Dave Chidley/CFL.ca
TORONTO — The 2023 season is almost here with the CFL season kicking off on Thursday.
But before we can turn our attention to this season, it’s time to do one final look in the rearview mirror at the 2022 campaign.
With the CFL partnering with PFF, this look-back has a unique view: PFF Player Grades.
Each week, CFL.ca and PFF will present the top 10 graded players per position group. To start, here is a look-back at the top graded players at each position from the 2022 regular season. All stats and grades below are tracked and recorded by PFF.
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PFF utilizes extensive review of game footage to provide additional context for every action on the field. Highly-trained PFF staff break down every game, player and play to provide over 200 unique data points, which are used to compile Player Grades – a numerical representation up-to-100 of performance at their specific position.
For more information on PFF, Player Grades, the Grading Scale and more, please visit pff.com/grades.
QUARTERBACK
(Grades are based on quarterbacks who played a minimum of 100 pass attempts)
| Rank | Name (2022 Team) | Passing Yards Per Attempt | Big Time Throws* | Completion Percentage | PFF Passing Grade |
| 1 | Nathan Rourke (BC) | 10.3 | 18 | 78.7% | 91.9 |
| 2 | Zach Collaros (WPG) | 9.6 | 33 | 70.0% | 90.1 |
| 3 | Matthew Shiltz (HAM) | 7.8 | 6 | 71.4% | 81.6 |
| 4 | Bo Levi Mitchell (CGY) | 7.7 | 16 | 61.3% | 80.8 |
| 5 | Trevor Harris (MTL) | 9.0 | 18 | 71.7% | 79.6 |
| 6 | Jeremiah Masoli (OTT) | 8.6 | 8 | 66.7% | 78.3 |
| 7 | Vernon Adams Jr. (MTL/BC) | 8.4 | 11 | 63.5% | 75.6 |
| 8 | Jake Maier (CGY) | 8.6 | 10 | 74.4% | 75.3 |
| 9 | Cody Fajardo (SSK) | 8.4 | 15 | 70.3% | 74.8 |
| 10 | Dane Evans (HAM) | 8.5 | 23 | 66.8% | 74.6 |
*throws graded a 1 or higher
RECEIVER
(Grades are based on receivers who played a minimum of 50 receiving snaps)
| Rank | Name (2022 Team) | Receptions | Yards | YAC | Explosive Pass Plays* | PFF Receiving Grade |
| 1 | Dalton Schoen (WPG) | 70 | 1,441 | 359 | 37 | 89.7 |
| 2 | Nic Demski (WPG) | 64 | 772 | 289 | 24 | 84.1 |
| 3 | Dominique Rhymes (BC) | 85 | 1,399 | 220 | 38 | 80.0 |
| 3 | Greg Ellingson (WPG) | 38 | 598 | 109 | 21 | 80.0 |
| 5 | Eugene Lewis (MTL) | 91 | 1,303 | 410 | 36 | 79.4 |
| 6 | Kenny Lawler (EDM) | 58 | 884 | 190 | 27 | 78.8 |
| 7 | Tyson Philpot (MTL) | 39 | 458 | 324 | 9 | 75.5 |
| 8 | Malik Henry (CGY) | 62 | 1,021 | 442 | 22 | 75.4 |
| 8 | Dillon Mitchell (EDM) | 35 | 637 | 208 | 10 | 75.0 |
| 10 | Tim White (HAM) | 95 | 1,269 | 542 | 34 | 74.5 |
*plays 15+ yards
RUNNING BACK
(Grades are based on running backs who played a minimum of 25 rushing snaps)
| Rank | Name (2022 Team) | Missed Tackles Forced | Explosive Runs* | Rushing First Downs | PFF Rushing Grade |
| 1 | Ka’Deem Carey (CGY) | 59 | 35 | 54 | 93.5 |
| 2 | Frankie Hickson (SSK) | 31 | 17 | 26 | 92.3 |
| 3 | Brady Oliveira (WPG) | 39 | 25 | 44 | 88.4 |
| 4 | Deadrick Mills (CGY) | 26 | 15 | 21 | 86.3 |
| 5 | AJ Ouellette (TOR) | 28 | 12 | 22 | 84.2 |
| 6 | Kevin Brown (EDM) | 26 | 14 | 20 | 84.1 |
| 6 | Jamal Morrow (SSK) | 21 | 23 | 37 | 84.1 |
| 8 | Sean Thomas Erlington (HAM) | 16 | 12 | 17 | 84.o |
