• Bryce Young puts together solid efforts: Week 16 was another positive point for the first overall pick as he achieved his highest overall grade of the season of 82.0 – albeit in a loss.
• Bijan Robinson turns touches into productive balls: After racking up just eight touches last week, Robinson scored 19 this week while forcing 12 missed tackles.
• It's never too early to prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft: PFF has you covered throughout the college football season. Click here for our large board 2024.
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young had his best performance yet, the highlight of first-round rookies in Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season.
We will continue to monitor the progress of each first-rounder and their primary opponents throughout the regular season.
Tip #1: Carolina Panthers:QB Bryce Young
Overall rookie grade: 55.6 (Rank: 6/6)
Main Opponent: N/A
Week 16 Snapshots: 66
Week 16 grade: 82.0
For the second straight year, Young saved his best for last. He narrowly missed his second straight victory, but managed 300 yards for the first time in his career. It was also his first game with three big throws. Young posted a 97.6 overall grade in the fourth quarter against Green Bay, which is the second-best quarter of any quarterback this year. Despite all the turmoil around him, it is encouraging to see Young put forth productive efforts one after the other.
Tip #2: Houston Texans:QB CJ Stroud
Overall rookie grade: 81.5 (Rank: 1/6)
Main Opponent: N/A
Snapshots of the Week 16:0
Week 16 Grade: N/A
Stroud was inactive in Week 16 due to a concussion.
Tip #3: Houston Texans: Edge Will Anderson Jr.
Overall rookie grade: 80.5 (Rank: 1/14)
Main Opponent: N/A
Snapshots of the Week 16:0
Week 16 Grade: N/A
Anderson was inactive in Week 16 due to an ankle injury.
Tip #4: Indianapolis Colts:QB Anthony Richardson
Overall Rookie Grade: 52.2 (Rank: N/A)
Main Opponent: N/A
Snapshots of the Week 16:0
Week 16 Grade: N/A
Richardson suffered a shoulder injury in Week 5 and is out for the season.
Tip #5: Seattle Seahawks: CB Devon Witherspoon
Overall rookie grade: 83.4 (Rank: 1/22)
Main Opponent: N/A
Snapshots of the Week 16:0
Week 16 Grade: N/A
Witherspoon was inactive in Week 16 due to a hip pointer.
Tip #6: Arizona Cardinals: OT Paris Johnson Jr.
Overall rookie grade: 57.5 (Rank: 4/8)
Main opponent: Montez sweat
Week 16 Snapshots: 62
Grade for the 16th week: 72.4
Johnson had his best day of the year as a run blocker, earning a grade of 75.1 in that regard. His second-level block on TJ Edwards set up James Conner's longest run of the day. Johnson also seals the rear defenders more consistently than at the beginning of the year. This was his third straight week without a penalty, having committed at least one penalty in eight of his first twelve games.
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Tip #7: Las Vegas Raiders: Edge Tyree Wilson
Overall rookie grade: 47.1 (Rank: 13/14)
Main opponent: Trey Smith
Week 16 Snapshots: 43
Grade for the 16th week: 58.0
Wilson logged more than 40 snaps for the second straight week, recording a season-high five quarterback hurries. However, all five were rushed and a missed tackle affected his overall grade.
Tip #8: Atlanta Falcons:RB Bijan Robinson
Overall rookie grade: 69.8 (Rank: 7/9)
Main opponent: EJ Speed
Week 16 Snapshots: 48
Week 16 grade: 76.8
Robinson was a dual-threat nightmare for Indianapolis. After getting just eight touches last week, Robinson scored 19 this week, forcing 12 missed tackles. He led the Falcons in rushing and receiving, while his 86.8 rushing grade led all running backs through Sunday. It's becoming clear that Robinson is the engine of Atlanta's offense.
Tip #9: Philadelphia Eagles: TUE Jalen Carter
Overall rookie grade: 85.2 (Rank: 1/12)
Main opponent: John Michael Schmitz Jr.
