• De’Von Achane doubling up: The talented first-year back built off his incredible Week 3 performance, racking up 101 rushing yards on just eight carries en route to his second 90.0-plus rushing grade.
• Jalen Carter is not far behind: Carter has accumulated 20 pressures and a 23.2% pass-rush win rate that ranks behind only Aaron Donald on the interior.
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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Members of the 2023 draft class are primed and ready to face down the bright lights of the NFL stage. Whether they were drafted first or 259th, the best will rise to the top when the games are played.
These are the 15 highest-graded rookies after NFL Week 4.
1. RB De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins: 93.5
The talented first-year back built off his incredible Week 3 performance, racking up 101 rushing yards on just eight carries en route to his second 90.0-plus rushing grade.
Achane doesn't just lead the rookie class, as he leads all running backs in rushing grade through four weeks. His 94.6 rushing grade is more than 8.5 grading points better than the next closest mark.
2. DI Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles: 92.2
This season, Carter has accumulated 20 pressures and a 23.2% pass-rush win rate that ranks behind only Aaron Donald on the interior. To put that level of performance into perspective, it also ranks in the top 10 among all pass-rushers this season.
3. WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams: 89.5
Every network covering the NFL has talked about the various rookie receiving records Nacua has claimed this season, but even that may only scratch the surface. A look at his PFF grading adds another layer of detail. His 87.7 receiving grade through the first four weeks is second to only Justin Jefferson (90.6) among rookie receivers since 2006. Additionally, his 12 plays of 15 or more yards are the most by a rookie in PFF history over that span.
4. WR Marvin Mims, Denver Broncos: 84.2
The Broncos receiver has been the perfect fit for an offense headed by Russell Wilson. On just 11 targets, Mims has produced an incredible five plays of over 30 yards and a 22.8-yard average depth of target, the latter of which leads the NFL. Even more impressively, his 86.2 receiving grade ranks eighth among all receivers this season.
5. G Peter Skoronski, Tennessee Titans: 81.3
Unfortunately, Skoronski hasn’t taken the field since Week 1, as he continues his recovery from a ruptured appendix. But his workload that week was large enough to qualify for this list even after four weeks.
The Titans are hopeful to see Skoronski return to practice this week, which could go a long way to solidifying that running game. Skoronski has immense ability as a road-grading run-blocker, where he’s earned a positive grade once every four snaps compared to just a 5% negatively graded run-block percentage.
6. CB Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots: 80.8
Unfortunately, the standout Pats corner experienced a serious shoulder injury in Week 4, which will keep him out of the lineup in the coming weeks. It goes without saying that it is a huge blow to this defense, as Gonzalez has earned the 13th-highest coverage grade among qualifying cornerbacks through four weeks (79.3). He has an interception and two pass breakups so far.
7. LB Ivan Pace Jr., Minnesota Vikings: 80.7
Pace has made this list every week of the season, one of just five players to do so. However, the Vikings linebacker had a tough outing this past week, producing his lowest single-game grade of the season (59.4). While he produced no pass-rush wins — usually his most impressive facet — he still ranks third among all linebackers in pass-rush win rate (30.8%) this season.
8. CB Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks: 79.7
After his phenomenal performance on Monday night, Witherspoon catapulted his way into the top 10 as a late addition to this list. After missing Week 1, Witherspoon has made incremental improvements to his facet grading in every game and was the NFL’s highest-graded (90.9) defensive rookie this past week. The Seahawks corner has an interception and three pass breakups this season and has allowed a 61.6 passer rating on throws into his coverage.
9. CB Brian Branch, Detroit Lions: 79.6
The former Alabama standout makes his debut on this list after a fantastic outing in Week 4. After a slow start to the year, Branch has played incredibly well over his last two games, earning 82.0-plus overall grades in each. Over that stretch, Branch has shown out in coverage and run defense, forcing three incompletions and producing five run stops. His 89.5 defensive grade over the last two weeks ranks in the top 25 among all defenders.
10. WR Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs: 79.0
Rice may not produce impressive stat lines or tons of highlight catches, but he has quietly become a quality contributor to this high-powered Chiefs offense. His quarterback has targeted him on over 32% of his routes this season, the highest rate among rookies.
11. TE Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions: 78.8
Through September, LaPorta has produced as one of the best tight ends in the league. His 242 receiving yards leads the NFL at the position, while he also ranks in the top three in receiving grade (78.1), first-down receptions (11) and yards per route run (2.30).
12. DI Keeanu Benton, Pittsburgh Steelers: 78.6
Benton has earned quality overall grades, producing a 78.5-plus grade in three of his four outings. This past week, he produced his best run-defense grade (77.1) of the season, earning a positive grade on over 31% of his run-defense snaps.
13. EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans: 76.7
While Anderson may not be racking up the sacks, he has been making his presence felt on the edge, producing a 21% pass-rush win rate in three of his four games. A single poor showing may hold down his overall win rate, but he still ranks in the top 25 among all pass-rushers in that metric.
14. G Joe Tippmann, New York Jets: 76.6
After suffering an injury in the preseason, Tippmann didn't make his NFL debut until Week 3. But it was worth the wait for this Jets offense, as he has become an immediate impact player in pass protection and run blocking. In 85 pass-blocking snaps, he’s allowed just one pressure. On the ground, he’s earned a positive grade on over 24% of his snaps.
15. RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks: 75.8
Coming out of UCLA, Charbonnet’s reputation as a bruiser with the ball in his hand was well known, and that’s a reputation he has lived up to this far into his NFL career. On Monday night, he forced three missed tackles on just five carries. He has also been great as a pass-blocker, as he has yet to allow a pressure and has put up an 85.2 pass-block grade that ranks sixth among all backs.
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