Super Bowl 58 brought a close to the 2023 season, and before we move on to the excitement of free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft, let's reflect on some of the best individual performances of the year.
The PFF 101 highlights the top individual performances in 2023, regardless of position, and credits the best players of the season that was.
PFF remains a player evaluation site at its core, and the 101 is our chance to acknowledge and praise the best players from the 2023 season one last time before we look ahead to assembling rosters for the upcoming year.
Here is a quick reminder of our basic criteria:
• This list is based solely on play in 2023. Past or future play is not accounted for. This isn't about class or talent; it's about performance throughout the 2023 NFL season.
• This list is created with an “all positions are created equal” mantra. So, you won't see 32 quarterbacks heading the list, even though that is the game's most valuable position. Instead, we take a look at how players performed relative to what is expected from their position.
• Unlike PFF's awards, the 101 factors in the postseason, so some players who won PFF awards may find themselves jumped in the 101 by rivals who had a playoff run worthy of a change in ranking.
• Disagree with the players we've included here? Let us know on Twitter (@PFF).
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101. G Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas guard rounds out the top 101 after backing up his impressive rookie campaign with an even better second year. Smith allowed only one sack and posted an 80.7 PFF run-blocking grade in 2023.
100. QB C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Stroud surpassed all expectations in his first season, putting together one of the best rookie seasons any quarterback has ever had on his way to a playoff berth. He was incredibly accurate and efficient, and did some of his best work under pressure — an area that was not always a strength of his in college.
99. T Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos
Bolles was an iron man for the Broncos, playing more than 1,000 snaps at left tackle and earning excellent PFF grades in the process. He posted an 83.8 PFF pass-blocking grade, the second-best mark of his career.
98. G Sam Cosmi, Washington Commanders
Bumped inside to guard by Washington, Cosmi played his best football in 2023 despite an offensive line that was far from strong and a quarterback who consistently put the unit under unnecessary stress. Cosmi allowed one sack all season and posted an 80.9 PFF run-blocking grade.
97. C Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
Linderbaum in year two took another step in his development and emerged as one of the best centers in the league. He posted PFF grades of at least 78.3 in each facet of play and didn’t give up a sack across 17 games of play, allowing just 18 quarterback pressures all season.
96. LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Cleveland Browns
One of the most athletic defenders in the game, Owusu-Koramoah had games where he was all over the field making plays for the Browns. He finished the year with 61 defensive stops, and it was only his 15 missed tackles that dragged his overall PFF grade down from the very elite.
95. G Kevin Dotson, Los Angeles Rams
During his time in Pittsburgh, Dotson was a consistently outstanding pass protector but posted below-average PFF grades in the run game. His first year with the Rams saw him dominate as a run blocker and still perform well as a pass protector, and he now hits free agency coming off a career year.
94. LB T.J. Edwards, Chicago Bears
Edwards seems destined to spend an entire career as a criminally underrated player simply because he isn’t a spectacular athlete or physical specimen. Overshadowed by Tremaine Edmunds in Chicago’s spending last free agency period, Edwards notched 61 defensive stops in his first year with the Bears while besting Edmunds’ production in coverage.
93. CB Darious Williams, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars realized last season that, despite his size, Darious Williams is a far better player on the outside than he is in the slot. The 2023 season proved them correct in that assessment, as he broke up 15 passes and allowed just a 69.6 passer rating into his coverage.
92. T Christian Darrisaw, Minnesota Vikings
Only Tyron Smith and Tristan Wirfs earned better PFF pass-blocking grades than Darrisaw this season, and injuries causing him to play in only 15 games also didn’t help his cause. He has nevertheless solidified himself as one of the best left tackles in football.
91. LB Bobby Okereke, New York Giants
Okereke had an excellent year in Wink Martendale’s aggressive Giants defense. His athleticism and range allowed him to post an 82.5 PFF coverage grade, and he allowed an 89.1 passer rating into his coverage, some 15 points lower than the league average for linebackers.
