PFF 101: The top 101 players from the 2024 NFL season
- Jalen Hurts’ and Milton Williams’ Super Bowl run catapults them into PFF 101: Two Eagles secured their spots on this list due to exceptional performances in the postseason, leading Philadelphia to their second Super Bowl Championship.
- Tee Higgins slots into the top 80: Unless he gets strapped with the franchise tag, Higgins will enter the 2025 offseason as the PFF’s top available free agent. Despite missing five games with a hamstring injury, Higgins rallied to produce the best receiving grade (88.3) of his career.
- 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes
Super Bowl 59 brought a close to the 2024 season, and before we move on to the excitement of free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, let’s reflect on some of the best individual performances of the year.
The PFF 101 highlights the top individual performances in 2024, regardless of position, and credits the best players of the season that was.
PFF remains a player evaluation site at its core, and the 101 is our chance to acknowledge and praise the best players from the 2024 season one last time before we look ahead to assembling rosters for the upcoming year.
Here is a quick reminder of our basic criteria:
• This list is based solely on play in 2024. Past or future play is not accounted for. This isn’t about class or talent; it’s about performance throughout the 2024 NFL season.
• This list is created with an “all positions are created equal” mantra. So, you won’t see 32 quarterbacks heading the list, even though that is the game’s most valuable position. Instead, we take a look at how players performed relative to what is expected from their position.
• Unlike PFF’s awards, the 101 factors in the postseason, so some players who won PFF awards may find themselves jumped in the 101 by rivals who had a playoff run worthy of a change in ranking.
• Disagree with the players we’ve included here? Let us know on X, formerly known as Twitter, (@PFF).
101. S Julian Love, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle reached a three-year, $36 million extension with Pro Bowl safety back in July, which Love answered with a career year in 2024. Love was the fourth-highest-graded safety in PFF’s advanced coverage grading and held the second-highest PFF run-defense grade (89.5) at the position, showcasing his massive impact in both facets.
100. G Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers struck gold when they selected Puni with the 87th pick in last April’s draft. The first-year guard finished as not only the highest-graded offensive lineman in the 2024 class, but his 81.9 PFF overall grade landed him in the top six among qualifying guards in the league.
99. CB Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
While some inconsistency marred by penalties hindered the elite corner from notching a third-straight All-Pro nod, his talent is undeniable. Gardner finished the year ranked ninth among cornerbacks in advanced coverage grade, a credit to him charting in the 90th percentile in a variety of PFF’s stable cornerback metrics, including single coverage grade (93rd) and forced incompletion rate (99th).
98. T Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
While Jaylon Moore filled in admirably for Williams after the perennial All-Pro went down in Week 11, it’s difficult to fully replace his impact. Prior to his injury, Williams’ 86.6 PFF overall grade ranked sixth among tackles and placed him within reach of cementing his fifth consecutive season surpassing the 90.0 grading threshold.
97. T Spencer Brown, Buffalo Bills
Just prior to the Bills kicking off their 2024 season, Buffalo locked up Brown to a four-year, $72 million extension, and the Bills were certainly glad they did. While Brown had shown promise across his first three seasons, 2024 put him on the map. In the playoffs, the Bills tackle emerged as a true impact blocker, as he earned an 83.5 PFF overall grade — fourth highest among all offensive linemen this postseason.
96. EDGE Greg Rousseau, Buffalo Bills
With a contract extension on the horizon, Rousseau showed exactly why the Bills should cut him a check, after earning his third-straight season surpassing an 80.0-plus overall grade. During the regular season, the 24-year-old pass-rusher generated 63 total pressures — tied for the 10th most among edge defenders.
95. WR Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
In just his second year, Flowers made franchise history becoming the first Ravens receiver to be voted to the Pro Bowl (at the receiver position, not as a returner). The dynamic threat is electric with the ball in his hands, as he finished 2024 ranked in the top 12 in yards after catch (467; 12th) and missed tackles forced on receptions (18; eighth) among receivers.
