Tag: Pro Football Focus

Where does Pro Football Focus have Chandler Rivers on its NFL draft rankings?

The end of the college football season means draft takes are on the horizon. Where does Duke’s star defensive back start on the PFF board?

There are only two regular-season games left on the Duke football schedule, and the end of November means most fans will start to keep an eye on the NFL draft.

Last year, former Blue Devils offensive lineman [autotag]Graham Barton[/autotag] became the school’s third first-round pick of the century when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him 26th overall. While no current Duke stars seem to match Barton’s pre-draft hype, one member of the defense could play on Sundays in the near future.

As of November 22, cornerback Chandler Rivers sits 118th on the Pro Football Focus NFL Draft Big Board. That fits the junior firmly into the fourth round of any projected draft, and he’s slotted as the 14th-ranked player at his position.

Rivers intercepted a pass in three straight games from Weeks 8-10, including one he returned for a touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles. In three seasons with the program, he’s intercepted five passes and broken up 22 more. His 12 passes defended so far in 2024 are tied for ninth among FBS defensive backs.

Eagles’ offensive tackle duo is the NFL’s best at winning 1-on-1 matchups on an island

PFF rated Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata among the best offensive tackles in the NFL at winning 1-on-1 matchups on an island

The Eagles are 8-2, and Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata have significantly contributed to their overall success over the past few years. Johnson is a perennial All-Pro and Pro Bowler, while Mailata has been dominant and should make one of those lists this season.

Philadelphia has the NFL’s best offensive line, and a significant component of that success is Johnson and Mailata’s ability to win one-on-one matchups on the outside.

PFF recently ranked and rated the best in the league at winning on the island, and the Eagles duo tops the list, with Mailata at No. 1.

Mailata has missed four games with a hamstring injury, while Lane Johnson missed one contest with a concussion.

According to Pro Football Focus, Mailata is the NFL’s highest-graded offensive tackle, allowing just seven hurries and one sack.

Johnson is the fourth-highest-graded player at the position and has allowed four pressures and no sacks on 267 pass-blocking snaps this season.

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Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman Pro Football Focus highest-graded run defender

OU’s leading tackler is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded linebacker in the country against the run this season.

Oklahoma Sooners senior inside linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] will play in the final home game of his excellent college football career on Saturday, when OU hosts Alabama.

Stutsman’s four seasons in Norman have seen him come to the forefront of OU’s defensive transformation under third-year head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. He’s become the vocal and emotional heartbeat of the Sooners over the last couple of years.

Stutsman has raised his level of play again in 2024, spearheading the best defense Oklahoma has had in a long time. He’s been particularly great at stopping the run. Pro Football Focus has recognized this as well, as they have Stutsman as their highest-graded linebacker in the nation when it comes to run defense.

Despite OU’s 5-5 campaign, the defense has rarely been the source of the problems, and even when they have, it’s normally been against the pass. The Sooners stop the run well, obviously led by No. 28.

Stutsman could have left the program when Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch bolted for USC after the 2021 regular season. He instead decided to stay and help turn things around under Venables.

After last season, he could have jumped to the NFL, and would have likely been picked fairly early. He instead decided to stick around and lead the program into the SEC.

Though the wins haven’t come this year, and the season hasn’t gone the way anyone has expected, Stutsman certainly isn’t to blame for that. He’ll likely end up as OU’s leading tackler for the third season in a row, and he’s now moved into the top 10 all-time at Oklahoma in career tackles with 363 and counting.

One of the greatest defensive players of the past decade at Oklahoma will get one more outing in front of his home fans on Owen Field when the Sooners face the Crimson Tide in Week 13.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

Pro Football Focus’ 3 highest-graded Seahawks vs. 49ers on offense

Pro Football Focus’ 3 highest-graded Seahawks vs. 49ers on offense

The Seattle Seahawks claimed a massive victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, winning their Week 11 contest within the NFC West 20-17. Starting quarterback Geno Smith executed a game-winning drive by rushing for what was essentially a walk-off touchdown. Analyzing the advanced metrics, these were the Seahawks’ three highest-graded players on offense, according to Pro Football Focus.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | 88.2

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was once again Seattle’s most effective wide receiver, recording 10 receptions for 110 yards. Smith’s game-winning, 11-play drive that gained 83 yards featured two third-down conversions to Smith-Njigba in the clutch. DK Metcalf is back from injury, but JSN is currently Smith’s go-to playmaker.

Olu Oluwatimi | C | 80.8

Sophomore center Olu Oluwatimi was unexpectedly thrust into the lineup after Connor Williams shockingly retired earlier this week. Oluwatimi rose to the occasion, earning an overall grade of 80.8 from PFF as Seattle’s highest-graded offensive lineman. The former Michi had a perfect pass-block-win-rate (PBWR), according to ESPN Stats & Info. ESPN Research credited Oluwatimi with 27 victories and zero losses on qualifying pass-block plays.