90. CB Paulson Adebo, New Orleans Saints
Adebo had occasionally flashed impact ability over his first two years in the league, but this season he did it far more consistently. And for a month in the middle of the year, he was the best cornerback in football. Adebo finished with 11 pass breakups and four picks, allowing a 69.9 passer rating when targeted.
89. QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Love was one of the NFL's best quarterbacks over the second half of the season, finishing ninth in PFF passing grade (83.2) overall on the year. When he was dialed in, he was a devastating playmaker, but inconsistency in his game kept him away from the top spots on this list.
88. TE T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
His season was cut short by a nasty injury, but Hockenson still racked up 960 receiving yards at 1.9 per route run across 15 games. He was a hugely important part of the Vikings' offense, particularly when Justin Jefferson was missing from the lineup.
87. DI Kobie Turner, Los Angeles Rams
The rookie defensive tackle had a slow enough start to his NFL career, but by the halfway point he was cooking with gas, notching 50 total pressures over the season, including nine sacks in his last eight games.
86. C Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles
The fact that Kelce still ranks among the league's best in what was a down year by his standards is a mark of how great he has been in the NFL. He allowed one sack and just 15 total pressures across 18 games for the Eagles, earning an 84.5 PFF run-blocking grade.
85. CB Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland defense was a completely transformed unit this past season under Jim Schwartz, and Ward was their best coverage defender. Ward broke up nine passes and snagged two interceptions over the year, allowing 51.5% of throws into his coverage to be caught.
84. CB Brian Branch, Detroit Lions
Branch was among the Lions' stable of talented rookies, showing that measurables and NFL Combine times aren’t everything. He was installed as the team’s primary slot defender and earned impressive PFF grades across the board, with 11 pass breakups to go with three interceptions.
83. QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
With offensive coordinator Ben Johnson staying for another year, Goff continued to thrive for the Lions. He had a strange collapse for a run of division games midway through the season, but outside of that, he played at an All-Pro level for the Lions.
82. LB Blake Cashman, Houston Texans
The impact of DeMeco Ryans taking over as the Texans' head coach could be felt immediately, and Cashman benefited hugely from that. Cashman had an incredible breakout year and was one of only four linebackers to earn PFF grades of at least 70.0 in every facet of play.
81. C Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs
Humphrey has been one of the best linemen in the game since the moment he stepped foot on an NFL field. He earned PFF grades of at least 74.3 in each facet of play this season, and the only negative on his tape was some wayward snaps that he needs to tidy up to get back to his very best grades in 2024.
80. RB James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals weren’t exactly must-watch TV for much of the 2023 season, and that means a lot of people slept on running back James Conner‘s outstanding year. He topped 1,000 yards at 5.0 yards per attempt, with 3.9 of those yards coming after contact.
79. TE Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
The rookie LaPorta was one of the stars of 2023 for the Lions‘ offense. He had 10 touchdowns in the regular season and added another in the wild-card round against the Rams. A late injury impacted his effectiveness, but he still notched more than 1,000 receiving yards.
78. DI Alim McNeill, Detroit Lions
Detroit’s defensive front had been just Aidan Hutchinson at times, but Alim McNeill really took an important step forward in 2023. He posted an 86.8 PFF grade for the season, notching 43 quarterback pressures and 20 defensive stops.
77. DI Christian Wilkins, Miami Dolphins
With Miami losing a series of pass rushers over the season, more and more responsibility for disruption fell on the broad shoulders of Christian Wilkins. He picked up that slack and finished the year with 61 quarterback pressures and 34 defensive stops.
76. CB Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans
Outshined by Sauce Gardner as rookies, Derek Stingley significantly closed the gap in year two, in an excellent season for the Texans. He had five interceptions and six pass breakups, and passes targeting him generated just a 76.6 passer rating for opposing quarterbacks.
75. CB Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
Witherspoon’s calling card as a draft prospect was outstanding instincts and read-and-react skills that put him consistently ahead of the play in college. He showed those traits translated, displaying the same knack in his first season in Seattle. The rookie proved to be a true problem for opposing offenses.
74. RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
This year answered conclusively whether Kyren Williams was for real or just somebody who flashed in 2022. He racked up more than 1,200 yards for the team, averaging 5.0 yards per clip, with 3.3 of that coming after contact.
73. DI Christian Barmore, New England Patriots
Barmore has been growing steadily more efficient as a pass rusher with every season of his career. This year, his 84.9 PFF pass-rushing grade represented a new high, as did the eight sacks he managed from 49 quarterback pressures. He also notched an impressive 40 defensive stops, 15 more than his previous career best.
72. QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Not quite able to match last year’s performance, Hurts was still excellent in 2023 while playing almost through a variety of injuries. He may have had 15 interceptions, but he made only 16 turnover-worthy plays, for a very low turnover-worthy play rate of just 2.3% on the year.
71. T Tyron Smith, Dallas Cowboys
When he’s healthy, Smith is still as good as it gets at the left tackle position. His 89.3 PFF pass-blocking grade was the best mark of any tackle this season, and he allowed just 21 quarterback pressures across 14 games. Missing that much time is the only thing keeping him this far down this list.
70. S Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans Saints
Mathieu has always been able to find his way to the football, and he was back to near his best play for the Saints in 2023. Mathieu had four interceptions to go along with three pass breakups, earning an 87.4 PFF coverage grade.
69. G Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs
Sometimes you don’t notice the impact of a player until they are not in the lineup, and despite filling in admirably, Nick Allegretti wasn’t able to emulate Thuney's excellent play at guard for the Chiefs. Thuney allowed two sacks in 19 games and was penalized only two times all year.
68. DI Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
For the first half of the season, Carter was the best interior pass rusher in the NFL. The rookie fell off precipitously over the second half of the year, though. Averaged out, that still resulted in an outstanding season in which Carter racked up 50 quarterback pressures and earned an 84.6 PFF pass-rushing grade.
67. LB Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens
Since joining the Ravens, Smith has been playing his best football consistently, looking like one of the best linebackers in the game. He had an interception and seven pass breakups in coverage this season, making 54 defensive stops along the way.
66. WR DJ Moore, Chicago Bears
Moore made his mark in his first season in Chicago, as he caught 96 passes for 1,364 yards at 2.3 yards per route run, taking over multiple games and changing the outcome with his playmaking skills. He did all of that with Justin Fields still finding his way as a passer and Tyson Bagent filling in when Fields was hurt.
65. EDGE Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings
Hunter tallied 80 quarterback pressures on the season as the primary source of pressure for the Vikings. He sacked the quarterback 18 times and had four forced fumbles. Only a below-average run-defense grade prevented him from being ranked among the very elite.
64. WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Samuel may be the most important player on the 49ers' offense. When he wasn’t in the lineup, things changed for the worse. He averaged 2.26 yards per route run and had five rushing touchdowns, but his impact is felt beyond the stats, as the threat he brings of lining up all over the formation impacts defenses on every snap.
63. LB C.J. Mosley, New York Jets
Mosley had a career year for the Jets and, along with Quincy Williams, formed one of the league’s most potent linebacker duos. Mosley had five pass breakups and allowed only one touchdown into his coverage all year, racking up 60 defensive stops in the process.
62. DI DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts
Buckner recorded 52 quarterback pressures for the Colts this past season and posted an 81.8 PFF overall grade. He made 43 defensive stops and forced two fumbles as one of the most destructive interior pass rushers in the game.
61. T Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
Arguably the best right tackle of his generation, Johnson had another excellent year, if not quite at his very best. He earned a PFF grade of at least 75.8 in each facet of play and was flagged for only four penalties on the season.
60. S Jevon Holland, Miami Dolphins
Holland missed some time during the season, but when he was on the field, he was once again a force for the Dolphins. Holland earned an 89.9 PFF coverage grade and forced three fumbles despite lining up deep at free safety or covering the slot on a majority of his snaps.
