• The Chargers’ safeties placed on a present: Tony Jefferson and Alohi Gilman completed as two of the ten highest-graded gamers from the wild-card spherical.
• Two elite quarterbacks will face off within the divisional spherical: Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson each earned 90.0-plus PFF total grades within the wild-card spherical.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is right here: Strive PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and find out about 2025’s prime prospects whereas buying and selling and drafting on your favourite NFL crew.
Estimated Studying Time: 4 minutes
These are PFF’s 15 highest-graded gamers from the NFL wild-card spherical.
Minimal required snaps: 10
1. S Tony Jefferson, Los Angeles Chargers: 95.0
With the harm to Elijah Molden late within the 12 months, the Chargers’ protection once more turned to the savvy veteran in a vital second, to which he answered the decision with opportunistic play. The spotlight was Jefferson serving to to explode a trick look from Houston, inside their very own 25-yard line, ending in him punching the ball away from Joe Mixon and securing it to get Justin Herbert and the offense again on the sector.
2. CB Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans: 93.6
The distinction of the wild-card spherical’s highest-graded protection defender goes to Stingley, who secured an outstanding 94.9 mark towards the Chargers. Houston’s protection, spearheaded by Stingley’s two fourth-quarter interceptions, surrendered little room for the Chargers to maneuver. The third-year cornerback additionally notched a pair of pressured incompletions and a pressured fumble, a credit score to his sticky and aggressive protection potential.
3. QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: 93.0
In his first six playoff appearances earlier than this previous weekend, Jackson held only a mixed 62.8 PFF total grade. His 93.0 offensive mark within the wild-card spherical not solely led all offensive gamers but in addition set a brand new postseason career-high for the reigning MVP. Whereas his quantity passing stats could not soar off the web page, his impression was large. Jackson earned the fourth-highest postseason passing grade (92.6) within the PFF period (since 2006).
4. TE Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams: 92.8
Higbee managed to clock simply 12 snaps earlier than exiting the Rams’ wild-card matchup with an harm. Even nonetheless, he managed a 92.1 PFF receiving grade, hauling in 5 receptions for 53 yards — main the sport earlier than taking place. Together with his first reception, Higbee gashed the Vikings‘ protection for twenty-four yards, establishing what would have been a wonderful day had he averted harm.
5. WR Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 91.8
Even when shadowed by one of many NFL’s prime cornerbacks in Marshon Lattimore, Evans was unguardable this previous weekend. The Buccaneers’ explosive receiver secured all seven of his catchable passes, together with a trio of receptions over 15 yards, racking up 4.84 yards per route run. That efficiency netted the veteran receiver a 91.3 PFF receiving grade, rating twelfth amongst receivers within the postseason since PFF began charting knowledge in 2006.
T-6. WR Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers: 91.6
Wild-Card Weekend was the stage for a historic efficiency from McConkey, who set an NFL file for many receiving yards by a rookie in a postseason recreation. The primary-year receiver hauled in 9 passes for 197 yards — together with 5 explosives — highlighted by his large 86-yard landing within the fourth quarter. McConkey’s 91.0 PFF receiving grade ranks second amongst rookies within the postseason throughout the PFF period — behind solely Puka Nacua’s efficiency in final season’s wild-card spherical.
T-6. S Alohi Gilman, Los Angeles Chargers: 91.6
The Chargers began their wild-card matchup on a excessive notice, due largely to the wonderful play of Gilman on the backend. Houston’s first drive from scrimmage ended with a turnover on the primary play after Gilman punched the ball free, resulting in a short-lived six-point lead for Los Angeles. That significantly contributed to Gilman’s 89.6 PFF protection grade — the best of his profession and greatest by a security within the wild-card spherical.
8. RB Josh Jacobs, Inexperienced Bay Packers: 91.1
Jacobs shined brightest when it mattered most, incomes his highest grade of the season and the second-highest mark ever produced by a operating again within the postseason. The Packers again proved tough for the Eagles to carry to the bottom, producing 14 pressured missed tackles on his 21 touches to tie former Seahawk Marshawn Lynch for probably the most within the playoffs since PFF began charting knowledge in 2006.
T-9. DI Greg Gaines, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 90.5
Whereas Gaines hasn’t been the image of consistency in his profession, he undoubtedly loves the playoffs, incomes the best single-game grade of his profession within the wild-card spherical. His 90.6 PFF run-defense grade is the best amongst all inside defenders in a playoff recreation since 2021. Coincidentally, that mark additionally belongs to Gaines for his efficiency in Tremendous Bowl 56, giving the Buccaneers defender two of the highest 15 playoff run-defense grades on the place within the PFF period.
T-9. C Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens: 90.5
The second Raven to grace this checklist, Linderbaum completed Wild-Card Weekend because the league’s highest-graded heart. His 90.5 PFF total grade ranks fifth amongst playoff facilities within the PFF period, buoyed by his unimaginable 89.9 PFF run-blocking grade — a mark that not solely led all blockers this previous week but in addition paced all inside blockers by greater than 11 factors on the grading scale.
11. LB Nakobe Dean, Philadelphia Eagles: 90.3
The younger, breakout linebacker performed simply 23 snaps earlier than taking place with a critical harm within the second quarter this previous weekend — one that can knock him out for the rest of Philadelphia’s playoff run. Dean earned a 77.0-plus PFF grade as a run defender and in protection, highlighted by his 4 mixed defensive stops, together with a pair of tackles for loss.
T-12. QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Payments: 90.1
After one other masterful wild-card efficiency, Allen continues to climb the leaderboards of PFF’s best-ever playoff quarterbacks. His 90.1 PFF total grade is his fourth wild-card outing to surpass an 88.0-plus mark, contributing to his 91.2 profession playoff grade — the fourth-highest grade since 2006. Allen led all playoff passers this previous week with 10.5 yards per try whereas registering an 80% adjusted completion price.
T-12. EDGE Denico Autry, Houston Texans: 90.1
In his eleventh season, Autry remains to be bringing the warmth on the inside, producing the highest-graded playoff efficiency of his profession this previous week. The Texans pass-rusher generated the best PFF pass-rush grade of his season (88.8) after recording a win on 37.5% of his dashing snaps and notching 4 pressures, together with a pivotal third-down sack of Justin Herbert, late within the recreation.
T-14. CB Kamari Lassiter, Houston Texans: 89.5
Alongside together with his teammate, the aforementioned Derek Stingley Jr., Lassiter was an enormous consider shutting down the Chargers’ passing recreation. The primary-year cornerback completed with a 90.5 PFF protection grade — the best mark of his younger profession and the fourth-highest amongst rookie cornerbacks within the postseason — after surrendering zero receptions on three targets into his protection and securing his fifth interception on the 12 months.
T-14. DI Jordan Davis, Philadelphia Eagles: 89.5
The huge drive in the course of this Eagles’ protection had himself an enormous efficiency within the wild-card spherical, incomes the second-highest PFF pass-rushing grade of his younger profession. Though Davis performed simply 5 pass-rushing snaps, he managed to notch a 60% win price and a pair of pressures, on his technique to an 89.8 PFF pass-rushing grade — the second-highest mark within the NFL this previous weekend.
