a blocker, Warren led the position with an 81.8 PFF pass-blocking grade across six snaps this week. He didn’t allow a single pressure. Meanwhile, he recorded a 70.3 zone PFF run-blocking grade and zero matchup losses, leading to an overall 69.0 PFF run-blocking grade.
The 14th overall pick from Penn State has now caught 55 passes for 662 yards. He ranks third in both marks. Warren has moved the chains 32 times, brought in three touchdown passes and tallied 18 gains of 15-plus yards.
Over his past two games, Warren has secured 13 of 16 targets for 144 yards, earning a 75.4 PFF receiving grade in that span.