59. LB Dre Greenlaw, San Francisco 49ers
His season ended in tragic circumstances in the Super Bowl, a torn Achilles suffered when running onto the field, but Greenlaw had been an impact playmaker for the 49ers up until that point, forging one of the most potent linebacker combinations in the game alongside Fred Warner.
58. QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
While Stafford enjoyed one of his finest seasons in the NFL, he wasn’t being rewarded for that level of play statistically over the first half of the year. He had just 10 touchdown passes in the first 11 weeks of the season before notching multiple scores in six of his final seven games.
57. S Xavier McKinney, New York Giants
The high points we saw from McKinney this year in Wink Martindale’s aggressive defense were spectacular, with none better than his final game of the season, in which he brought in two interceptions against the Eagles. McKinney has become a do-it-all threat in the secondary.
56. CB L'Jarius Sneed, Kansas City Chiefs
Sneed kept a who’s who of top-tier wideouts quiet this season as part of one of the league’s best defenses. Sneed didn’t allow 100 yards in coverage in any game and didn’t surrender a receiving touchdown in the regular season.
55. T Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans
One of the best pass protectors in the game, Tunsil had another excellent year in a new offense. He allowed only 23 quarterback pressures in 16 games and had five perfect games of pass protection despite playing more than 600 pass-blocking snaps on the year.
54. RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Any Derrick Henry evaluation of this past season needs to be done through the lens of his rushing behind the worst offensive line in football. Henry averaged 4.2 yards per carry, with 3.3 of those coming after contact. Henry was still an absolute force running the ball.
53. DI Justin Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens
Madubuike had a huge breakout season for the Ravens' defense and was one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the game. His 77 quarterback pressures is a massive figure, and his 14 regular-season sacks led the league among interior rushers.
52. EDGE Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers
With all of the focus on T.J. Watt and his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy, it was easy to overlook that Alex Highsmith on the other side of the line came close to matching his production. He racked up 72 total pressures on the season and made several huge plays, including two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
51. LB Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints
One of only four linebackers to record a PFF grade of at least 70.0 in every facet of play, Davis was once again among the best linebackers in the league. He posted 48 defensive stops and 22 quarterback pressures on the blitz, including seven sacks.
50. T Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wirfs, in his first season on the left side of the line after three years at right tackle, remained a force to be reckoned with in 2023. He allowed 24 pressures in 19 games and had seven perfect games of pass protection.
49. TE Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Despite a slow start to his season, and more uncharacteristic mistakes than you typically associate with Travis Kelce, he was still able to turn it on when it mattered most and was a big factor in the team reaching and winning yet another Super Bowl. Kelce caught 125 passes through the postseason and remained virtually impossible to stop.
48. EDGE DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys
Lawrence is fast becoming the poster child of outstanding performance on the edge without generating sacks. This past season, he sacked the quarterback just four times but earned a 91.0 PFF overall grade with 49 total pressures and some exceptional run defense.
47. G Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons
Although he didn't quite hit the heights of last season, Lindstrom was nevertheless excellent again in 2023. He finished the year with an 87.6 PFF overall grade and allowed just 15 quarterback pressures in 16 games of action.
46. LB Quincy Williams, New York Jets
In the shadow of his brother, Quinnen Williams, until this season, Quincy Williams put forth an incredible performance for the Jets in 2023. An 88.7 PFF coverage grade was the standout feature of his game, and he broke up eight passes and recorded one interception.
45. RB Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
It took four postseason touchdowns for Christian McCaffrey to tie the 18 that Mostert racked up for the Dolphins during the regular season. Mostert averaged 4.8 yards per carry with 14 explosive carries of 15-plus yards.
44. QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa was one of the NFL's most efficient passers in 2023. He had the fastest average time to throw all season and produced 8.1 yards per attempt with that quick trigger. Tua has shown he can be an exceptionally accurate and efficient quarterback within Mike McDaniel's offense.
