I like watching football. I mean, duh, of course I do — if I didn't, I wouldn't be writing about football. I'm not one of those calculator bros who just puts numbers into a spreadsheet.
Which isn't to say I don't admire what those calculator bros do, though! Numbers and metrics matter. Pro Football Focus has long tried to combine the two things with its grading scale, assigning grades to every player based on the things they did on the field. Sometimes, though, those grades can feel a little off compared to the eye test.
Here are seven examples of players whose current PFF grade don't necessarily mesh with what I've seen out of them when I've watched them play this season.
Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts
PFF Rank: 13th among quarterbacks
What a difference a year makes. If you told me last season that Daniel Jones would rank 13th among quarterbacks in PFF rating, I'd call you crazy. I'd be like "wow, their ratings must suck," because calling Jones a top-15 quarterback would be hilariously wrong.
Now, in 2025, I look at that and think "he should be higher than 13th."
Jones has been revitalized in Indianapolis, and his play has given the Colts a legitimate Super Bowl window. He currently leads the entire league in passing yards and ranks fourth in yards per attempt. Jones is playing the best football of his career, yet he's ranked behind two different Washington Commanders passers.
Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
PFF Rank: 26th among quarterbacks
Okay, what? Jared Goff might be having his best NFL season right now. His completion percentage is a career-best 73.8 percent, and he's got his highest touchdown rate ever and lowest interception rate since 2022.
Sure, his yardage totals are down, with is 239.4 passing yards per game on track to be the second-lowest amount of his career, but that's really more about the structure of the offense, as his adjusted yards per attempt are only down a small bit, from 8.96 last year to 8.83 this year.
But Goff's 68.6 PFF grade is below some notable names like Spencer Rattler and Justin Fields, and it's on track to be his worst PFF grade since 2021. I'm not seeing what PFF's graders are seeing. Goff's not elite, but he's definitely a top 15 NFL quarterback.
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
PFF Rank: Third among wide receivers
Nothing against Drake London, but third feels really, really high. Sure, he ranks 10th in the NFL in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, but is he really having a season as good as his PFF grade suggests?
Digging into advanced numbers leaves me feeling like...no, he isn't. Volume is playing a huge role here, as he's fourth among receivers in targets, but he's 41st in contest catch percentage and 39th in quarterback rating when targeted. It's a really good season, but third feels like a bit of a stretch here.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
PFF Rank: 36th among wide receivers
This is probably one where the eye test is wrong and PFF is right.
Buccaneers rookie Emeka Egbuka has looked incredible this season, catching 34 passes for 562 yards and five touchdowns. He's showcased his big-play upside, ranking fourth in the NFL in yards per catch. When I watch Egbuka play football, I'm like wow, this dude rules.
But digging into things, there's probably some truth to his ranking 36th in PFF grade among receivers. He's only catching 54 percent of the passes that come his way, and his true catch rate ranks 76th among wide receivers. He's probably better than the 36th-best wideout, but he's also not yet at the level that I think he's at when I watch him play.
Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE, Dallas Cowboys
PFF Rank: Second among tight ends
What?
I mean, like ... WHAT?
I get that blocking grade factors into things and Spann-Ford's 83.4 run blocking grade is skewing the numbers, but how does he have a 70.2 receiving grade when he has three catches for 14 yards on the year? I guess because he's caught three of his four targets? I don't know. Let's just move on to the next player here, so my brain doesn't explode.
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Cleveland Browns
PFF Rank: 31st among tight ends
This is where I feel like maybe blocking grades factor in too much to the overall PFF grade. Rookie Harold Fannin Jr. is 22nd in receiving grade (which still feels low), but 31st overall because of his blocking grade.
Fannin has been very productive, though! He's seventh among tight ends in receptions and 13th in receiving yards. He's not having the best year from a strong rookie tight end class, but he's having a fine one, and it certainly feels like he's been at least a top 20 tight end, if not better.
Jordan Battle, S, Cincinnati Bengals
PFF Rank: 48th among safeties
Third-year safety Jordan Battle has already picked off a career-high three passes and has four pass defenses and 70 combined tackles. So, why is he ranked 48th in PFF grade among safeties?
Honestly, I don't know. I'm not a Bengals expert, but Battle seems, when I watch them, to be one of the things holding together an awful defense, but maybe PFF is right to conclude that he's part of why that defense is awful.