New for the 2025 NFL season, PFSN is grading players at every position with our series of Impact Grades. These metrics are tailored to each position and aim to measure the impact of a player’s individual contributions on the game.
Using a traditional grading system scale, players are ranked at their position based on a weighted average of a series of position-specific metrics. An exactly average performance will get a 75 overall grade, which translates to a C on the grading scale.
Each week, PFSN will present the highest-graded player at each position with analysis on why that player excelled. Below, we take a look at the players who were at the top of their class in Week 3.
QB: Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
(85.1, B)
Caleb Williams had his cleanest game as a pro, throwing four touchdowns with no picks and no sacks taken (the first time in his career he hasn’t been taken down in the backfield). Consequently, Williams produced a career-high 85.1 QBi grade, which was also the ninth-highest by a Bears QB since 2000.
It’s just the seventh time this century the QB-challenged Bears have had the highest QBi grade in a single week. It last happened in 2023 Week 5, when Justin Fields also threw four touchdowns and no picks in a win over an NFC East foe (Washington in his case).
RB: David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
(91.9, A-)
The Knuckles portion of Detroit’s backfield was the best running back in Week 3. David Montgomery recorded the best RBi grade of the season so far with his career-high 91.9 grade in the Lions’ Monday night win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Montgomery racked up 151 yards on just 12 carries, ripping off gains of 72 and 31 to boost his stat line. Beyond the chunk runs, though, seven of his 12 carries were successful by EPA, and only one carry lost yardage. As a result, Montgomery recorded the highest RBi grade in a week for the fifth time in his career, and first since Week 11 of 2023 against his former team, the Bears.
WR: Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
(86.8, B)
Puka Nacua leads our season-long WR Impact numbers due to his status as the most consistent receiver so far. The Rams wideout has had a top-10 finish in each of the first three weeks this season and leads the NFL with 333 receiving yards.
This was the fourth time Nacua has had the highest WRi grade in a single week. His 45.5% on-field target share led all qualifying WRs this week, but he still maintained efficiency despite that target volume with 3.73 yards per route (fifth-best at the position in Week 3).
TE: Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
(84.3, B)
After an injury-plagued 2024, Dalton Kincaid looks re-established as one of the top threats in the Buffalo Bills’ offense. Kincaid caught five of his six targets for 66 yards and his second touchdown of the season, resulting in an 84.3 TEi grade. That’s the highest by a Bills tight end since 2021, when Dawson Knox recorded an 85.3 grade vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kincaid ranked second among tight ends in Week 3 with 3.3 yards per route (narrowly behind Mark Andrews, who ranked second in TEi grade this week), while also generating 19.3 yards after the catch over expected. Only Tyler Warren (22.5) generated more YAC over expected at the position this week.
OT: Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
(88.8, B+)
Penei Sewell’s 88.8 grade was the highest of any offensive lineman in Week 3. It’s the second time in Sewell’s career that he’s led all linemen in OLi grade for a week (2023, Week 16 vs. the Vikings), as well as the fourth time he’s led all offensive tackles.
Sewell allowed just 1 pressure on 30 dropbacks, but also recorded the best run-blocking grade of any OL this week. The All-Pro right tackle continues to cement his reputation as the best run-blocking tackle in the league, as Monday night’s showing moved him up to second among OTs this season behind Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata.
G: O’Cyrus Torrence, Buffalo Bills
(86.7, B)
O’Cyrus Torrence recorded a career-high 87.0 grade on Thursday Night Football, which held up as the top guard grade of the week. He’s the first Bills guard to post the highest OLi grade in a single week since 2019.
Torrence allowed just one pressure on 32 dropbacks and didn’t commit a single penalty. He also recorded the best run-blocking grade among guards this week, playing a major role in James Cook’s 19-carry, 108-yard performance on the ground.
C: Hjalte Froholdt, Arizona Cardinals
(85.3, B)
In defeat, Arizona Cardinals center Hjalte Froholdt was a bright spot for the offense. The sixth-year pro recorded a career-best 89.8 OLi grade. He allowed just one pressure on 40 dropbacks, including 26 true dropbacks (non-play action or screen plays). Moreover, that one pressure allowed came on a play at the end of the first half, where Kyler Murray scrambled around for 3.6 seconds, which PFSN penalizes the OL for less, given the time to pressure.
This was the second time Froholdt has had the highest OL Impact grade in a week among centers. He also did so in 2023, when the 2-10 Cardinals had a memorable road upset win over the 7-4 Steelers.