43. EDGE Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals
Nobody sacked the quarterback more than Hendrickson, who actually tied T.J. Watt for the most plays with a sack — the only difference being how the NFL apportions half-sacks in their official numbers.
42. T Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia Eagles
Mailata added yet another excellent season to his career resume, which is already starting to look pretty spectacular, especially considering his beginning in the International Player Pathway program. Mailata posted PFF grades of at least 83.9 as both a run blocker and a pass blocker.
41. EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel, Miami Dolphins
Van Ginkel had a career year for the Dolphins, and it was a desperately needed one for a team that kept losing its most prolific pass rushers to injury. He ended up earning a 90.6 PFF pass-rushing grade and a 91.1 overall grade for the season.
40. EDGE Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers
Mack bounced back in 2023 and posted his best performance since at least 2020. He tallied 88 quarterback pressures, headed by 18 sacks, on his way to an elite PFF grade that showed well in every facet of play.
39. CB Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs
The second-year cornerback had an exceptional year for the Chiefs, culminating in being one of the best players in the Super Bowl against the 49ers. McDuffie moved principally to the slot this season, allowing him to affect more areas of the game. Including the postseason, he recorded five forced fumbles and 19 quarterback pressures on the blitz.
38. EDGE Josh Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Only the incredible volume of dominant edge rushers in today’s NFL kept Allen from putting together an All-Pro season. He notched 90 pressures, had 40 defensive stops and earned an 89.4 PFF pass-rushing grade as the primary, and really sole, source of pressure for the Jaguars.
37. WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
So much attention was on Tyreek Hill and his pursuit of receiving records this past season that Waddle’s performance flew under the radar. He was still one of the most efficient and productive receivers in the league, averaging 2.63 yards per route run.
36. DI Derrick Brown, Carolina Panthers
Brown was historically disruptive along the defensive line for the Panthers in 2023. He led all interior defenders in defensive stops (53) and solo tackles by PFF’s count (73). His PFF run-defense grade was an elite 90.0, and he missed only five tackles all season.
35. CB Charvarius Ward, San Francisco 49ers
Ward has played the best football of his career since signing with the San Francisco 49ers, and he was once again one of the best cornerbacks in the game in 2023. Including the playoffs, Ward had five interceptions and 16 pass breakups. He allowed just a 62.3 passer rating when targeted.
34. WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans
One of the breakout players of the 2023 NFL season, Collins became a true star receiver for the Houston Texans as C.J. Stroud’s No. 1 target. Collins averaged 3.1 yards per route run, the second-best mark in the league after Tyreek Hill.
33. CB Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
Gardner allowed 29 catches in 16 games this season for the Jets. He surrendered just 251 yards all year and had 10 pass breakups as one of the best coverage defenders in the game. Gardner has now opened his career with back-to-back standout seasons and has a good case for being the best cornerback in the league.
32. QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Purdy isn’t built for today’s hot-take landscape that lacks nuance. In a spectacular season, absolutely aided by the contributions of coach Kyle Shanahan and his supporting cast, Purdy and the 49ers became greater than the sum of the team's parts. Purdy averaged 9.6 yards per attempt this season, almost a full yard better than any other quarterback.
31. WR A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
Brown backed up a spectacular debut season with the Eagles with another in 2023. He had 40 fewer receiving yards than the season before but managed a slightly better overall PFF grade (90.4). Brown is one of the toughest covers in the NFL, capable of beating even elite coverage for big plays.
30. CB Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears
A career-best showing for Johnson in a contract year was outstanding timing from his point of view. He was arguably the best cornerback in football this season, earning a 91.0 PFF coverage grade, thanks to allowing a 33.3 passer rating when targeted, worse than if opposing quarterbacks had simply thrown the ball away on every attempt.
29. LB Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers
The gold standard when it comes to off-ball linebackers in today’s NFL, Warner was again the best in the league at that position on his way to a Super Bowl appearance. His PFF overall grade was bested by only one other linebacker — a player who saw half as many snaps as Warner. Only an unusually high 28 missed tackles kept Warner away from one of the very top spots on this list.
