Second-half risers: 5 most-improved NFL players at every position over the second half of the 2025 season

• Improvements on the Bengals’ offensive line: Bengals tackle Amarius Mims and guard Dalton Risner were the most-improved players at their respective positions.

• 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

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Despite weeks of preseason and training camp, not every NFL player can hit the ground running. It can take time for a player to get into a groove, be it in a new system, because of injury or just a slow start. 

Consistency is hard, and not every player plays as well in Week 18 as they did in Week 1. It also works the other way, as guys who start poorly can find their feet and dominate down the stretch.

We’re taking a look at the most-improved players at every position over the second half of the 2025 season. Though the grades have gotten better, it’s important to note that we’re working with a small sample size. More specifically, a player’s grade could be greatly impacted by the strength of schedule, opposing matchups and even travel schedule.

QUARTERBACK

Brock Purdy, San Francisco49ers

Snaps from Week 1-9: 142 | Grade from Week 1-9: 66.7

Snaps from Week 10-18: 434 | Grade from Week 10-18: 92.0

A toe injury bothered Brock Purdy in the first half of the season, causing him to play in just two games — a Week 1 win over the Seahawks and a Week 4 loss to the Jaguars, where he didn’t look healthy. Purdy returned in Week 11 and took a few games to get going, but from Week 13 onward, he was back to his best. His 91.6 PFF grade in the second half of the season was the second-highest among quarterbacks.

Purdy and the 49ers’ offense rocked back into life, with Purdy completing 70.6% of his passes — the highest rate in the league — for 1,581 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions while earning two PFF grades over 90.0 in wins against the Titans and Colts.

RUNNING BACK

Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

Snaps from Week 1-9: 250 | Grade from Week 1-9: 59.9

Snaps from Week 10-18: 305 | Grade from Week 10-18: 89.3

Outside of Week 1, Henry had an uncharacteristically slow start to the season, generating just six missed tackles forced in the first nine weeks of the year. The idea that Father Time, who Henry had evaded over his career, was finally catching up with the future Hall of Famer felt real for the first time.

However, the veteran running back kicked into gear. From Week 10 onward, he led the NFL in rushing yards (966), rushing touchdowns (10) and yards after contact. He was also tied for the most rushes of 15 yards or more (14). This was Henry at his best, giving the Ravens life in the race for the playoffs.

WIDE RECEIVER

Kalif Raymond, Detroit Lions

Snaps from Week 1-9: 205 | Grade from Week 1-9: 57.1

Snaps from Week 10-18: 153 | Grade from Week 10-18: 82.0

The Lions missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022 this season, finishing with a 9-8 record. Their struggles were compounded by injuries across the team, especially on defense, and that meant contributions came from all over the yard. On the offensive side of the ball, veteran Kalif Raymond provided some valuable experience in the second half of the season.

From Week 10 onward, Raymond compiled an 82.0 PFF grade — 14th among wide receivers — and caught all 15 targets for 225 yards and a touchdown. Raymond’s 2.34 yards per route run ranked 14th, and his 8.9 yards after the catch per reception were fourth.

TIGHT END

Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals

Snaps from Week 1-9: 129 | Grade from Week 1-9: 56.3

Snaps from Week 10-18: 192 | Grade from Week 10-18: 78.8

The Bengals suffered on offense in the first half of the season, losing Joe Burrow (91.2 grade; 2nd) after just two games, and that naturally hampered their ability to produce. Mike Gesicki played in just six contests in the first half of the season before landing on injured reserve with a pectoral injury, catching just eight of 16 targets for 61 yards on a 56.3 PFF grade.

Gesicki returned to the field in Week 12, and his fortunes changed with Burrow back in the lineup. From that point on, Gesicki hauled in 20 of 26 targets for 246 yards and two touchdowns and was once again a major player in one of the NFL’s top offenses. His 78.8 PFF grade was sixth among tight ends.

CENTER

Luke Wattenberg, DenverBroncos

Snaps from Week 1-9: 605 | Grade from Week 1-9: 64.9

Snaps from Week 10-18: 401 | Grade from Week 10-18: 80.1

The Broncos fielded one of the top offensive lines in the NFL in 2025. Their 79.0 PFF pass-blocking grade led the league, while their 72.0 PFF run-blocking grade was seventh among offensive lines. The anchor of the operation was Luke Wattenberg, who started the season well with a 64.9 PFF grade. Wattenberg allowed just seven pressures and zero sacks in the first nine weeks of the year, but the Broncos’ offense still didn’t fully convince.

However, as Denver settled into a rhythm, its offensive line continued to make its presence felt — and Wattenburg’s performance improved. The Broncos center earned an 80.1 PFF grade in the second half of the season and surrendered just six total pressures. His 80.8 PFF run-blocking grade was also fourth at the position.

GUARD

Dalton Risner, Cincinnati Bengals

Snaps from Week 1-9: 280 | Grade from Week 1-9: 56.8

Snaps from Week 10-18: 487 | Grade from Week 10-18: 79.6

The Bengals’ offensive line has been a sore point of the team for several years now, and it started the 2025 NFL season on a similar trajectory. Dalton Risner arrived as a free agent in the offseason and hoped to add some power to the interior of the unit. The veteran compiled a 56.8 PFF grade in the first half of the year and yielded eight pressures and a sack across six games.

