• Brock Bowers continues to impress: The Raiders rookie is the highest-graded tight end in football in 2024.
• Zach Frazier continues to rise: The Steelers center is now the second-highest-graded rookie in the league.
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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
With another week in the books, the sample size for most rookies around the league continues to grow. That allows us to check in and see who the highest-graded first-year players are after the first five weeks of the season (100-snap minimum).
1. TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
PFF Grade: 82.7
Bowers isn’t just the best rookie tight end in football: He’s the highest-graded player at the position through five weeks. His 2.27 yards per route run trails only Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles among tight ends.
2. C Zach Fraizer, Pittsburgh Steelers
PFF Grade: 81.8
Frazier is getting better with each passing week. He is now the fourth-highest-graded center in football, as he has earned an 81.8 PFF grade through the first five weeks of his career. His run-blocking is where he has really stood out — his 83.1 run-blocking grade ranks fifth at the position through five weeks.
3. WR Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
PFF Grade: 81.6
McConkey’s 82.0 PFF receiving grade currently ranks tied for sixth — with fellow rookie Malik Nabers — among all wide receivers. He has averaged 2.10 yards per route run, picking up 176 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15 receptions.
4. S Evan Williams, Green Bay Packers
PFF Grade: 81.3
Williams put up an impressive 81.9 PFF grade in his first career start. Facing the Los Angeles Rams, he allowed only three receptions for 19 yards in his coverage and notched two pass breakups.
5. QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
PFF Grade: 81.1
The sixth-highest graded quarterback in the NFL after five weeks, Daniels has looked anything but a rookie. His 2.2% turnover-worthy play rate is currently the seventh-lowest in the league.
6. WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants
PFF Grade: 80.5
Nabers missed Week 5 due to a concussion but has been a big-play threat already in his Giants career, recording at least one catch of 25 yards in every game he has played in. His 2.54 yards per route run ranks second among rookie wide receivers in 2024.
7. DI T’Vondre Sweat, Tennessee Titans
PFF Grade: 80.1
The Titans had a bye this week, but Sweat is currently the fourth-highest-graded player on the defensive interior. He hasn’t offered much as a pass rusher yet but has recorded five defensive stops.
8. Edge Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts
PFF Grade: 79.5
The first defender off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft has stacked three straight 70.0-plus PFF game grades in a row, but it’s against the run where he stood out this past week. He earned an 87.4 PFF run-defense grade, recording a forced fumble in the Colts’ loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
9. Edge Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
PFF Grade: 79.1
Verse had the highest-graded game of his young career on Sunday, registering three hurries from 21 pass-rushing snaps and recording a pair of defensive stops. He has now earned a PFF grade above 70.0 in four of his five career starts.
10. CB Andru Phillips, New York Giants
PFF Grade: 78.3
On the field for 23 snaps against the Seattle Seahawks — all on passing plays — Phillips continued to impress in Week 5. From 71 snaps in coverage, he has allowed eight receptions for only 37 yards.
11. WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
PFF Grade: 77.8
Harrison has seen six or more targets in four straight games, but just two of his seven targets this past week were catchable. The magic of that first quarter in Week 2 hasn’t quite returned yet, but he has still been solid, averaging 1.85 yards per route run.
12. WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
PFF Grade: 77.6
Thomas’ 2.76 yards per route run leads all rookies this season. He has provided a spark to the Jaguars offense in each of the past two games, especially this past week. Thomas averaged 24.4 yards per reception in the Jaguars’ win over the Colts, earning a career-high 86.4 PFF grade.
13. T Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers
PFF Grade: 77.0
The Chargers appear hopeful of Joe Alt’s return coming out of the bye this week, which would give them a big boost on the right side of the offensive line. The fifth overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft has allowed just three pressures and earned a 68.9 PFF pass-blocking grade so far in his career.
14. WR Jordan Whittington, Los Angeles Rams
PFF Grade: 76.8
With the Rams really struggling at wide receiver due to injuries to Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, the sixth-round rookie's early emergence has been a welcome addition to the offense. He saw a career-high 10 targets this past week, turning them into seven receptions for 89 yards.
15. G Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers
PFF Grade: 73.1
The third-round pick out of Kansas has made a strong impression through five weeks, earning a PFF grade above 70.0 in three of his five starts. In pass protection, he has allowed just nine pressures across 195 pass-blocking snaps without surrendering a single sack or quarterback hit.
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