28. DI Quinnen Williams, New York Jets
Williams backed up his outstanding breakout 2022 season with another great year. He produced 70 quarterback pressures, setting a new career high in that category, and posted by far the best PFF run-defense grade of his NFL career (90.4).
27. DI Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
Including the Super Bowl run, Jones notched 91 quarterback pressures, more than any other interior defender. He is one of the most destructive pass rushers in the game and has a genuine knack for making the biggest plays on the biggest occasions, dialing up his best moves or his edge alignments for critical third downs or game-defining situations.
26. S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
Maybe the most versatile coverage defender in the game today, Hamilton was deployed as Baltimore’s defensive answer to matchup weapons on offense. He regularly destroyed anything underneath to his side of the field. He had 40 defensive stops, the second most of any safety this season.
25. C Frank Ragnow, Detroit Lions
Ragnow was a bulldozer all season for the Lions‘ offensive line. His 91.3 PFF run-blocking grade was the best of any center in the game, and he performed some late-season heroics by battling through injuries to anchor the middle of that line in critical situations to keep Detroit's season on track.
24. DI Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
Perhaps the first signs that Donald is declining have been spotted, and yet he still posted a 90.8 PFF grade, notched 87 quarterback pressures and was one of the NFL's most dominant interior pass rushers despite facing a constant stream of double teams. Donald will go down as one of the best to ever play the game, and he still has plenty of juice this late into his career.
23. S Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons
Bates showed that he was no product of the system, excelling in his first year with the Falcons after spending the previous five with the Bengals. He had six interceptions and four pass breakups and earned the second-best PFF coverage grade (90.2) of any safety.
22. TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Where Kittle separates himself from other elite receivers at the tight end position is in blocking. Kittle is a throwback to a time when tight ends were all-around threats who got dirty in the trenches and caught passes. His 87.7 PFF overall grade in 2023 was by far the best at the position.
21. WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
One of the best stories of the season, rookie fifth-round draft pick Puka Nacua hit the ground running in the NFL and was one of the game’s most productive receivers from day one. He ended up with 163 targets, more than 1,600 yards and a 90.2 PFF overall grade.
20. CB DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys
Bland made history this season with five pick-sixes for the Cowboys' defense. They were part of his league-leading nine interceptions to go along with six pass breakups. All in all, throwing into his coverage this season resulted in just a 52.6 passer rating for opposing quarterbacks.
19. S Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Winfield was the best-graded safety in the game this season and recorded at least an 84.0 grade in every facet of play that PFF tracks. He was an elite playmaker in the Tampa Bay secondary and changed the outcome of at least two games with critical turnovers.
18. WR Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers don’t throw the ball as much as other teams, so Aiyuk’s opportunity to put up volume was limited. He averaged 2.65 yards per route run and almost 18 yards per reception while dropping only two passes all season. Aiyuk was one of the most devastating playmakers on one of the league’s best offenses.
17. EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
The second overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Hutchinson has emerged as one of the best pass rushers in the game. He broke the 100-pressure barrier for the regular season and added another 20 across three postseason performances.
16. QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Much was made of Allen’s turnovers this season, but he also led the league in big-time throws (43) and ranked second in big-time throw rate (6.2%). When the Bills needed plays, Allen took responsibility, either with his arm or legs. He is one of the few genuinely unstoppable quarterbacks when he plays his best football, and he did that plenty of times this season.
15. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
St. Brown continues to improve year over year and is one of the NFL's very best receivers in an offense that is cooking with gas under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. He averaged 2.59 yards per route run and dropped only five passes from 190 targets in 2023.
14. QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
You could construct a very compelling MVP case for Prescott’s performance during the regular season. With a new offensive direction under Mike McCarthy after Kellen Moore’s departure as offensive coordinator, Prescott had an elite season but couldn’t find that play in another disappointing playoff collapse for the Cowboys.