94. CB Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears
For the second-straight year, Johnson lands in the PFF 101, credit to another year showcasing his sticky coverage ability. While Johnson’s coverage metrics may have dipped slightly, his advanced coverage grade finished in the 98th percentile among all qualifying coverage defenders.
93. S Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons
Bates is another player to be voted to the PFF 101 in back-to-back years, continuing to provide this Atlanta secondary with a consistent eraser on the backend. The Falcons safety finished the regular season with the 14th-highest advanced coverage grade at the position.
92. DI DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts
Although a high ankle sprain in Week 2 limited Buckner to 12 games, his presence in the back half of the year was pivotal to the Colts‘ late-season push. Indy’s defensive captain clocked the sixth-highest PFF overall grade (81.9) among interior defenders, which was highlighted by his ability to press the pocket and bring down passers. Buckner managed to collect seven sacks on just 332 pass rush snaps, still placing him in the top 12 at the position despite missing five games.
91. QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Hurts may have finished the regular season as just the NFL’s 21st-highest-graded quarterback, but he would not be denied in the playoffs, making his inclusion on this list a must. During the Eagles’ run to becoming Super Bowl 59 champs, the dynamic signal-caller clocked an 87.2 PFF overall grade — second to only Lamar Jackson — highlighted by his postseason-leading 93.8 clean pocket passing grade.
90. DI Milton Williams, Philadelphia Eagles
Williams was another player crucial to the Eagles’ Super Bowl run, dominating as the highest-graded pass-rusher (91.4) this postseason, which will undoubtedly earn him a lucrative payday in free agency. He also finished the regular season with career-high marks in sacks (six), pressures (44), pass-rush win rate (17.7%) and pass-rush productivity rating (8.2).
89. T Charles Cross, Seattle Seahawks
This past season was a breakout year for Cross, as he generated his best PFF grades to date, setting new high watermarks as both a run (77.9) and pass (81.3) blocker. The Hawks tackle is a powerful road-grader in gap concepts, grading in the 94th percentile among tackles.
88. T Bernhard Raimann, Indianapolis Colts
While Raimann missed the better part of four games in the middle of the year due to a pair of injuries, he never skipped a beat upon his return. The third-year tackle produced a top-eight overall grade (85.9) at the position, showcasing his talents in both facets of the game while landing in the top 15 in both run blocking (80.7; 10th) and pass protection (82.0; 14th).
87. EDGE Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville franchise tagged Hines-Allen last offseason and then promptly signed him to a five-year, $141.25 million extension. The explosive edge rusher rewarded that belief with a huge performance in 2024, piling up 63 total pressures — tied for the 12th most in the NFL — off a 15.9% pass-rush win rate.
86. EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
Had Hutchinson not fractured his leg in early October, he would have likely been in contention to be named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. He may have played just 280 snaps in 2024 — the lowest of any player in the PFF 101 — but his impact was undeniable. Across his five starts, the explosive Lions edge rusher racked up eight sacks thanks to his massive 38.3% pass-rush win rate, paving the way to a 95.0 PFF pass-rush grade — the highest charted by any defender with 150 or more pass-rush snaps.
85. T Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos
Bolles has been the model of consistency across his NFL tenure, to which he parlayed another great year in 2024 into a four-year, $82 million extension in December. The veteran tackle continues to elevate his game as a pass blocker, having generated an 88.8 grade this season — fourth highest at the position — while surrendering the sixth-lowest pressure rate (3.1%).
84. LB Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions
In his first year as a professional, Campbell largely struggled in coverage and looked to be a linebacker that had to come off the field on passing downs. Now, the Lions linebacker is a fully-fledged playmaker in the middle of this defense, finishing with top-10 marks fitting the run (82.5 grade) and in coverage (74.2) during the regular season.