Abe Lucas | RT | 76.8

The theme of returning offensive linemen thriving for the Seahawks continued with right tackle Abe Lucas. Making his season debut, PFF credited Lucas with allowing one sack and one additional pressure in pass protection. With a stellar 76.8 grade, his return appears to have immediately solved Mike Macdonald’s season-long revolving door at right tackle.

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Will Howard earns top Pro Football Focus passer grade for Week 12 effort

Will Howard went off against Northwestern, and he earned the top passer grade in the country because of his performance.

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Northwestern Wildcats squared off at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday, and as expected, the former came out with another easy Big Ten victory.

While their defense continued to perform at a high level and the running back duo did their part as well, quarterback Will Howard was the star of the show, earning the top passer grade from Pro Football Focus in Week 12.

Howard ended the game with 247 passing yards and two touchdowns, going 15-of-24 as a passer. Freshman Jeremiah Smith accounted for nearly half of those yards, ending with four receptions for 100 yards.

While there’s really no talk of Howard in the conversation for Heisman, he has quietly put together a complete resume, throwing just five interceptions and having a conference-high 24 passing touchdowns. He also has 2,484 passing yards and should pass his total from last season (2,643) against the Hoosiers on Saturday.

Now, those might not be like the video game numbers Cam Ward is putting up, but they are among the most efficient in the country.

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 11 win over Bengals

Spotlighting Pro Football Focus’ highest and lowest-graded Chargers players from the win over the Bengals.

In Week 11, the Chargers defeated the Bengals, 34-27.

En route to victory, there were some standout performers and others who did not contribute as much.

That said, here are the best and worst performers from Sunday’s contest, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Top 5 Offense

WR Ladd McConkey — 85.7

OT Joe Alt — 84.1

OL Trey Pipkins — 81.3

OT Rashawn Slater — 79.1

OL Zion Johnson — 77.4

Top 5 Defense

S Alohi Gilman — 83.3

LB Denzel Perryman — 75.1

CB Cam Hart — 74.3

S Derwin James — 72.8

DT Poona Ford — 69.2

Bottom 5 Offense

WR Joshua Palmer — 64.0

RB Gus Edwards — 63.5

WR Quentin Johnston — 61.3

FB Scott Matlock — 53.9

WR Jalen Reagor — 52.2

Bottom 5 Defense

LB Daiyan Henley — 55.5

EDGE Bud Dupree — 54.2

S Elijah Molden — 50.2

DT Otito Ogbonnia — 47.5

CB Ja’Sir Taylor — 38.9

PFF: Creed Humphrey was Chiefs’ highest-graded player vs. Bills

According to Pro Football Focus, Creed Humphrey was the #Chiefs’ highest-graded player in Kansas City’s Week 11 loss to the Buffalo #Bills.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ undefeated season has officially ended after their disappointing loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

In a game where the Chiefs needed to be perfect to secure a victory, the team struggled on both sides of the ball and couldn’t seem to get out of their own way, committing unnecessary penalties and turning the ball over too many times.

Despite their imperfect performance, Kansas City’s offensive line, led by fourth-year center Creed Humphrey, did their best to counter Buffalo’s vicious pass rush.

On Monday, Pro Football Focus gave Humphrey the highest grade among Chiefs players in Sunday’s loss to the Bills with a grade of 85.9:

The former Oklahoma Sooner has been a standout on this year’s team and is ranked among the best centers in the NFL.

As Kansas City heads to Charlotte this weekend, expect Humphrey to continue his dominance against a struggling Carolina Panthers team.

Broncos PFF grades: Best, worst players from win over Falcons

Nik Bonitto (90.0) was the Broncos’ best player vs. the Falcons, followed by Quinn Meinerz (92.1) and Bo Nix (83.3). View more PFF grades.

Following the Denver Broncos‘ 38-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Pro Football Focus has released grades for each player’s Week 11 performance.

PFF grades players on a 0 (worst) to 100 (best) scale. Check out the best and worst of Week 11 below.

Best Offensive Players 

  • G Quinn Meinerz: 92.1
  • QB Bo Nix: 83.3
  • OT Mike McGlinchey: 77.4
  • WR Devaughn Vele: 75.5
  • RB Javonte Williams: 73.8

Bo Nix had the best game of his career in a record-breaking performance. Denver has also found creative ways to get WR Marvin Mims (73.2) involved, and he ended the day with the sixth-best grade on offense.