When Risner returned after missing a few matchups, he looked fresh and revitalized. His 79.6 PFF grade was a stark improvement, as he permitted just nine pressures and a sack over eight games. Moreover, Risner’s 79.3 PFF pass-blocking grade placed 11th among guards.

TACKLE

Amarius Mims, Cincinnati Bengals

Snaps from Week 1-9: 540 | Grade from Week 1-9: 55.1

Snaps from Week 10-18: 510 | Grade from Week 10-18: 78.2

The Bengals needed more from Amarius Mims in his second season in the league. The former first-round pick notched a 57.8 PFF grade in his rookie season, and started slowly in 2025 with a 55.1 PFF grade in the first nine weeks of the season while allowing 21 pressures and four sacks. He also surrendered a 5.9% pressure rate, 48th among tackles.

Like Risner, Mims settled in in the second half of the campaign and garnered a 78.2 PFF grade while bringing his pressure rate allowed down to 4.7%. Mims gave up just 14 pressures and zero sacks over the next eight games, and his PFF pass- and run-blocking grades were both top-25 among tackles.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Derrick Nnadi, Kansas City Chiefs

Snaps from Week 1-9: 171 | Grade from Week 1-9: 33.5

Snaps from Week 10-18: 137 | Grade from Week 10-18: 61.1

Derrick Nnadi has underperformed over the last few seasons, failing to record a PFF grade over 45.0 in the last four years. The former third-round pick has seen his snap count decrease in recent campaigns, and Nnadi started the 2025 season off poorly. His 33.5 PFF grade through the first nine weeks of the season was dead last among all NFL defensive tackles.

Despite the Chiefs’ overall woes, Nnadi did improve during his limited snap count in the second half of the season. Nnadi compiled a 61.1 PFF grade despite missing two games in Week 16 and 17. The run-stuffing big man also secured a 62.3 PFF run-defense grade and tallied six stops.

EDGE DEFENDER

Sam Williams, Dallas Cowboys

Snaps from Week 1-9: 285 | Grade from Week 1-9: 39.9

Snaps from Week 10-18: 189 | Grade from Week 10-18: 80.6

The Cowboys’ defense disappointed in 2025. Dallas’ 52.9 PFF grade was 28th in the NFL, and there was little to cling to in the way of hope. However, the play of edge defender Sam Williams over the course of the season was one of few bright spots for the Cowboys.

Williams was ineffective early on with a 39.9 PFF grade — 117th out of 118 edge defenders — but he hit a purple patch after the halfway mark. From Week 10 onward, Williams earned an 80.6 PFF grade, the 11th-best among edge defenders. Williams recorded just nine pressures in eight games, but also accrued 10 stops and forced a fumble. His 74.7 PFF run-defense grade was also 13th at the position, and no one had a more improved grade in the second half of the season than Williams.

LINEBACKER

Nick Bolton, Kansas City Chiefs

Snaps from Week 1-9: 491 | Grade from Week 1-9: 59.1

Snaps from Week 10-18: 520 | Grade from Week 10-18: 90.2

The second Chiefs defender to pop up on the list, Nick Bolton, started the season fine with a 59.1 PFF grade while registering 13 pressures. But, the former second-round pick had the third-most missed tackles among linebackers in the first half of the season, and allowed the fourth-most yards in coverage. His 40.5 PFF coverage grade was 76th out of 90 linebackers.

Bolton was a menace in the second half of the year, though. He received a 90.2 PFF grade, the highest in the league, while adding 12 pressures and 31 stops — the fifth-most at the position. His improvements in coverage were major too, yielding just 144 yards on 21 receptions and compiling a league-best 90.1 PFF coverage grade.

CORNERBACK

Upton Stout, San Francisco 49ers

Snaps from Week 1-9: 329 | Grade from Week 1-9: 42.9

Snaps from Week 10-18: 263 | Grade from Week 10-18: 80.6

The 49ers drafted Upton Stout in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the hopes of developing him into a full-time starter. Stout, like the rest of San Francisco’s defense, had a rocky start to the season. The rookie corner recorded a 42.9 PFF grade in the first half of 2025, allowing 40 receptions for 288 yards in coverage. His 37.6 PFF coverage grade was 114th out of 117 cornerbacks.

The rookie kicked on as the season progressed, though, and was arguably one of the better corners in the NFL over the second half of the season. Stout’s 80.6 PFF grade was fifth among cornerbacks, and he forced three pass breakups. Additionally, his 13 stops were the 10th-most.

SAFETY

Julian Love, SeattleSeahawks

Snaps from Week 1-9: 205 | Grade from Week 1-9: 62.3

Snaps from Week 10-18: 253 | Grade from Week 10-18: 90.3

The Seahawks’ defense was one of the best in the NFL from the word go, but Julian Love had to wait to be a part of that surge. Love played in three of Seattle’s first four games of the season, notching a 62.3 PFF grade before landing on IR. The 2019 fourth-round pick totaled three pressures and a sack in those games.

Upon returning, Love was a game-changer. His 90.3 PFF grade was the highest among safeties in the NFL, and Love allowed a 10.7 passer rating, the lowest in the second half of the season. His 89.6 PFF coverage grade was the second-best among safeties.