EDGE: George Karlaftis, Kansas City Chiefs
(94.2, A)
George Karlaftis may not have stood out with a single sack in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Sunday night win, but his’ 94.2 EDGEi grade goes down as the highest by a Chiefs edge rusher since 2019. Why did Karlaftis grade so highly?
- He excelled in run defense. Karlaftis made eight run tackles and had the tackle on 38.1% of his run snaps, both the highest by an edge rusher this week.
- His four splash plays were the most of any EDGE this week. That included two TFLs in run defense, a sack, and a batted pass.
- He had six pressures, two of which were quick pressures (within 2.75 seconds). YaYa Diaby (9) and Jonathan Cooper (7) were the only EDGEs with more pressures in Week 3.
With Nick Bosa going down for the season with a torn ACL, Karlaftis’ massive Week 3 showing surged him to the top of our season-long EDGE Impact Grade leaderboard.
DT: Daron Payne, Washington Commanders
(87.1, B+)
Daron Payne’s stellar pass-rushing performance in Week 3 led to an 87.1 DTi grade, the fifth-highest of his career. It marks the second time Payne has achieved the highest DTi grade in a single week (88.0 in 2023 Week 2 vs. Denver).
Payne’s 7 pressures were the most of any DT this week and second-most he’s had since 2019 (11 in 2021 vs the Bills). It wasn’t just volume, as his 26.9% pressure rate on true dropbacks (non-play action or screens) also ranked first among DTs.
LB: Robert Spillane, New England Patriots
(99.6, A+)
The best defensive performance of Week 3 by our metrics came from New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane. Spillane’s 99.6 LBi grade is the highest single-game linebacker grade since 2019. Why did Spillane grade so highly?
- His 15 total tackles came with 0 missed tackles. That’s the most tackles without a missed tackle by any LB in a game since 2019.
- He made the tackle on an absurd 48% of his run defense snaps. Among LBs with 20+ run defense snaps since 2019, that was the fifth-highest rate in a single game.
- Those run tackles were also impactful, holding the Steelers to an average of 2.5 yards per carry (including three TFLs in run D).
- He fared well in coverage as well, allowing four catches on five targets but for only 30 yards (which comes out to a 52.1 passer rating against).
Spillane was an underrated signing this offseason after ranking second in PFSN’s LB Impact metric last season (behind First Team All-Pro Zack Baun). Sunday’s performance was another indicator that Spillane’s impact as a tackler and improving coverage player makes him one of the more underrated linebackers in the league.
CB: Derion Kendrick, Seattle Seahawks
(89.4, B+)
You might be confused as to why Minnesota Vikings corner Isaiah Rodgers isn’t here after his historic performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, in which he became the first player in NFL history to force two fumbles and score two touchdowns in a game. Rodgers was our second-highest graded corner this week, as he wasn’t far off from Kendrick’s mark.
However, it was the former sixth-rounder Kendrick who led the way in our rankings this week. A couple of reasons why:
- Kendrick played 41 coverage snaps compared to 26 for Rodgers. However, he allowed just 2 catches for 10 yards (Rodgers allowed 1 for 2 yards).
- As a result of the differences in playing time, Kendrick deterred targets at a slightly higher rate (9.8 coverage snaps per target) compared to Rodgers (8.0).
- Both had an interception, with Kendrick recording an extra PBU over Rodgers (2 to 1).
One thing worth considering is that PFSN doesn’t give extra credit for TD returns because they’re so rare and can skew an otherwise poor game. Obviously, Rodgers played exceptionally well, setting aside the touchdown returns, making his performance an outlier on top of an already strong game.
Usually, discounting ultra-rare plays leads to a more stable long-term grade, but it’s fair to point out that the unique circumstances of Rodgers’ game make it stand out when viewed outside the lens of our Impact formula.
S: Quentin Lake, Los Angeles Rams
(92.2, A-)
Rams safety Quentin Lake was the highest-graded safety of the week, thanks to four forced incompletions. No other safety has forced more than two incompletions in a game yet this season.
Lake is a somewhat unique case. Although he’s listed as a safety and therefore in our SAFi rankings, he plays the “Star” position in Los Angeles’ defense and lines up in the slot the majority of the time.
Lake was targeted seven times (second-most by any safety in Week 3) and allowed just 15 yards in coverage. He’ll see more targets than most safeties in his role, which can lead to more volatile weekly grades. On a day when Lake excels in coverage, that can lead to a grade like Sunday’s.