Best Defensive Players 

  • OLB Nik Bonitto: 90.0
  • DL John Franklin-Myers: 77.4
  • DB Devon Key: 75.3
  • CB Pat Surtain: 70.1
  • DL Zach Allen: 65.6

Nik Bonitto has now topped his 2023 sack total and he’s just one sack away from the first double-digit sack season of his career. Bonitto’s nine sacks are tied for second-most in the NFL this season.

Worst Offensive Players 

  • G Ben Powers: 51.1
  • RB Jaleel McLaughlin: 54.6
  • C Luke Wattenberg: 59.0
  • TE Adam Trautman: 59.0
  • TE Lucas Krull: 59.3

Tight end needs to be a priority position for the Broncos in the offseason. Tyler Warren would be a dream draft target.

Worst Defensive Players 

  • DL Jordan Jackson: 29.5
  • LB Levelle Bailey: 41.9
  • DL Malcolm Roach: 45.7
  • OLB Jonathon Cooper: 46.3
  • CB Riley Moss: 48.2

The Cooper and Moss grades seem a bit harsh.

Special Teams 

  • ST Devon Key: 86.2
  • LS Mitchell Fraboni: 77.8
  • R Marvin Mims: 61.3
  • K Wil Lutz: 68.0 (FG) 55.2 (KO)
  • P Riley Dixon: 55.9

You can view grades for every player on the paid version of PFF’s website.

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Notable Pro Football Focus grades after Texas A&M’s 38-3 win over New Mexico State

Here are the most notable offensive and defensive Pro Football Focus score after Texas A&M’s win over New Mexico State

Texas A&M (8-2, 5-1 SEC) enters Week 13 with everything on the line after defeating New Mexico State 38-3 on Saturday night, as redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed made his fifth start and looked much better as a pocket passer.

However, there’s still a lot of room for improvement, as the offense stalled for most of the second half after going up 31-0, leading to head coach Mike Elko cycling through his quarterback room as Conner Weigman and freshman Miles O’Neill took the rest of the snaps.

In just his second appearance this season, junior defensive lineman Malick Sylla recorded a team-high two sacks and three tackles for loss, which should prompt Elko to play him more down the stretch.

After the game, Pro Football Focus released the latest grades from the matchup. Here are the most notable grades on both sides of the ball for every Texas A&M contributor:

Offense:

Freshman quarterback Miles O’Neill, who entered the game late, finished 5/6 for 51 yards and his first career touchdown pass to fellow freshman receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman. Coincidentally, O’Neill finished with the highest overall offensive PFF score (89.0), while Bethel-Roman’s 35 yards and a score earned a grade of 84.2.

Sophomore tight end Theo Melin Öhrström led the Aggies with 5 receptions and 111 yards in his best career game, earning the second-highest offensive grade (86.1) and the highest pass grade (91.4). Lastly, starting running back Amari Daniels, who ran for an impressive 71-yard touchdown in the first half, left the game after five carries for 84 yards, earning the fourth-highest offensive grade (84.2).

Nearly all five starters earned at least a 60-plus pass-blocking grade along the offensive line, while starting left tackle Trey Zuhn did not surrender pressure, earning a team-high 88.3 pass-blocking grade.

Defense:

Sophomore DL Rylan Kennedy was by far the best defensive player on the field per PFF, leading the Aggies with a prolific 91.5 defensive grade and 94.4 pass-rush grade after recording just one tackle and two pass breakups.

In one of the best overall defensive performances, 19 defenders earned a 60 defensive grade or better. In contrast, DL Malick Sylla’s big day surprisingly earned him the tenth-highest defensive grade (72.0) and the fifth-highest pass-rush grade (75.5)

PFF also noted that Texas A&M’s tackling improved much compared to the loss to South Carolina, only missing seven tackles on the night.

Texas A&M will face Auburn on the road on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

PFF: Two Chiefs linemen have earned top pass-blocking grades this season

See which two #Chiefs linemen have earned high marks from the experts at Pro Football Focus this season.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ perfect season remains intact heading into Week 11 and the defending Super Bowl champions are well on their way to a third-straight title.

Though the Chiefs’ playmakers have struggled for most of the season, Kansas City’s offensive line has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise lackluster offensive attack.

Led by star center Creed Humphrey and veteran guard Joe Thuney, the Chiefs’ interior line has been among the best in the league this season, ranking first in run-block win rate and fifth in pass-block win rate.

On Wednesday, Pro Football Focus released their highest-graded pass-blocking offensive lineman this season, with Thuney and Humphrey leading the league at their respective positions entering Week 11.

 

As Kansas City looks to keep its undefeated season alive against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, expect the Chiefs’ stellar offensive line to continue providing perfect protection for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.