The Dallas Cowboys season may have ended prematurely, but a few players ranked at the top of their position groups across the league according to Pro Football Focus.
If you’re on social media, you’ve most likely seen PFF. The site is most known for its player grades, which are calculated by analysts that give a player a score on every snap they take in a game. The scores then account for the situation on a given play and are converted to a 0-100 grading scale.
PFF player grades are polarizing. Some think they’re the gold standard for football analysis, while others think they’re wildly inaccurate.
Cowboys Player With The Highest PFF Grade
Tony Pollard’s stellar season earned him a 90.2 grade; the fourth-highest among RBs. But it wasn’t enough to push him past Micah Parsons’ 91.8 grade which led all Cowboys players and was second-highest among edge rushers.
Parsons receiving Dallas’ highest score should come as no surprise. Not only is he an exceptionally talented pass rusher, he’s also known for giving 100% on every snap. Take this play against the Detroit Lions for example:
Parsons tracked down the ball carrier and made the tackle just shy of the goal line. On the next play, a fumble is forced and the Cowboys recover. If Parsons calls it quits on the tackle, the Lions likely score and take the lead.
Considering PFF analysts watch every single snap, Parsons’ high-motor surely earns him plenty of love. Micah’s 13.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and 65 total tackles probably helped boost his grade, too.
Cowboys Player With The Lowest PFF Grade
Of course, PFF analysts aren’t always the friendliest when grading players. For evidence, look no further than Neville Gallimore’s 36.4 grade; the lowest on the Cowboys.
The Ottawa, Ontario-native didn’t get a ton of playing time last season. He was on the field for 37% of Dallas’ defensive snaps and 10% of the special teams snaps. But when he did see the field, PFF clearly wasn’t impressed.
Gallimore finished the season with one sack, one pass deflection, two tackles for loss and 33 total tackles. PFF gave the 26-year-old a 58.5 pass rush grade – not the best but also not the worst on the team.
Where Gallimore really lacked was in run defense. In that area, he received a 29.7 grade. That’s just slightly better than Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Tyson Alualu and his league-worst 29.1 rushing defense grade.
Gallimore’s player grade has declined season by season since he joined the NFL in 2020. Time will tell if that trend continues in 2023, which is a contract year for Gallimore.
