• Josh Allen leads the way at QB: While Allen may have missed out on the MVP Award, he finished the season as the highest-graded quarterback in the league.
• Myles Garrett with another league-leading season: Garrett gave blockers fits all season, leading his position in pass-rush win rate. He posted career highs in run stops (22) and tackles for loss or no gain (13), and he tied for third with four forced fumbles.
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Before we head full steam ahead into free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft, we’re taking one last look at the top players at each position from the 2023 NFL season.
There are some regulars on the list, including Myles Garrett taking the top spot at edge defender, Tyreek Hill placing first at wide receiver and George Kittle leading the way at tight end.
There were also some breakout stars and one rookie. De'Von Achane and Tyrel Dodson came out of nowhere to lead their position groups. At cornerback, Bears standout Jaylon Johnson saved his best season until a contract year, which landed him a brand-new contract to keep him in Chicago.
Click the links below to see the highest-graded players at every position.
Quarterback: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills: 92.1
While Allen may have missed out on the league MVP, he captured the top spot on this list after orchestrating the highest-graded season of his career. The signal-caller showed elite dual-threat ability, finishing as the only quarterback to surpass an 88.0-plus grade as both a passer (88.5) and runner (91.4).
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Running back: De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins: 92.1
Achane didn’t see the volume of some of the other top running backs, but his efficiency was unmatched. He averaged 7.5 yards per carry, including 4.9 after contact, and forced 30 missed tackles on 108 rushing attempts.
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Wide receiver: Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins: 93.4
Hill ultimately couldn’t break the record for most receiving yards in a single season after his hot start to the year, but it was still an impressive effort. His 3.72 yards per route run average was more than half a yard greater than the next-best wide receiver.
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Tight end: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers: 87.7
Few tight ends were able to stretch the field like Kittle in 2023. He recorded 29 gains of 15-plus yards (tied for first) and led all tight ends in deep receiving yards (232). Kittle averaged 9.9 depth yards per target, tallied 7.3 yards after the catch per reception and gained 279 yards after contact.
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Offensive tackle: Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions: 92.8
Not only was the second-year pro PFF’s highest-graded offensive tackle, but he also led all tackles in total snap count across the regular season and playoffs. In all, he allowed just one sack and committed just seven penalties.
Sewell's 95.1 run-blocking grade was as elite as it gets, coming in as the second-highest run-blocking grade for an offensive tackle — behind only the untouchable 2021 season from the next man on this list — since 2008.
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Interior offensive line: Frank Ragnow, Detroit Lions: 88.8
Ragnow stands in the middle of Detroit’s road-grading offensive line and is an effective tone-setter for the group. The Lions center finished with the league’s highest interior run-blocking grade (91.3). Part of that success stems from Ragnow being half of the most lethal interior duo in the league, along with his teammate Graham Glasgow. On combo blocks, Ragnow earned an incredible 94.2 run-blocking grade.
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Edge defender: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns: 93.6
Garrett gave blockers fits all season, leading his position in pass-rush win rate. He posted career highs in run stops (22) and tackles for loss or no gain (13), and he tied for third with four forced fumbles.
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Interior defensive line: Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants: 92.9
Lawrence's 93.0 PFF grade not only ranked first among all interior defenders, but it was also the second-best grade among all qualifying defenders. The Giants nose tackle was phenomenal in both facets of his game, finishing as the only interior player to earn an 85.0-plus grade as both a pass-rusher (92.6, the best at the position) and against the run (89.5).
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Linebacker: Tyrel Dodson, Buffalo Bills: 90.2
Despite dealing with injuries that hampered his early contributions on the season, Dodson put together a consistent, high-level grading profile whenever he touched the field. The former-undrafted linebacker finished as the only player at the position to surpass an 85.0-plus PFF grade in both run defense (86.1) and coverage (88.4), perhaps the most important facets of modern linebacker play. Expect Dodson’s role to rise exponentially in 2024.
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Cornerback: Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears: 90.8
Johnson put together his best season yet in a contract year, setting himself up for a lucrative second contract. The highest-graded overall cornerback in 2023, Johnson had never graded better than 64.1 in his previous three seasons. He allowed a minuscule 195 yards, a 31.0 passer rating when targeted and a ridiculous 0.37 yards per cover snap.
Johnson has always been a talented cornerback, so his 2023 campaign shouldn’t be seen as an outlier, but rather a leap into the top echelon of shutdown cornerbacks.
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Safety: Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 90.7
Winfield enters free agency on the wave of a dominant 2023 season. He finished the year ranking in the top three in run-defense grade (91.5), pass-rushing grade (92.7) and tackling grade (87.0). He also placed eighth in coverage grade (84.0).
Winfield faced 44 targets in coverage and forced nine incompletions at a 20.9% clip. He broke up eight passes (second most) and picked off three others. The Minnesota product gave up only 74 yards in man coverage and recorded a league-high 41.2% forced incompletion rate on third- and fourth-down plays.
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