- Chargers undrafted cornerback Eric Rogers put together a statement game: The rookie notched two impressive interceptions, one of which he returned for a pick-six.
- The undersized Willie Lampkin does it again: The Rams guard dealt with questions about his size throughout the pre-draft process yet continues to defy expectations with standout performances — first in the Senior Bowl and now in his first preseason action.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
We’re diving into the top rookies by PFF overall grade from Week 1 of the 2025 NFL preseason. To qualify, players needed to log at least 25 snaps.
Undrafted rookies dominated the first slate of action, led by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Eric Rogers.
1. CB Eric Rogers, Los Angeles Chargers (96.6)
Rogers graded out as the best defensive player over the weekend, leading all cornerbacks in PFF run-defense grade (92.6) and PFF coverage grade (95.3). Rogers made plays all afternoon, recording a pass breakup and two interceptions, one of which he turned into a 43-yard pick-six.
Rogers was targeted four times, with both picks coming as a zone defender. His forced incompletion came on his lone target in single coverage.
2. G Joe Huber, Minnesota Vikings (94.7)
Huber led all guards in PFF run-blocking grade in preseason Week 1 (93.9), thanks to an outstanding 90.5 zone PFF run-blocking grade. He also tallied the third-best gap run-blocking grade (76.8).
Huber gave up a sack and a quarterback hit in pass protection but still finished with a solid 77.8 PFF pass-blocking grade across 32 pass-blocking snaps.
3. G Willie Lampkin, Los Angeles Rams (94.1)
The undrafted Senior Bowl standout finished right behind Huber in PFF overall grade (94.1), with an elite 92.2 PFF run-blocking grade of his own (third). Whereas Huber stood out as a zone blocker, Lampkin flashed in gap schemes, recording a 92.5 gap PFF run-blocking grade across 14 snaps.
Lampkin recorded the fewest pass-blocking snaps among rookie guards (nine), but he didn’t allow any pressure and logged a 78.6 PFF pass-blocking grade.
4. S R.J. Mickens, Los Angeles Chargers (93.0)
Mickens tied for the position lead in PFF tackling grade (85.7) and tied for the third-best PFF coverage grade (90.4) with fellow rookie Kitan Crawford. He was targeted twice in coverage against the Saints and allowed one catch for only 5 yards.
The Clemson product broke up a pass, dropped an interception and recorded five tackles with one stop across 44 coverage snaps.
5. S Kitan Crawford, Arizona Cardinals (92.5)
Crawford was targeted only once across 21 coverage snaps against the Chiefs. The result of the play was a leaping interception in the endzone on third-and-16 while he was manning the middle of the field in zone coverage. Crawford was one of two rookie safeties to record an interception this weekend.
6. LB Nick Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (90.0)
Jackson ranked as the fifth-highest-graded linebacker overall in preseason Week 1. He was targeted four times, twice in the slot, and allowed three catches for 14 yards. He picked off a pass and recorded three tackles and a coverage stop, limiting quarterbacks to a 39.6 NFL passer rating.
The undrafted Iowa product also earned a 73.6 PFF run-defense grade, making a tackle and a stop across nine run snaps. He also logged a sack in limited time as a rusher (five pass rushes).
7. LB Jay Higgins, Baltimore Ravens (88.1)
Higgins also finished as a top-10 linebacker overall in Week 1, putting forth his own strong performance in coverage (85.2). He was targeted twice, allowing both to be caught for a total of 10 yards. He batted a pass as a rusher and picked off an errant pass from Riley Leonard, who was hit on the throw. Higgins limited quarterbacks to a 47.9 NFL passer rating for the game.
8. LB Chandler Martin, Baltimore Ravens (86.7)
Joining Jay Higgins on this top-10 list is fellow Ravens linebacker Chandler Martin, who enjoyed an equally impressive night against the Colts, recording 70.0-plus grades in every defensive metric.
Martin played 12 run-defense snaps, recording a tackle, an assist and a run stop. He rushed the passer five times and tallied a quarterback hit and a batted pass. He was also targeted twice in coverage, allowing one catch for eight yards.
9. EDGE Jared Ivey, Seattle Seahawks (84.4)
Ivey was excellent in run defense against the Raiders, logging four tackles, two assists and three stops across 15 run snaps. He finished the night with an 81.9 PFF run-defense grade, the fourth-best mark among all edge defenders in preseason Week 1.
10. EDGE Trace Ford, New York Giants (84.3)
Ford flashed in run defense with two tackles and two stops across 10 such snaps against Buffalo. He also showed his potential as a rusher, recording three pressures on 26 pass-rush snaps en route to an 81.3 PFF pass-rushing grade.
The undrafted Oklahoma product finished the game with a 41.7% pass-rush win rate on true pass sets, the sixth-best clip among rookie edge defenders.
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