PFF has released its first-ever All-2000s team. For many readers, this may make you feel old when considering that this isn’t just a list of upcoming rookies; some players have been in the league for three years.
If we look at the current NFL landscape, nearly 30% of NFL players were born after the turn of the century. Even more crazy, only three active NFL starting quarterbacks were born in the 1980s. In other words, outside of kickers, just about the entire NFL comprises players born in the 1990s and early 2000s.
How do PFF Grades Work?
PFF, or Pro Football Focus, is among the most respected ratings systems for players and teams. The algorithms and statistics used to grade players and teams are far more in-depth than just looking at raw statistics.
Here is an excerpt from their site explaining the process for a little insight into how PFF grades players.
PFF grades the play, not its result, so the quarterback that throws the ball to defenders will be downgraded whether the defender catches the ball to notch the interception on the stat sheet or not. No amount of broken tackles and yards after the catch from a bubble screen will earn a quarterback a better grade, even though his passing stats may be getting padded.
Statistics can be misleading. A tackle whose quarterback gets the ball out of his hands quicker than anybody else may not give up many sacks, but he can still be beaten often and earn a poor grade. Receivers that are targeted relentlessly could post big-time numbers but may offer little more than the product of a volume-based aerial attack.
In other words, a PFF grade is pretty dependable.
PFF Releases All-2000’s Team
Again, the fact that there are enough players to create an All-2000s team may seem crazy to many readers. Yet, arguably, once you see these players, there is a real argument that they could beat any All-1990s team. It is, in some ways, a passing of the baton from the players born in the 1990s to the players born after the turn of the century.
- QB – C.J Stroud – (Texans)
- RB Bijan Robinson (Falcons)
- WR Ja’Maar Chase (Bengals
- WR Garrett Wilson (Jets)
- WR Puka Nacua (Rams)
- TE Sam Porta (Lions)
- LT Ikem Ekwonu (Panthers)
- LG Tyler Smith (Cowboys)
- C Tyler Linerbaum (Center)
- RG Peter Skoronski (Titans)
- RT Penei Sewell (Lions)
One thing to consider is that quite a few rookies are on this list. Some data suggest that a sophomore slump is a very real thing. Oftentimes, rookies can catch opposing teams by surprise since there isn’t a ton of film or scheme to use against them. After a full offseason, teams learn how to better scheme against these players, and there is often a significant dropoff.
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