83. T Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans
Tunsil continues to showcase what a premier pass protector looks like at the left tackle position. His 88.6 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked sixth in the NFL during the regular season, highlighted by an impressive 98.9 pass-block efficiency rating — second only to Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs.
82. EDGE Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings brought in Greenard last offseason with a significant free agent contract — four-year, $76 million — and they couldn’t be happier with the addition. The 27-year-old edge defender clocked the most snaps of his career, which allowed him to set a new career-high in total pressures (78), during the regular season. That mark places him among the top three edge rushers in the NFL — behind only Cleveland’s Myles Garrett and Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson.
81. RB James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
Conner followed up his placement on this list last season with a career year in 2024. The Cardinals back earned the highest rushing grade of his career (90.6), as he notched his second-consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season. That production is largely a credit to Conner’s innate ability to shed would-be tacklers (68) and break off explosive runs (34 of 10 or more yards) — both of which ranked in the top five among backs in 2025.
80. WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Unless he gets strapped with the franchise tag, Higgins will enter the 2025 offseason as the PFF’s top available free agent. Despite missing five games with a hamstring injury, Higgins rallied to produce the best receiving grade (88.3) of his career. That mark placed him as the seventh-highest-graded receiver in the NFL this season, due in part to his innate ability to find the end zone. Higgins finished the season as one of two receivers to notch double-digit touchdowns of 500 or fewer receiving snaps.
79. WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Thomas had an outstanding rookie season in which he finished among the top-10 wide receivers with an 83.4 receiving grade. His 1,282 receiving yards led all rookies and placed him third in the NFL behind fellow LSU alumni Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. He also finished fourth in the league in yards after catch, which wasn’t thought to be his strong suit during the draft process. Thomas is already in the upper echelon of NFL wide receivers.
78. CB Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles
Mitchell started every meaningful game for Philadelphia as a rookie this season and excelled. He earned an outstanding 79.8 coverage grade, which places him sixth among qualified cornerbacks and second among rookies behind teammate Cooper DeJean. Mitchell’s 10 pass breakups, postseason included, tied him for seventh-most at the position. He proved in just one year that he will be a mainstay in the Eagles’ secondary and potentially an All-Pro very soon.
77. DI Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
Carter continues to prove he is one of the NFL’s premier interior pass-rushers. He finished the season with an 84.4 pass-rush grade that is bested by only three other qualified defensive tackles. He also placed 10th among that same group with a 12.9% pass-rush win rate. Just two years into his career, Carter is already the foundation of Philadelphia’s defensive line.
76. RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills
Including the postseason, Cook tied for the NFL lead with 19 rushing touchdowns this season while finishing eighth among running backs with an 88.6 rushing grade. He also set new career highs with 47 missed tackles forced and 3.24 yards after contact per attempt. Cook should continue to create a dynamic backfield duo with Josh Allen in the near future.
75. TE Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
Despite his postseason shortcomings, Andrews had another excellent campaign after his 2023 season was cut short due to injury. He scored 11 touchdowns to lead all tight ends while posting an 84.6 receiving grade that ranked fourth at the position. Andrews was elite in the intermediate 10-to-19-yard range, where he posted a 99.3 receiving grade.
74. DI Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans
Simmons headlined a Tennessee defensive tackle unit that finished second in the NFL in overall grade. Individually, he earned an 81.6 pass-rush grade that placed him seventh among qualified defensive tackles. This was Simmons’ third out of six career seasons with an 80.0-plus overall grade.
73. CB Garrett Williams, Arizona Cardinals
Williams emerged as one of the NFL’s best slot cornerbacks this season. His 82.0 overall grade tied him with Trent McDuffie for third among all cornerbacks. He intercepted two passes while breaking up six others. Williams also improved his tackling as the season progressed. After missing seven tackles in the Cardinals’ first seven games, he missed just two in the final 10 games.