Week 16 Snapshots: 20
Week 16 grade: 64.7
Carter was omitted from the statistics as a pass rusher for the second time this season. However, he made up for it with two positive grades in just six run defense snaps.
Tip #10: Chicago Bears: OT Darnell Wright
Overall rookie grade: 60.4 (Rank: 3/8)
Main opponent: Zaven Collins
Week 16 Snapshots: 70
Week 16 grade: 54.6
Wright struggled a lot in pass protection against Arizona. He allowed a game-high five pressures and dropped four more reps. On almost all of those reps, he was hit inside, a sign that he may be getting the better of the speed rush. Overall, he posted a pass blocking grade of 38.1 – his second-worst grade of the season.
Tip #11: Tennessee Titans:G Peter Skoronski
Overall rookie grade: 61.0 (Rank: 2/12)
Main opponent: Leonard Williams
Week 16 Snapshots: 66
Grade for the 16th week: 59.0
Skoronski bounced back against Seattle with a pass-blocking grade of 69.9 after two difficult games in a row. In 37 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed just two pressures, one of which was a sack on Mario Edwards Jr. Skoronski has struggled in the running game lately, and Sunday was no exception. This week marked his third straight game with a run-blocking grade below 55.0.
Tip #12: Detroit Lions:RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Overall rookie grade: 75.9 (Rank: 3/9)
Main opponent: Josh Metellus
Week 16 Snapshots: 46
Week 16 grade: 65.0
Aside from two errors, a drop and a fumble, Gibbs had a good day against Minnesota. He gained 100 total yards and had his second consecutive multi-touchdown effort. While still dealing with David Montgomery, Gibbs has become one of the most efficient defenders in the league. His 5.7 yards per attempt leads all players with at least 100 carries. He's also forcing missed tackles at a top-12 rate, having tallied seven against Minnesota.
Tip #13: Green Bay Packers: EDGE Luke Van Ness
Overall rookie grade: 65.0 (Rank: 4/14)
Main opponent: Ikem Ekwonu
Week 16 Snapshots: 20
Grade for week 16: 71.0
Van Ness posted the second-highest grade of any Packers defenseman in Week 16. He had two hits against Bryce Young and a run stop among his 20 snaps. One of those hits forced Young into a missed throw. Van Ness continued to hold his own in run defense for the third week in a row. He had a run defense grade of 74.1 over the last three weeks. That's the second-best mark of any Packers defenseman in that span.
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Tip #14: Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Broderick Jones
Overall rookie grade: 60.6 (Rank: 2/8)
Main opponent: Sam Hubbard
Week 16 Snapshots: 59
Grade for the 16th week: 59.6
Jones struggled in pass protection for the second straight week. Despite only allowing two pressures, he was beaten three times and posted a pass blocking grade of 32.0 in true pass sets. Since moving to right tackle in Week 8, Jones has a pass-blocking grade of 38.5 on true pass sets, a bottom-10 mark among qualified tackles.
Tip #15: New York Jets: Edge Will McDonald IV
Overall Rookie Grade: 70.5 (Rank: N/A)
Main opponent: Cornelius Lucas
Week 16 Snapshots: 13
Week 16 grade: 74.5
McDonald posted his best overall grade since Week 11. This week was also his first with multiple pressures since then. He flushed Washington's quarterbacks out of the pocket twice and continued to show that he is a true NFL pass rusher. In an admittedly small sample size, McDonald trails only Jalen Carter and Will Anderson Jr. in pass rush win rate among all rookie defensive linemen (at least 25 snaps).
Tip #16: Washington commanders: CB Emmanuel Forbes
Overall rookie grade: 55.7 (Rank: 15/22)
Main opponent: Garrett Wilson
Week 16 Snapshots: 29
Week 16 grade: 70.2
Forbes played well against New York in his first significant action since Week 11. He played most of the second half after Benjamin St-Juste left due to injury and allowed just three yards on four targets. He was often tasked with press coverage of the Jets' wide receivers, but generally stayed in the phase when New York struggled to complete downfield passes. Forbes has now earned coverage grades of at least 64.0 in his last five appearances, something he had failed to achieve in his previous six appearances.
