• Von Miller produces wherever he goes: With his third team in three seasons, Miller again posted an 85.0-plus overall grade — the 10th time he's done so in 11 NFL seasons.
• A seamless shift to center for Connor Williams: After ranking as the 10th-highest-graded guard in 2021, Williams placed third among centers in 2022 as a member of the Dolphins.
• D.J. Reed Jr. limited big plays in Year 1 with Jets: Only 30.1% of passes caught into his coverage went for first downs or touchdowns — the fourth-best mark among cornerbacks.
Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins
Buffalo Bills
EDGE Von Miller: 85.8 PFF grade, 450 defensive snaps
Miller may be past his prime, but he can still get after the quarterback. Since 2019, he ranks in the top 10 in both pass-rush win rate (eighth) and pressure rate (fourth). Fresh off a Super Bowl run with the Rams, Miller continued the party in Buffalo. He racked up 45 total pressures in 12 games (tied eighth) in 2022 before tearing his ACL on Thanksgiving Day against the Lions.
While there is still plenty left in Miller's tank, injuries may now become a concern. Age aside (entering age-34 season), this is his second season-ending leg injury in three years (torn Achilles in 2020).
Miami Dolphins
C Connor Williams: 78.5 PFF grade, 1,127 offensive snaps
Williams spent his first four seasons in Dallas, primarily at left guard. He enjoyed a breakout 2021 campaign with the Cowboys year, ranking as the 10th-highest-graded guard that season (76.1) and finishing in the top 15 in both pass-blocking (81.6) and run-blocking (76.7) grades.
That breakout resumed in Miami, where Williams made the switch to center. He tied as the sixth-best center in pressure rate allowed (2.3%) while continuing to shine as a run blocker (85.2 grade). Williams placed third in that area, helping him finish the season as the third-highest-graded center overall.
New England Patriots
LB Ja'Whaun Bentley: 80.4 PFF grade, 907 defensive snaps
Bentley is at his best when attacking ball carriers. He finished 2022 with the highest run-defense grade of his career (83.8), thanks in part to his strong play down the stretch. From Weeks 9-18, Bentley tied for fourth among linebackers in run-defense grade (88.8) while leading the position in run stops (25). Bentley is also a tackling machine, cementing himself as the Patriots' leading tackler (369) since entering the league in 2018. Over the course of that span, he is also second on the team in stops (133) and tackles for loss or no gain (27).
New York Jets
CB D.J. Reed Jr.: 72.5 PFF grade, 1,135 defensive snaps
Smaller cornerbacks typically don’t project well on the outside, but Reed (5-foot-9, 188 pounds) is defying those odds. He played well on the outside in Seattle (82.6 coverage grade from 2020-2021), and he continued to impress in his first year with the Jets. Reed finished the 2022 season 12th in coverage grade among outside cornerbacks (77.5). He also did well to limit big plays, with only 30.1% of passes caught against him going for first downs or touchdowns (fourth). And only eight receptions into his coverage went for 15 or more yards.
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