13. OT Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
The best left tackle in football showed no signs of slowing down this past season, dominating once again for the 49ers. He didn’t give up a single sack all year, including the playoffs, and his 92.5 PFF run-blocking grade was the second-best mark among tackles.
12. EDGE T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
Watt is unquestionably one of the best impact playmakers in the league on defense, and somebody with a knack for the big plays relative to the volume of positive plays he brings to the table. He once again led the league in sacks, even when giving other players the benefit of postseason play to try and catch up. He also notched four forced fumbles and even an interception.
11. EDGE Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
One of the most consistent edge rushers in the league, Crosby is also arguably the best run defender among that group. He racked up 94 total pressures over the season and posted a 92.7 PFF run-defense grade despite battling through a knee injury that resulted in some gruesome-looking swelling at times.
10. OT Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
Sewell’s 93.1 PFF run-blocking grade is one of the best single-season marks over the past 15 years at any position. He was a dominant force in the run game for the Lions and allowed just one sack over 17 starts.
9. WR CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb just continues to get better each year of his NFL career. He was one of the most dominant receivers in the game this season as Dak Prescott’s top target. He averaged 2.78 yards per route run, the top mark of his career so far, and set new highs in PFF overall grade and PFF receiving grade.
8. DI Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants
Lawrence doesn’t get enough appreciation for what he achieves because he aligns mostly as a true nose tackle within the Giants' defense. He notched 65 total pressures over the year, tied for fourth among interior linemen, but he racked up more pressures from a nose tackle alignment than any other lineman by an order of magnitude. Lawrence is a throwback player who dominates in today’s league.
7. QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
His season ended ignominiously, but it’s important to remember that Lamar Jackson was also a near-unanimous MVP for his work in the regular season. Jackson had multiple signature performances where opposing defenses had no answer for what he and the Ravens were doing on offense. His season was cut short once he ran into a team that found those answers.
6. EDGE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
Bosa orchestrated maybe the most quietly dominant season in the NFL in 2023. He was an absolute monster but garnered very little recognition for it because he recorded only two sacks over the first seven games. He ultimately finished with 122 total pressures, including the playoffs and 12 in the Super Bowl. Bosa posted new career highs in PFF overall grade (92.2) and PFF pass-rushing grade (92.3).
5. RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Dating back to college, McCaffrey has been a scrimmage-yards cheat code, and this year was maybe his finest work in the NFL. He led the league in rushing yards (1,459), added 564 receiving yards and scored 23 touchdowns between receptions and carries. He only added to those numbers in the playoffs on his way to a Super Bowl in which he had another 160 yards from scrimmage.
4. QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Given the fog that the rest of the Chiefs' offense seemed to be in for most of the season, what Mahomes achieved this season was just another embellishment to his already formidable career legacy. He was phenomenal all season outside of a disaster of a performance against the Raiders in Week 16, and he played his best football in the playoffs with everything on the line, culminating in another ring.
3. EDGE Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
Drafted as an off-ball linebacker, Parsons has been moving ever closer to being a permanent fixture on the defensive line for Dallas. This season saw him record career lows in coverage snaps and off-ball snaps, and he responded with 103 quarterback pressures and a career-high PFF pass-rushing grade (93.7).
2. WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
Anything above 3.00 yards per route run over any extended period is an exceptional rate of production for an NFL receiver. Hill averaged 3.82 yards per route run this season, a mark that dropped to 3.72 when including the frigid playoff game against the Chiefs. That’s the second-most efficient season PFF has ever tracked from a wide receiver. and only injury late in the year prevented him from chasing down and breaking the league’s all-time single-season receiving record.
1. EDGE Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
With more help around him, Garrett took his already formidable game to another level, dominating like never before. Garrett finished the year with the league’s best pass-rush win rate and PFF pass-rushing grade, and he notched 89 quarterback pressures and 15 sacks. He was the Defensive Player of the Year and the best player in the game on either side of the ball.
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