- Mitchell Evans produces during the Panthers’ win streak: He is PFF’s top-rated tight end, with much of his work blocked.
- Oronde Gadsden II joins the top 15: A big week for the Chargers’ tight end moves him up to seventh overall in PFF rankings.
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
We dive into the top rookies by PFF overall grade through Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. To qualify, players had to have logged a minimum of 100 snaps. Changes could happen once the Monday Night Football numbers are released.
1. S Nick Emmanwori, Seattle Seahawks (84.8*)
*Check back when the Monday Night Football numbers are in!
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 netted double figures, an 11-yard gain over the middle to move Carolina into the red zone. Those were his only two targets in the game, giving him a PFF grade of 78.3 (fifth in Week 7).
However, Evans struggled in run blocking, recording four negative plays in 17 snaps (59.9 PFF run-blocking grade). Despite that challenge, he still finished as the seventh-best tight end of the week (73.4).
The Our Lady alumnus now sits as PFF’s highest-rated tight end. He has hauled in all nine 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 PFF run-blocking grade of 77.0 (fifth-best) across 46 snaps.
3. TE Jackson Hawes, Buffalo Bills (83.7)
The bills were due 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 a positively rated play rate of 11.8% in run defense over 17 snaps without registering any negative play action. He also recorded a quarterback rush on three designed rushes. Campbell allowed two of his three targets to be taken, but held receivers to 14 yards on those plays — his lowest total allowed since Week 3. He finished the day with an overall PFF grade of 67.6.
The first-round pick is the Eagles’ highest-ranked linebacker and second-highest defensive player entering Week 8. He boasts the fifth-best PFF tackle 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 ranks third overall in pass-rush win percentage (20.5%).
Campbell continues to shine in coverage (83.1 PFF grade, fifth-best), where he owned an elite PFF coverage grade of 90.1 through the first three games. Campbell was targeted four times in that span, allowing just 11 yards receiving and forcing an incompletion. Since Week 4, he has been targeted 13 times, giving up 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 and picked up three first downs. He fought through traffic at the line early in the fourth quarter for an 18-yard gain, forcing two missed tackles along the way. He created a total of four missed tackles. 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 posted a league-worst 8.6 PFF pass-blocking grade, allowing one rush on two snaps. It was his third game in four weeks with a PFF pass-blocking grade below 20.0.
The State of Arizona product remains 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 still ranks fourth in rushing touchdowns (five) and is top 10 in first downs (27) and forced missed tackles (20). Skattebo has 10 rushes of more than 10 yards to go along with a 19.1% breakaway percentage.
6. RB Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns (77.3)
Judkins roared back from his lackluster performance against the Steelers in Week 6, rushing for 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 smashed it in from three yards out, set up in the wildcat. His third touchdown was also a score in the red zone, this time from two yards out. Judkins carried the ball 25 times, forced six missed tackles, had five first downs and racked up 95 rushing yards after first contact (third most). Nineteen of his rushes came on gap schemes.
The State of Ohio 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 ranks top 10 in first downs (29) and forced missed tackles (21). He has 10 rushes of more than 10 yards, half of which are more than 15 yards.
7. TE Orronds Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers (75.3)
Gadsden torched the Indianapolis defense for 164 receiving yards (the most) across seven catches. Gadsden recorded five explosive plays that day, including catches of 30 and 53 yards. His only reception that didn’t go further 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, 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). The majority of his production (156 yards) came against zone coverage, where he earned a PFF grade of 95.4.
The fifth-round pick ranks fifth among tight ends in PFF and graded in Week 8 (79.3) after now catching 22 of 27 passes for 308 yards (ninth). His season stats include 13 first downs and seven gains of more than 15 yards. He also ranks third in yards per route (2.20). Gadsden has been targeted on zone looks 19 times, making 16 catches for 256 yards (second most) and 10 first downs. He leads the position with a PFF grade of 90.5 against zone.
8. WR Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (75.3*)
*Check back when the Monday Night Football numbers are in!
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 fewer than 50 receiving yards. He had 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 an overall grade of 61.6 PFF.
The Arizona Wildcat now has 30 catches for 413 yards and 24 first downs this season. He has a PFF above 75.0 and receives grades at every level of the field beyond the line of scrimmage, with most of his targets coming from the short end 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 per reception on throws within nine yards of the line of scrimmage.
10. T Will Campbell, New England Patriots (74.7)
Campbell posted an overall PFF grade of 60.8 against the Titans in Week 7, his first game with a grade below 70.0 since Week 3. The top-five pick allowed two pressures over 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 PFF pass-blocking grade of 70.1 for the day.
He struggled to make an impact as a run blocker (60.6 PFF run-blocking grade), registering just a 4.3% impact block rate over 23 snaps.
Despite his challenges, Campbell remains in the top two among rookie tackles in PFF pass-blocking grade (73.4) and PFF run-blocking grade (68.1). He also ranks in the top 20 at the position in beat percentage (11.0%).
11. WR Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears (74.4)
Burden was targeted only twice against New Orleans, one of which was taken down for 22 yards. The play came midway through the third quarter when he found himself wide open up the middle in zone coverage. The win moved the Bears into Saints territory. Burden finished the game with an overall PFF grade of 65.8.
The second-rounder hasn’t been targeted as often as the other receivers on this list (14), but he’s still hauled in 12 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. He has recorded four catches of more than 15 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 in his class in passer rating when targeted (141.7).
12. T Armand Membou, New York Jets (73.6)
Membou posted a PFF pass-blocking grade of 73.6 against the Panthers, his best performance since Week 1. He allowed three pressures over 45 snaps and recorded a pass-blocking efficiency of 95.5 on true pass sets. Membou also recorded his best PFF run-blocking grade since Week 4 (68.5).
Like Will Campbell, Membou continues to score well in several metrics. He leads the draft class in PFF run-blocking grade (74.0) and maintains the class’s third-best pass-blocking efficiency rating (tie, 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 attacked twelve times, ten of which came in the second half. In the final two quarters, he had three gains of more than 15 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown where he was able to get separation down the field despite a grab from Quentin Lake. Hunter collected five first downs, forced a missed tackle and finished the game with a 72.7 PFF offensive grade.
At the other end of the court, 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, keep up with him down the field and knock the ball loose before Adams could secure it. Hunter earned a PFF coverage grade of 83.6.
The second overall pick now has 28 catches for 298 yards and a touchdown this season. He has recorded 12 first downs, forced nine missed tackles and made six catches of more than 15 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 en route to a PFF coverage grade of 72.7.
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 went wild over 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 end zone in the second quarter. Warren got back into space under coverage in the third quarter and turned upfield for another 29-yard gain. He finished the day with a perfect passer rating when attacked.
The 6-foot-4 pass catcher out 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 in PFF pass-blocking grade (83.1), playing 13 pass-blocking snaps without allowing pressure.
15. RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (73.0)
Hampton remains on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
#Top #NFL #rookies #Week