• Derrick Henry leads the way at running back: The Baltimore Ravens‘ leading rusher has averaged 6.0 yards per carry in 2024.
• Fred Warner continues to dominate: The San Francisco 49ers linebacker is the highest-graded defensive player in football.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all of our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer, and more. Sign up now!
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
While the end of Week 4 does not quite mark the quarter-point of the season anymore, it's still a good point to reflect on the early standout players and see who’s on track to be the best at their positions in 2024.
Here is PFF’s All-Pro Team from the first quarter of the season.
Quarterback: Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Carr has earned a PFF passing grade of 85.0 or better in three of the Saints’ four games so far this season, going 72-for-100 for 824 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. It’s early in the season, but he’s on track for a career year.
Running Back: Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Henry has averaged 6.0 yards per carry in his first four games with the Ravens, and his 17 forced missed tackles are tied for third in the NFL this season.
Wide Receiver: Nico Collins, Houston Texans
Collins leads the league in receiving yards by more than 100 yards, while his 91.6 PFF receiving grade is also the best in the league. The Texans star has caught 30 passes for 488 yards from 157 snaps, averaging 3.11 yards per route run.
Wide Receiver: Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
Though he doesn't have the same volume as other receivers, Olave has been dominant, earning a 91.4 PFF receiving grade — second only to Collins. He’s caught all 20 of his catchable targets through four weeks without a single drop.
Tight End: Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
While much of the attention will be on Likely becoming the Ravens' top receiving target at tight end, largely due to his big Week 1 performance, he earns a spot on the PFF Q1 All-Pro team for his blocking ability, as well. His skill in blocking on the move has earned him an 84.1 PFF run-blocking grade, the highest at his position this season.
Flex: WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
Jennings has been the surprise standout at wide receiver this season, leading all receivers with an average of 3.50 yards per route run through four weeks. His 364 yards rank fourth in the league, and he could be as high as second if not for two drops.
Left Tackle: Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia Eagles
The first of two Eagles bookend tackles on this team, Mailata has earned an impressive 87.7 PFF grade this season. He’s been strong as a run-blocker, putting up an 81.1 PFF run-blocking grade. He's been even better in pass protection, as his 89.8 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks first at the position.
Left Guard: Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts
Nelson has returned to top form in 2024, leading all left guards with an 80.1 PFF grade. Over 122 pass-blocking snaps, he has allowed just four pressures, all of which came in the past week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Center: Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs
Humphrey ranks just behind Erik McCoy of the Saints in PFF grade among centers, but his 93.1 grade is only 2.4 points lower despite playing more than twice the snaps. For that reason, we're giving Humphrey the nod here.
Right Guard: James Daniels, Pittsburgh Steelers
Daniels has recently been ruled out for the season, which is a significant loss given how strong he’s been as a run-blocker in 2024. His 92.5 PFF run-blocking grade through the first quarter of the season led all guards and was behind only McCoy and Humphrey across the entire offensive line.
Right Tackle: Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
Johnson is yet to allow a pressure this season, earning an 87.9 PFF pass-blocking grade through four weeks. He’s also excelled in run blocking, with his 86.0 PFF run-blocking grade ranking second among all right tackles.
Edge Defender: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
Through the first four weeks of the 2024 NFL season, Aidan Hutchinson has registered 40 total pressures. The next closest player has 23.
Edge Defender: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt has just 10 total pressures this season, but the box score doesn’t tell the whole story. He’s earned a 91.5 PFF grade, second only to Hutchinson at the position. Heading into Week 4, Watt had been chipped more than any other edge defender in the league.
Defensive Interior: Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers
Still delivering at almost 36 years old, Heyward has been phenomenal up front for the Steelers. His 15 total pressures are tied for sixth among interior defenders this season, while his 85.3 run-defense grade is the best mark at the position.
Defensive Interior: Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants
Lawrence’s 18 total pressures trail only Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs among players on the defensive interior. He has excelled against the run, too, with only Heyward topping his 82.7 run-defense grade.
Linebacker: Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers
As impressive as Aidan Hutchinson has been early this season, Warner is the best defensive player by PFF grade. He leads the league with a 94.5 coverage grade and ranks seventh with an 88.8 run-defense grade — among all defenders, not just linebackers.
Linebacker: Quincy Williams, New York Jets
Williams has racked up 18 defensive stops, third among all linebackers, while his 89.1 coverage grade ranks third. New York Giants linebacker Micah McFadden is ahead of him in PFF grade, but Williams has played over 100 more snaps and has been better in coverage.
Cornerback: Christian Benford, Buffalo Bills
For the first time ever, we’re using some new metrics alongside PFF grade to determine the selection at cornerback.
Benford's 83.0 coverage grade ranks fourth at the position, but he has prevented separation on 75.68% of his opportunities in 2024 — the highest rate in the NFL.
Cornerback: D.J. Reed, New York Jets
Reed has been incredibly sticky in coverage this season, producing a 67.65% lockdown percentage that ranks third at the position. He has also been great when targeted, earning an 88.6 PFF coverage grade and coming away with three pass breakups compared with just four receptions allowed in coverage.
Safety: Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers
Only one player in the league has recorded an interception in each of the first four games of the season, and that’s McKinney. He’s had his struggles against the run, but his 89.1 PFF coverage grade leads all safeties.
Safety: DeShon Elliott, Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s a close battle for the second safety spot here. And while Julian Love of the Seattle Seahawks and Brandon Jones of the Denver Broncos edge Elliott in PFF grade, the Steelers safety has been the more consistent performer week-to-week, and his 91.3 PFF run-defense grade leads all safeties.
Flex: CB Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens
Humphrey’s 75.3 PFF coverage grade ranks 15th among cornerbacks, but he has been one of the most impressive players in the league at preventing separation, posting a 66.10% Lockdown Percentage through four weeks. He’s also moved around the Ravens defensive backfield, with 94 of his 242 snaps coming in the slot.
Kicker: Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys
Aubrey has earned a 94.7 PFF field-goal grade so far this season, with his booming leg causing many to wonder if he could break the record for longest field goal in NFL history if given the chance.
Punter: JK Scott, Los Angeles Chargers
Scott and fellow AFC West punter AJ Cole of the Las Vegas Raiders are tied with a 92.2 punting grade, but we’re giving the nod to Scott as he has a bigger sample size by six punts.
Kick Returner: KaVontae Turpin, Dallas Cowboys
We’ve yet to see much to get excited about when it comes to returns, but Turpin leads all players with an 81.7 punt-return grade.
Special Teams: Jahlani Tavai, New England Patriots
Tavai has earned a 90.8 special teams grade. He's played 39 snaps, with 38 coming on the punt coverage and field-goal-block units.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.