• A star receiver is back in New York: Malik Nabers impressed for the second straight week for the Giants, scoring twice in the team's first win of the season. He’s averaged 2.38 yards per route run over the first three weeks of the season, and his 80.1 PFF receiving grade ranks ninth among all players at the position.
• Brock Bowers looks like a seasoned pro: The third-highest-graded tight end in the NFL through three weeks, Bowers looks anything but a rookie early in his career.
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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
With the third week of the 2024 NFL season now in the books, the sample size for most rookies around the league continues to grow. Let’s look at the highest-graded first-year players through the first three weeks.
1. CB Andru Phillips, New York Giants
PFF Grade: 80.2
Phillips suffered a calf injury after only seven snaps in the Giants' win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Through three weeks, he has earned an 83.9 PFF coverage grade and allowed just 28 yards and seven receptions in coverage.
2. WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants
PFF Grade: 80.1
Nabers impressed for the second straight week for the Giants, scoring twice in the team's first win of the season. He’s averaged 2.38 yards per route run over the first three weeks of the season, and his 80.1 PFF receiving grade ranks ninth among all players at the position.
3. TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
PFF Grade: 77.9
The third-highest-graded tight end in the NFL through three weeks, Bowers looks anything but a rookie early in his career. His 197 receiving yards trail only Dallas Goedert, while his 2.35 yards per route run is second to only Mike Gesicki.
4. T Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers
PFF Grade: 77.0
Alt suffered an injury in the Chargers' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, which will likely cause him to miss some time, but he has taken to the NFL as expected in his opening three starts. The matchup with the Steelers gave him his toughest test of the season, and he earned a PFF pass-blocking grade of just 48.8. However, he has allowed just three pressures from 76 pass-blocking snaps through three weeks.
5. QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
PFF Grade: 76.9
Daniels delivered the highest single-game grade ever for a Washington Commanders quarterback this week, moving him up the rankings. He was nearly flawless in their dominant win over the Bengals on Monday Night Football, completing 21-of-23 passes for 254 yards and earning a 95.5 PFF passing grade.
6. C Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers
PFF Grade: 76.8
Frazier has room to improve in pass protection, as he has earned just a 57.7 PFF pass-blocking grade through three weeks. However, he’s already emerging as one of the top run-blocking centers in the league, having put up a 78.5 PFF run-blocking grade that ranks seventh at his position.
7. WR Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
PFF Grade: 76.7
McConkey has yet to record 50 receiving yards in a game, but he remains a reliable contributor for the Chargers. He dropped his first pass of the season on Sunday, giving him one drop from 11 catchable targets, and he currently holds a solid 76.9 PFF receiving grade.
8. EDGE Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
PFF Grade: 75.4
Coming off his lowest-graded game of the season, Verse has dropped slightly in the rankings this week. His tackling has become a concern, with eight missed tackles over the past two games. Despite this, he remains productive as a pass rusher and has accumulated 13 total pressures from 63 pass-rushing snaps.
9. CB Kamari Lassiter, Los Angeles Rams
PFF Grade: 75.2
Lassiter’s grade is helped by his huge performance against the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football in Week 2, where he earned a 90.0 PFF grade. He hasn’t been a liability in their other two games, though. Through three weeks, he has allowed just four receptions in coverage.
10. T JC Latham, Tennessee Titans
PFF Grade: 75.1
A bright part of a tough start to the season for the Titans, Latham has improved his PFF grade in his first three games. Against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, he allowed just one hurry, the second straight game where he hasn’t allowed a sack or quarterback hit.
11. CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, New Orleans Saints
PFF Grade: 74.8
McKinstry missed his team's Week 3 game but has earned a 75.4 PFF coverage grade this season. On the field for 64 coverage snaps, he has allowed eight receptions for 70 yards and recorded a pass breakup.
12. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
PFF Grade: 74.4
Harrison’s lackluster season opener, where he picked up just 4 receiving yards, has long been forgotten. He’s found the end zone three times over the past two weeks and is averaging 2.08 yards per route run through three weeks.
13. EDGE Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts
PFF Grade: 74.2
Latu had his best game as an NFL pass rusher in the Colts' win over the Chicago Bears. From 29 pass-rushing snaps, he registered four hurries and a sack, which included a forced fumble, and now has a 74.2 PFF pass-rushing grade on the year.
14. EDGE Chop Robinson, Miami Dolphins
PFF Grade: 73.0
Coming off a career-high 29 snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Robinson now has four pressures — all quarterback hurries — from 29 pass-rushing snaps. He’s also proved to be solid against the run, earning a 70.2 PFF run-defense grade so far in his career.
15. S Calen Bullock, Houston Texans
PFF Grade: 70.9
Bullock has seen his snap count increase every week so far in his career and almost doubled his snap total from the opening two weeks with 53 in the Texans' loss to the Vikings. He has earned a 72.5 PFF run-defense grade so far and has not missed a tackle.
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