• The Dolphins’ speed comes at running back and wide receiver. Raheem Mostert and Devon Achan, and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, are the best duos at their positions.
• There are a number of elite edge defender duos. The Cowboys’ duo of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence narrowly edged out Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith and TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith.
• Get an early start on fantasy football: use PFF Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator Get ready for your live draft by creating a real live mock draft simulation.
Estimated reading time: Five Minutes
As this offseason rankings season draws to a close, let’s take a look at the best possible duos and trios at each position.
Looking around the league, it’s clear that several teams have reaped rewards by investing heavily in certain positions, with four teams entering the season with top pairings at multiple positions.
Running backs: Raheem Mostert and Devon Achain, Miami Dolphins
Mostert and Acchane ranked first and second, respectively, in PFF rushing grade among all running backs with 100-plus carries last year. The concern here is projecting Mostert’s performance in 2024, given that he’s 32 years old.
Acchane will likely take some of the carries after a shocking rookie performance, forcing 30 missed tackles on just 108 carries and gaining 15 or more yards on 53.4% of his attempts.
Wide Receivers: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Competition for this position is fierce; San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles They also boast an outstanding duo.
hill‘s 2023 season was just incredible. He averaged 3.72 yards per route run, more than half a yard better than the next best wide receiver. Waddle was incredibly productive, averaging 2.52 yards per route run, tied for eighth at his position.
Tight ends: Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
Losing a player Mark Andrews‘ Losing some of his 2023 talent due to injuries was a big blow to the Ravens, but at least they Isaiah probablyAbilityThis could lead to offenses using two-tight end combinations more frequently in 2024.
Andrews’ route average of 1.93 yards was fourth among tight ends last season, but Likely proved tough to bring down after the catch, forcing 12 missed tackles on 34 receptions.
Offensive tackle: Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles were the only NFL team last year to feature two of the top 12 offensive tackles in PFF’s pass-blocking grades: Mailata allowed 46 pressures on 719 pass-blocking attempts and Johnson allowed 35 pressures on 616 pass-blocking attempts.
Both players are also excellent run blockers, and are two of just four players at the position to boast a PFF run-blocking grade above 75.0 and a PFF pass-blocking grade above 80.0.
Offensive guards: Tyler Smith and Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys
Martin While he didn’t earn the 90.0-plus PFF grades he once did over the past two seasons, he was still one of the best pass blockers at his position. His PFF pass-blocking grade in 2023 was 75.1, ranking 10th after allowing just 24 quarterback pressures in 655 pass-blocking snaps.
Left Guard Tyler Smith He was on an upward trend, finishing the season ranked eighth among guards in PFF run-blocking grade (80.7).
Edge Defenders: Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys
The competition is fierce here. Both sides have strong arguments to make. Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith of Cleveland Brownsor T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith of Pittsburgh Steelers Take the top spot.
Parsons earned a 93.7 PFF pass rush grade and 106 quarterback pressures on 532 pass blocking snaps in 2023. In contrast to him, Lawrence recorded a 79.3 PFF pass rush grade and was a phenomenal run defender, second only to Maxx Crosby in PFF run defense grade (92.2).
Interior Defenders: DJ Rieder and Alim McNeil, Detroit Lions
The Lions added Leader to their defense this offseason, giving them the NFL’s best duo on paper heading into the 2024 season.
Reeder ranked 10th at his position last season with a PFF run defense grade of 75.3, and he’s also a better pass rusher than he’s been given credit for, with a PFF pass rushing grade of 79.1 ranking 14th at his position.
McNeil has a strong case to make that he is the most underrated interior defender in the NFL right now: He earned a PFF composite grade of 86.8 last season, good for eighth at the position, and he continues to improve every year.
Linebackers: C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams, New York Jets
The Jets have two linebackers starting in 2023 who rank in the top 10 in PFF grades.
Mosley led all linebackers with a 90.6 PFF coverage grade and recorded six combined interceptions and pass breakups last season, while Williams was second to him with an 88.7 PFF coverage grade and allowed four touchdowns in coverage but also played more with the ball and recorded nine combined pass breakups and interceptions.
Cornerback (Trio): Sauce Gardner, DJ Reid, Michael Carter II, New York Jets
With teams often putting three cornerbacks on the field, it felt right to make this a trio instead of a duo.
SOURCE Gardner Entering his third year in the league, he is arguably the best cornerback in football right now. He has earned a PFF coverage grade of 90.0 or higher in each of his first two years. Opposite him is DJ Reed He earned a PFF coverage grade of 79.5 last season and allowed just 475 yards in coverage all season. Rounding out the slot group is Carter, who allowed just 8.1 yards per reception on the season.
Safety: Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams, Baltimore Ravens
Marcus Williams He battled injuries last season but impressed when healthy, earning a PFF coverage grade of 70.0 or better in both seasons with the Ravens and leading all safeties with eight pass breakups in the regular season despite missing games.
Kyle Hamilton He’s a Swiss Army knife of a player who can be deployed anywhere on the field: His 2023 PFF coverage grade of 90.1 was third among safeties, but he was also impressive as a blitzer, racking up 16 quarterback pressures on 45 pass-rush snaps, and his 40 tackles that led to defensive stops were second-best at the position.
