It’s no secret that Utah boasts a great deal of football talent, but one outlet believes two Beehive State products to be among the NFL’s best young players.
Pro Football Focus released its ranking of the top 25 players in the league under the age of 25, and a pair of Utah natives were chosen for the top two spots: Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell came in at No. 1, with Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua finishing right behind at No. 2.
This is Sewell’s second consecutive year topping the list, while Nacua held the No. 12 spot on last year’s ranking.
Sewell, who prepped at Deseret Hills High in St. George and was a first round draft selection out of Oregon, has earned First Team All-Pro honors in each of the past two seasons, grading as PFF’s No. 3 overall offensive tackle in 2024.
Since 2022, he has allowed four total sacks, anchoring Detroit’s offensive line as one of the main contributors behind the team’s ascension to the top of the NFC.
“Sewell’s run-blocking ability is his best asset, as he owns a 95.2 PFF run-blocking grade for his career — the second-best mark among all offensive linemen since entering the league in 2021," wrote Jonathon Macri of PFF.
“Most impressive about Sewell’s top PFF overall grade is that he has played more snaps (4,773) than any other qualifying player for this list, keeping him as the top player under 25 for one more year.”
The former BYU star and Orem High alum Nacua burst onto the scene in 2023 by breaking a number of NFL rookie receiving records and becoming a household name across the league. In two professional seasons, he has caught 184 passes for 2,476 yards and nine touchdowns.
“Through two seasons, Nacua has delivered a 92.4 PFF receiving grade and 2.92 yards per route run — both of which lead all qualifying players for this list and rank second among all players overall during that span,“ wrote Macri.
“Even though he missed time with injuries in 2024, Nacua made the most of his opportunities, leading the position in PFF receiving grade (92.6) and yards per route run (3.23) as 2024’s most efficient receiver.”
Among PFF’s other top 25 players under 25 were Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. and