72. S Brandon Jones, Denver Broncos
Jones’ first season in Denver could not have gone any better. He finished third among qualified safeties with an 89.8 coverage grade while reeling in three interceptions. He also broke up six passes and allowed just 9.1 yards per reception into his coverage, both top-12 marks in the NFL.
71. WR Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
McConkey quickly established himself as the top receiving threat in the Chargers’ offense. Including his incredible postseason debut, he finished this season with an 85.0 receiving grade, the 12th-best among wide receivers, and over 1,300 yards. His downfield efforts earned him an elite 94.4 receiving grade on 10-plus yard targets, the ninth-highest among wide receivers.
70. S Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles Chargers
James bounced back from a career-worst season in 2023 and turned in one of his best performances this year. His 80.9 overall grade placed him among the top 10 qualified safeties, and he set a new career-high with an 87.9 run-defense grade. Of course, James is known for his blitzing prowess as well. He led all safeties with six sacks this season while racking up 15 total pressures, the second-most among that same group.
69. C Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
Three years into his career, Linderbaum has become the anchor of the Ravens’ offensive line. His 79.9 overall grade and 85.3 run-blocking grade both put him in fourth place among centers this season. He also did not allow a sack for the second consecutive year. He is undoubtedly one of the best centers in the game.
68. EDGE Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans
The Texans made a big splash when they signed Hunter last offseason, and he certainly returned the favor. His 84.6 overall grade sits in 12th place among qualified edge defenders to end the season. He racked up 74 pressures and 12 sacks, including the postseason, and was one of just 14 qualified edge defenders to record at least a 16% pass-rush win rate.
67. CB Christian Benford, Buffalo Bills
Benford was the biggest positive development in an otherwise woeful Bills secondary. He finished the regular season with the fourth-best coverage grade among qualified cornerbacks with an 82.8 mark. He also missed just two tackles all year. The only cornerback who played at least 400 snaps and bested Benford’s 2.8% missed tackle rate was NFL Defensive Player of the Year winner Patrick Surtain II.
66. WR Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
McLaurin clearly liked Jayden Daniels throwing him the football, as he racked up over 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns, including the postseason. His 84.8 receiving grade is his best since 2019 and places him 14th among qualified wide receivers. McLaurin was also one of just five qualified wide receivers who finished with a perfect 99.9 deep receiving grade.
65. EDGE Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers
Highsmith missed a handful of games due to injury but performed at a nearly elite level when he was on the field this season. He finished with an outstanding 89.1 overall grade that made him and T.J. Watt the only pair of teammates that both ranked inside the top 10 in overall grade. Despite playing just 12 games, Highsmith racked up 54 pressures and seven sacks while carrying an excellent 17.5% pass-rush win rate.
64. G Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles
Dickerson set new career highs with a 78.6 overall grade and a 79.4 run-blocking grade during the Eagles’ championship run this season. Both marks sit inside the NFL’s top-eight qualified guards. He also turned in the single-game performance of his career with a 94.0 grade in the team’s divisional-round win over the Rams. Dickerson is an extremely valuable piece of arguably the NFL’s best offensive line.
63. QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Under yet another new offensive playcaller, Mayfield earned an 85.9 overall grade this season, which represents a new career-high for him and ranked him sixth in the NFL. Including the postseason, his 43 passing touchdowns tied him for second-most in the league. His signature performance came in Week 18 with an NFC South title on the line, as he posted a career-best 94.8 overall grade.
62. WR Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Evans crossed the 1,000-yard threshold for the 11th consecutive season, though it wouldn’t have been so close had he not missed three games due to injury. When he did play, he was outstanding as usual. His 90.2 receiving grade ranked him fourth among qualified wide receivers and represents the second-highest mark of his career.
61. CB Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens
Humphrey played a crucial role in the turnaround of the Ravens’ secondary this season as he moved nearly full-time into the slot down the stretch. Regardless of his position, Humphrey still earned an outstanding 81.0 coverage grade while picking off six passes and breaking up 10 others. Amazingly, his 79.0 overall grade was a new career-high.
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