| 9 | Peyton Logan (CGY) | 22 | 14 | 18 | 82.2 |
| 10 | Devonte Williams (OTT) | 17 | 10 | 22 | 82.0 |
*explosive plays rushing 10+ yards
OFFENSIVE LINE
(Grades are based on offensive linemen who played a minimum of 100 pass blocking snaps)
| Rank | Name (2022 Team) | Pass Blocking Snaps | QB Pressured Allowed* | Pressure Percentage Allowed** | PFF Pass Blocking Grade |
| 1 | Brandon Revenberg (HAM) | 622 | 18 | 2.9% | 77.9 |
| 2 | Joel Figueroa (BC) | 649 | 30 | 4.6% | 77.6 |
| 3 | David Beard (HAM) | 579 | 16 | 2.8% | 76.5 |
| 4 | Nick Callender (MTL) | 528 | 24 | 4.5% | 75.3 |
| 5 | Alex Fontana (HAM) | 232 | 4 | 1.7% | 74.5 |
| 6 | Peter Godber (BC) | 642 | 24 | 3.7% | 74.3 |
| 7 | Coulter Woodmansey (HAM) | 508 | 18 | 3.5% | 74.1 |
| 8 | Jesse Gibbon (EDM) | 283 | 5 | 1.8% | 73.4 |
| 8 | Trevon Tate (TOR) | 111 | 3 | 2.7% | 73.4 |
| 10 | David Brown (MTL) | 244 | 4 | 1.6% | 72.4 |
*sacks + hits + hurries
**QB pressures allowed/pass blocking snaps
DEFENSIVE LINE
(Grades are based on defensive linemen who played a minimum of 25 pass rush snaps)
| Rank | Name (2022 Team) | Sacks | Total Pressures Generated* | Hurries** | PFF Pass Rush Grade |
| 1 | Folarin Orimolade (CGY) | 7 | 58 | 44 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Willie Jefferson (WPG) | 7 | 55 | 41 | 85.6 |
| 3 | Casey Sayles (WPG) | 6 | 45 | 32 | 84.9 |
| 4 | Woody Baron (BC) | 1 | 24 | 16 | 79.5 |
| 5 | Anthony Lanier II (SSK) | 8 | 40 | 27 | 78.6 |
| 6 | Jake Ceresna (EDM) | 9 | 37 | 20 | 78.3 |
| 7 | Thomas Costigan (MTL) | 4 | 37 | 26 | 77.6 |
| 8 | Ricky Walker (WPG) | 1 | 17 | 14 | 77.5 |
| 9 | Lorenzo Mauldin IV (OTT) | 18 | 63 | 38 | 77.2 |
| 10 | Jackson Jeffcoat (WPG) | 4 | 38 | 27 | 77.1 |
*sacks + hits + hurries
**forcing a quick throw, flushing the QB, forcing QB to step up, forcing a throwaway, preventing a QB from stepping up
DEFENSIVE BACK
(Grades are based on defensive backs who played a minimum of 25 coverage snaps)
| Rank | Name (2022 Team) | Targeted In Coverage | Receptions Allowed | PFF Coverage Grade |
| 1 | Jamal Peters (TOR) | 77 | 48 | 90.6 |
| 2 | Marc-Antoine Dequoy (MTL) | 43 | 26 | 89.1 |
| 3 | Richard Leonard (HAM) | 83 | 51 | 88.9 |
| 4 | Jonathan Moxey (CGY) | 55 | 23 | 87.6 |
| 5 | Garry Peters (BC) | 70 | 39 | 86.6 |
| 6 | Maurice Carnell IV (TOR) | 32 | 16 | 86.1 |
| 7 | Ciante Evans (HAM) | 52 | 29 | 85.6 |
| 8 | Kameron Kelly (HAM) | 69 | 52 | 84.8 |
| 9 | Tunde Adeleke (HAM) | 65 | 44 | 81.7 |
| 10 | Chris Edwards (TOR) | 46 | 32 | 81.5 |
LINEBACKER
(Grades are based on linebackers who played a minimum of 25 run defence snaps)
| Rank | Name (2022 Team) | Run Defence Snaps | Stops* | PFF Run Defence Grade |
| 1 | Jovan Santos-Knox (HAM) | 295 | 24 | 85.7 |
| 2 | Avery Williams (OTT) | 294 | 24 | 83.0 |
| 3 | Jordan Williams (BC) | 373 | 12 | 82.7 |
| 4 | Kyle Wilson (HAM) | 178 | 6 | 82.4 |
| 5 | Nyles Morgan (EDM) | 114 | 8 | 81.5 |
| 6 | Jameer Thurman (CGY) | 226 | 13 | 80.6 |
| 7 | Wynton McManis (TOR) | 230 | 19 | 80.3 |
| 8 | Adam Auclair (OTT) | 114 | 6 | 77.6 |
| 8 | Silas Stewart (CGY) | 116 | 7 | 77.6 |
| 10 | Frankie Griffin (OTT) | 139 | 9 | 77.2 |
*solo tackle or sack that leads to an offensive failure (45% or less of distance on 1st, 60% or less on 2nd)