Pick #17: New England Patriots: CB Christian González
Overall rookie grade: 80.8 (Rank: 2/22)
Main Opponent: N/A
Snapshots of the Week 16:0
Week 16 Grade: N/A
Gonzalez suffered a torn labrum in Week 4 and is out for the season.
Pick #18: Detroit Lions: LB Jack Campbell
Overall rookie grade: 56.9 (Rank: 2/5)
Main opponent: TJ Hockenson
Week 16 Snapshots: 46
Grade for the 16th week: 76.3
Campbell led a Detroit defense that allowed just 17 rushing yards to Minnesota. His run defense grade of 82.9 was a game-best, and he didn't receive a single negative grade. Aside from an understandably difficult game in Baltimore, Campbell has been a top-10 run-defensive linebacker this season. That's an incredible feat for a rookie who was more praised for his coverage skills on draft day.
Pick #19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: TUE Calijah Kancey
Overall rookie grade: 49.0 (Rank: 10/12)
Main opponent: Brandon Scherff
Snapshots of the week 16: 40
Grade for the 16th week: 53.6
Kancey had a strange game by his standards. He got some good reps in the running game, including a tackle for loss on D'Ernest Johnson, but didn't generate any pressure with his team-high 34 pass-rush snaps. It was his first game without pressure, resulting in a season-low 46.6 pass rush rating. His pass-rush presence will be needed next week against the Saints, whose interior defenders haven't protected well this season.
Pick #20: Seattle Seahawks:WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Overall rookie grade: 64.7 (Rank: 10/17)
Main opponent: Eric Garror
Week 16 Snapshots: 39
Week 16 grade: 66.1
Smith-Njigba caught six of his seven targets as he worked on the outside more often than in recent weeks. Five of his six catches and the vast majority of his yards came from an outside lineup. So far this year, Smith-Njigba has started almost 70% of the time. However, his receiving grade is more than 10 points higher when he's lined up outside rather than in the slot. This increased outdoor use should continue to benefit him.
Pick #21: Los Angeles Chargers:WR Quentin Johnston
Overall rookie grade: 59.0 (Rank: 14/17)
Main opponent: Christian Benford
Week 16 Snapshots: 58
Week 16 grade: 56.4
Johnston caught just two passes for 29 yards and a first down against Buffalo. The Bills didn't hesitate to report against him in the press, and he only caught one pass for eight yards on 20 snaps against it. Johnston's season-long rating of 56.4 compared to press coverage is a bottom-10 mark among receivers with at least 20 such targets.
Pick #22: Baltimore Ravens:WR Zay flowers
Overall rookie grade: 74.2 (Rank: 6/17
Main opponent: Dre Greenlaw
Week 16 Snapshots: 53
Grade for the 16th week: 71.9
After seeing a target a week ago, Flowers received the lion's share of looks against the 49ers. He scored nine of his 13 targets – including a season-high two contested grabs – for 72 yards and a score.
Pick #23: Minnesota Vikings:WR Jordan Addison
Overall rookie grade: 70.1 (Rank: 8/17)
Main opponent: Brian Branch
Week 16 Snapshots: 21
Grade for the 16th week: 53.0
Addison caught just one of three targets before exiting with a sprained ankle in Week 16. The two targets he didn't catch were both intercepted. Between his injury and Minnesota's poor quarterback play, it seems increasingly unlikely that Addison will reach 1,000 yards this year. On the bright side, his nine touchdowns still lead all rookie receivers.
Pick #24: New York Giants: CB Deonte Banks
Overall rookie grade: 51.4 (Rank: 21/24)
Main opponent: AJ Brown
Week 16 Snapshots: 44
Week 16 grade: 66.9
A difficult rookie season has begun for Banks, who had three catches on four targets for just 17 yards against the Eagles. He has earned an overall grade of 63.8 in the last five weeks, after achieving a grade of 47.2 in the first 11 weeks.
