Ever get that feeling that the Pro Bowl is just a giant popularity contest? You're definitely not alone. It’s basically high school prom with pads on. That is exactly why the PFF All Pro Team exists. It cuts through the hype, the jersey sales, and the big-market bias to figure out who actually dominated on a snap-by-snap basis. Honestly, it’s the nerdiest—and arguably the most accurate—way to look at NFL excellence.
While the Associated Press (AP) team is the one the NFL recognizes for Hall of Fame resumes, PFF’s version is the one that front offices and die-hard film junkies obsess over. Why? Because they grade every single play. If a defensive end gets held but still creates a pressure that leads to an interception, the box score says "0 sacks." PFF says "Elite."
How the PFF All Pro Team Actually Works
Most people think PFF just looks at stats. They don't. Or rather, they do, but stats are the secondary part of the equation. Their team of analysts watches every player on every play of every game. Each player gets a grade from -2 to +2 on every snap. If a quarterback throws a "big-time throw" (a pass with excellent location and timing into a tight window), they get a massive boost. If they throw a "turnover-worthy play" that the defender happens to drop, they still get dinged.
This creates a list that often looks very different from the "official" ones. For the 2025 season, the PFF All Pro Team highlighted guys like Matthew Stafford, who at 37 years old, put together a career-high 93.3 passing grade. While the media might chase the younger, flashier stories, the grades don't lie. Stafford led the league in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and big-time throws. That’s the PFF ethos: rewarding the process, not just the result.
The 2025 Offensive Heavyweights
Penei Sewell is basically a cheat code at this point. He led all offensive tackles in PFF grade in 2025, showing a balanced profile that finally saw his pass-blocking catch up to his legendary run-blocking. It’s rare to see a guy dominate both facets so thoroughly.
Then you have the wide receivers. Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were absolute monsters this year. Nacua, specifically, earned the PFF Offensive Player of the Year honors. Even when he was banged up or the Rams' offense was stagnant, his efficiency remained off the charts. Smith-Njigba's rise in Seattle was equally impressive, turning into a target vacuum that the grading system absolutely loved for his ability to create separation.
In the backfield, Bijan Robinson proved why he was a top-10 pick. He didn't just run the ball; he was a focal point of the Falcons' passing game. PFF’s system loves versatility. If you can't block or catch as a RB, you aren't making this first team. Robinson did it all.
Defense: Where Grades Matter Most
Defense is where the PFF All Pro Team really earns its keep. Stats for defenders are notoriously noisy. Sacks are great, but they don't tell you who was winning 25% of their pass-rush reps and just getting unlucky with the QB's release time.
Myles Garrett is the poster child for this. In 2025, Garrett broke the NFL single-season sack record with 23.0, but he also led the league with a 93.3 pass-rush grade. He won his matchups 24.6% of the time. Think about that. Nearly every fourth time he rushed the passer, he won the rep. That is terrifying.
Secondary and Linebacker Shuffles
The cornerback selections usually stir up the most "X" (formerly Twitter) drama. For 2025, Devon Witherspoon and Sauce Gardner were the talking points. Witherspoon led all cornerbacks with an 89.9 PFF grade, making plays against the run and as a blitzer. Meanwhile, Sauce Gardner might not have had the flashy interception numbers, but he led the league in "lockdown rate." PFF rewards the guy who is so good the quarterback refuses to even look in his direction.
🔗 Read more: Partidos de la Liga MX hoy: Por qué este torneo clausura 2026 está rompiendo todos los pronósticos
Jack Campbell in Detroit also made a massive leap. He was the only linebacker to post a 90.0+ grade while playing a full starter's workload. It’s those kinds of "breakout" grades that make the PFF list a great predictor of future stardom.
The Difference Between PFF and AP All-Pro
If you’re a player, you want the AP All-Pro because it’s tied to contract incentives and Hall of Fame voting. But if you’re a scout, you’re looking at PFF. The AP panel consists of 50 media members. Some of them are brilliant film junkies; others are general reporters who might not see every snap of a Titans vs. Jaguars game in Week 12.
PFF analysts, however, are literally paid to watch that Week 12 snoozer. Their team includes a first team and a second team, just like the AP, but the criteria is strictly the season-long grade. This means a player who was elite for 12 games but got injured might still make the PFF team if their per-snap dominance was high enough. The AP tends to favor "availability" and season-long volume more heavily.
Surprise Picks and Snubs
There are always surprises. For the 2025 season, Denver's Zach Allen and Tennessee's Jeffery Simmons anchored the interior defensive line. These aren't always the names you see on jerseys in every suburban mall, but their "win rates" in the trenches were undeniable.
Similarly, the inclusion of rookies like Tetairoa McMillan of the Panthers (PFF Rookie of the Year) shows that the system doesn't care about "paying your dues." If you're a rookie and you're winning your reps, you're getting the grade. McMillan finished with over 1,000 yards on a struggling Panthers team, but his ability to win contested catches earned him elite marks.
Why You Should Care About These Grades
Look, football is a chaotic sport. A lot of what happens on the field is out of an individual player's control. A quarterback can throw a perfect ball that hits a receiver in the hands, pops up, and gets intercepted. The stats say "INT." PFF says "Perfect Pass."
By following the PFF All Pro Team, you get a much clearer picture of who the best individual players are, independent of their teammates or their team's record. It’s about isolating the performance. If you're into sports betting or fantasy football, this is basically your Bible.
Actionable Insights for the Offseason
If you want to use this information to actually "win" your football conversations or your fantasy league next year, here’s how to handle the PFF data:
- Check the Win Rates: Don't just look at sacks. Look at Pass Rush Win Rate. If a guy had 12 sacks but a low win rate, he got lucky. Fade him next year.
- Follow the WAR: Wins Above Replacement isn't just for baseball anymore. PFF’s WAR metric is great for seeing which non-QBs actually move the needle for their teams.
- Watch the "Second Team": Often, the players on the PFF Second Team are the ones who will be First Teamers next year. They have the efficiency; they just need the volume.
- Contextualize the Grades: Remember that a 90.0 grade in a run-heavy offense means something different than a 90.0 grade in a pass-happy system.
The PFF All Pro Team isn't perfect—no subjective grading system is—but it's the most granular look we have at the game. It turns the "eye test" into a quantifiable metric, and in a sport as complex as football, that’s worth its weight in gold.
Keep an eye on the final season grades released every January. They are usually the best indicator of which players are about to sign massive contract extensions and which ones are beginning a quiet decline that the traditional stats haven't caught yet.