PFF ROOKIE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Week 1 saw the much-anticipated debuts of many top rookies, several of whom shone in their first NFL action. These are the newcomers who performed the best at each position in their first taste of regular-season football. A player must have played at least 10 snaps to qualify for this list.
Ward gets the nod at quarterback by default, as he was the only rookie quarterback to take a snap in Week 1. Ward’s debut left a lot to be desired, as he completed just 12 of his 29 passes for 112 yards. That said, he was safe with the football, as he never turned the ball over, nor did he have any turnover-worthy plays. However, Ward did take six sacks against a tough
Broncos defense, so that’s an area he’ll look to improve upon going forward.
Running Back:
The darling of the 2025 NFL preseason, the seventh-round rookie out of
Arizona showed Commodes fans why the team was so comfortable trading
Brian Robinson Jr just before the season. Croskey-Merritt carried the ball 10 times for 82 yards, including picking up his first NFL touchdown, while also forcing three missed tackles and registering three explosive runs (carries of at least 10 yards).
Wide Receiver:
After being the first true receiver taken in the 2025 Draft (not counting
Travis Hunter),
Tetairoa McMillan paid immediate dividends for a Carolina team that otherwise struggled in Week 1. McMillan caught six passes, three of which were on contested targets, for 84 yards and a 77.6 PFF receiving grade.
Wide Receiver:
The Buccaneers raised some eyebrows when they took
Ohio State’s
Emeka Egbuka in the first round despite already having a surplus of receiving talent on hand. Egbuka factored in immediately, catching four passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns in Tampa Bay’s Week 1 win over the division-rival
Falcons.
Wide Receiver:
Thornton turned a lot of heads at the NFL Combine after running a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5 and over 200 pounds. While he only caught two passes in his debut, he made them count, as both were converted into first downs.
Tight End:
The Colts were one of the most impressive teams in Week 1, and a big reason why was rookie tight end
Tyler Warren. Warren caught eight of his 10 targets for 88 yards while also impressing as a blocker, as he registered a 78.3 PFF pass-blocking grade and 88.6 PFF run-blocking grade.
Tackle:
The 2025 NFL Draft had no shortage of talent at offensive tackle, and perhaps nobody got off to a better start than the second tackle off the board,
Armand Membou. Membou didn’t allow a single pressure on 26 pass-blocking snaps while recording a 90.3 PFF run-blocking grade.
Tackle:
Banks also had a strong showing in his debut manning
Spencer Rattler’s blind side. The third tackle taken in the 2025 draft allowed just two pressures on 53 pass-blocking snaps to the tune of a 74.4 PFF grade in that field.
Interior Offensive Line:
A rare FCS first-rounder,
Grey Zabel rewarded
Seattle’s confidence in him immediately, playing 52 snaps at left guard while putting up a 68.9 PFF pass-blocking grade.
Interior Offensive Line:
Tate Ratledge was quickly thrust into the starting role after the surprising retirement of
Frank Ragnow. While there were some growing pains, he did show flashes at times. Ratledge allowed three pressures, including a sack, but his 64.1 PFF run-blocking grade was the best amongst rookie guards in Week 1.
Interior Offensive Line:
Tyler Booker was the first interior lineman off the board and proved why in pass protection, as he surrendered just two pressures on 40 pass-blocking snaps. Booker looks to replace longtime stalwart
Zack Martin as the Cowboys’ right guard.
EDGE:
After a lengthy holdout that had some fearing he may re-enter next year’s draft,
Shemar Stewart proved to be well worth the wait for a Bengals team desperately looking for another dominant edge defender opposite
Trey Hendrickson. Stewart recorded three pressures and a 28% pass-rush win rate in his debut, as he helped lead the Bengals to a Week 1 victory over the
Browns.
EDGE:
Considered to be one of the top edge defender prospects in years,
Abdul Carter displayed he was more than worthy of being the third overall pick in the draft. The
Penn State product recorded three pressures in his debut, including his first NFL sack.
Interior Defender:
The Browns made a controversial decision in the 2025 Draft by passing up on
Travis Hunter to trade down and select
Michigan’s
Mason Graham with the fifth overall pick. Graham paid immediate benefits, earning a starting job right out of the gate while putting up a solid 67.3 PFF run-defense grade.
Interior Defender:
As a sixth-round rookie,
Aeneas Peebles didn’t play a large volume of snaps (just 12 of a possible 85). But, he made the most of his limited opportunities, recording a pressure on 22.2% of his pass rushes for a 68.9 PFF grade in that regard.
Linebacker:
As the first pick of the second round, Carson Schwesinger immediately established himself in the heart of the Browns’ defense, playing nearly every defensive snap while generating a grade of at least 70.0 in run defense (70.9), as a pass rusher (76.0) and in coverage (83.8).
Linebacker:
After losing
Jalen Carter before the first snap of the game, somebody needed to step up for the Eagles’ defense. The 31st overall pick,
Jihaad Campbell, was more than up to the task, particularly in coverage. Campbell didn’t allow a single completion into his coverage on 34 such snaps to the tune of an 85.9 PFF coverage grade.
Cornerback:
After falling to the second round due to concerns over his knee,
Will Johnson proved those worries to be unfounded based on his debut game. No rookie to play at least 10 snaps graded higher, regardless of position. Johnson permitted just four catches into his coverage and had an interception called back due to a penalty, culminating in a 90.3 PFF coverage grade.
Cornerback:
A third-round pick out of
Kansas State,
Jacob Parrish lined up primarily in the slot for the Buccaneers. Parrish played admirably, allowing just two catches on three targets for a grand total of two yards allowed.
Cornerback:
After playing safety for much of his college career, Billy Bowman played 40 snaps as a slot corner for the Falcons in his debut, giving up just one reception into his coverage for 10 yards.
Safety:
The 106th pick in the draft, Craig Woodson saw significant playing time in his NFL debut, suiting up on all 63 defensive snaps for the Patriots. He only yielded two catches for six yards into his coverage while also putting up a strong showing against the run, leading the team with an 82.3 PFF run-defense grade against the Raiders.
Safety:
With a depleted secondary, the
Dolphins needed someone to step up in a big way. In Week 1, that was rookie fifth-rounder
Dante Trader Jr. Trader was excellent against the run, posting a 75.4 PFF run-defense grade with zero negatively-graded plays. He was also solid in coverage, never being targeted on five coverage snaps.