Pick #25: Buffalo Bills:TE Dalton Kincaid
Overall rookie grade: 64.7 (Rank: 2/5)
Main opponent: Kenneth Murray Jr.
Week 16 Snapshots: 23
Week 16 grade: 55.3
Kincaid played his fewest snaps of the season in Los Angeles as the Bills used a receiver-heavy approach. He caught just one of his two targets and gained seven yards over the course of the game. After a hot midseason stretch, Kincaid has a 54.3 overall grade since Week 12 and has gained just 66 yards in that time. The recent return of Dawson Knox and the rise in the Bills' run usage does not bode well for Kincaid's receiving performance.
Pick #26: Dallas Cowboys: TUE Mazi Smith
Overall rookie grade: 51.8 (Rank: 9/12)
Main opponent: Robert Jones
Week 16 Snapshots: 26
Grade of the 16th week: 48.3
Smith made one tackle but otherwise struggled against Miami's dynamic offense. He made two negative plays in run defense and generated no pressure on his 16 pass-rush receptions. Smith seems like a dynamic player at times, but the consistency just isn't there yet. Dallas needs him to find that consistency, as Osa Odighizuwa is the team's only defensive tackle with an overall grade above 60.0.
Pick #27: Jacksonville Jaguars: OT Anthony Harrison
Overall rookie grade: 53.6 (Rank: 5/8)
Main opponent: Shaquil Barrett
Week 16 Snapshots: 35
Week 16 grade: 59.1
Harrison had a good day's defense against Tampa Bay before exiting with an injury late in the third quarter. His pass blocking rating of 77.1 surpassed all Jacksonville players and represents Harrison's second-best mark of the year. His trouble was in the run game, as he posted a season-low 35.5 run blocking rating. He received a negative grade on three of his eight run-blocking snaps, losing his man inside on all three occasions.
Pick #28: Cincinnati Bengals: Edge Myles Murphy
Overall rookie grade: 58.3 (Rank: 11/14)
Main opponent: Dan Moore Jr.
Week 16 Snapshots: 32
Grade for the 16th week: 58.6
Murphy won two of his 13 pass rush reps, once against Isaac Seumalo and once against fellow rookie Broderick Jones. Otherwise, he made little impact as he generated no official pressure and posted a below-average run defense grade of 54.4. Murphy's run defense grade of 49.5 is the third-worst among qualified rookie edge defenders.
Pick #29: New Orleans Saints: TUE Bryan Bresee
Overall rookie grade: 45.5 (Rank: 11/12)
Main opponent: Steve Avila
Week 16 Snapshots: 27
Week 16 grade: 37.1
Bresee has had issues in the running game lately, and Thursday night was no exception. He posted a run defense grade of 30.1 against the Rams, his third game in the last five with a run defense grade below 40.0. He received a negative grade in four of his 13 run defense snaps this week while receiving no positive grades. This season, Bresee has given a negative grade on 26.7% of his run defense snaps, which is the third-highest rate among defensive tackles with at least 100 such snaps.
Pick #30: Philadelphia Eagles: Edge Nolan Smith
Overall Rookie Grade: 49.4 (Rank: N/A)
Main opponent: Andrew Thomas
Week 16 Snapshots: 16
Grade for the 16th week: 45.0
A missed tackle and two catches allowed in coverage in just 16 snaps resulted in a below-average game grade of 45.0 for Smith, who has played just 129 snaps this season.
Pick #31: Kansas City Chiefs: Edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah
Overall Rookie Grade: 52.5 (Rank: N/A)
Main opponent: Jermaine Eluemunor
Week 16 Snapshots: 4
Grade for the 16th week: 56.0
Anudike-Uzomah recorded no pressures in four pass-rushing snaps in the Chiefs' surprise loss to the Raiders.