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January 26, 2018
Pro Football Focus
The Super Bowl LII matchup is set. Now it's time to assess how the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles measure up against each other.
With the use of Pro Football Focus' play-by-play grading over the 2017 season, as well as a look back into the PFF grading archives, we ranked the rosters of both teams from top to bottom -- all 106 players -- and combined them, focusing heavily on each player's performance over the 2017 season.
No. 1 on the list, yet again, is a quarterback with five Super Bowl rings:
1. Tom Brady, QB
PFF grade: 94.9 | Position rank: 1
Brady remains the best quarterback in the game despite being 40 years old. He again finished as the top-ranked QB in PFF and has the league's highest passer rating when under pressure.
2. Rob Gronkowski, TE
PFF grade: 92.5 | Position rank: 1
If there's one player in the Super Bowl who comes close to Brady's dominance, it's his favorite target. Gronkowski is the top player at his position and an unstoppable force. He led all tight ends in yards gained per route run.
3. Jason Kelce, C
PFF grade: 91.5 | Position rank: 1
Kelce's bounce-back season has been remarkable. He has been at the heart of the Eagles' running game, with the athleticism to block on the move against either linemen or linebackers at the second level.
4. Fletcher Cox, DT
PFF grade: 91.4 | Position rank: 3
Cox is one of the league's most dominant defenders and has been manhandling top-quality guards throughout the season. He had 50 total pressures in the regular season and has added 10 more between the two postseason games.
5. Brandon Graham, DE
PFF grade: 91.0 | Position rank: 9
Not quite as dominant as he was a season ago, Graham still finished with an impressive PFF grade. He recorded pressure in every single game, plus 11 in the past two playoff games.
6. Patrick Robinson, CB
PFF grade: 90.6 | Position rank: 4
Robinson's surprise play has been among the top stories of 2017 in Philly. He had four picks and 11 pass breakups in the regular season, then the pick-six that started to turn the tide of the NFC Championship Game in the Eagles' favor.
7. Stephon Gilmore, CB
PFF grade: 88.1 | Position rank: 10
His tenure in New England got off to a rocky start, but since returning from injury, Gilmore has been one of the best corners in the league. He has allowed just one touchdown in coverage over the second half of the season and through two playoff games.
8. Trey Flowers, DE
PFF grade: 87.8 | Position rank: 14
Flowers is one of the league's most underrated players, and he has been on a tear in the playoffs. He has 12 total pressures over New England's two postseason games and had 60 in the regular season.
9. Mychal Kendricks, LB
PFF grade: 87.6 | Position rank: 8
Kendricks has flashed ability in the past, but this year he has developed into one of the best linebackers in the NFL, making 40 defensive stops over the season.
10. Brandon Brooks, G
PFF grade: 87.4 | Position rank: 4
Another outstanding season from Brooks, who didn't make PFF's All-Pro team by virtue of being the fourth-best overall guard in the game but the third-best right guard. Brooks didn't allowed a sack all season.
