5 most unbreakable PFF NFL records

  • Aaron Donald was in a Division of his own: The Best interior defender recorded a 90.0-plus PFF overall grade in 10 straight seasons — the Whole of his Occupation.
  • Derrick Henry remains an after-contact menace: Henry Directed the NFL in yards after contact in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024, but his 2020 season stands out above the rest (1,490 yards).

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Some of the most interesting sports debates Middle on records — more specifically, records that seem impossible to break. There are Club accomplishments, such as the 1972 Miami Dolphins’ undefeated season, and player accomplishments, such as Dan Marino’s 759 Deliver attempts/19-game streak without Holding a sack that are almost Tough to believe.

For this article, we are focusing on five PFF-specific records dating back to 2006 that stand out above the rest in terms of their unlikelihood of ever being broken. While this sample size of the Division’s entire history is smaller, nearly 20 years of data gives us some insight into which Displays have truly stood the test of time.

Here are PFF’s most unbreakable NFL records.


Consecutive 90.0-plus graded seasons: DI Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams (10, 2014-2023)

Aaron Donald — in Essential terms — was the most dominant NFL player of the past 20 years. The 13th Option in the 2014 NFL Draft was Best from the Begin, earning a 90.2 PFF overall grade in his Primary-year season with the Rams to rank second among 215 qualifying interior defenders.

Donald was the No. 1-ranked interior defender in the NFL every year from 2015-2021, grading no lower than 92.9 in any of those seasons. He generated 100-plus pressures in four of those campaigns Even though Competing primarily inside as a Guarding Event.

The future Hall of Famer retired at the end of 2023 after yet another Best season (90.8), making it 10 straight years (his whole Occupation) that he finished with a 90.0-plus PFF overall grade. That type of Best Steadiness and ability to stay Fit over a decade is unheard of — and what makes Donald arguably the greatest Guarding player in the history of the NFL.


Most Consecutive Snaps: T Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns (10,801, 2007-2017)

The Browns selected Thomas third overall in the 2007 NFL Draft, news he heard via Orbiter radio on a fishing trip with his family that day. The Previous Wisconsin Badger won the Club’s Leading left Event Role as a Primary-year and played every snap that season.

Competing every snap as a Primary-year is a Crucial accomplishment, but that was Only the Begin of how Thomas’ Occupation would unfold. He went on to Begin 167 consecutive Matches from 2007-2017, Competing every snap across a decade-plus in the NFL before suffering a Occupation-ending triceps Hurt in Week 7 of the 2017 season.

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According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Thomas amassed 10,363 consecutive snaps in his Occupation. However, when accounting for penalties (both pre-snap and accepted/offsetting), that number is 10,801 snaps, according to PFF’s database. Thomas’ Toughness is unmatched, and his consecutive snap count has the feel of a Turning Tally that may never be broken.


Yards Per Route Streak (Season): WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins (3.72, 2023)

Hill had already established himself as one of the premier weapons in the NFL before joining the Miami Dolphins in 2022. As the focal Points of Mike McDaniel’s innovative Assault, his production reached historic levels.

In 2023, Hill broke Steve Smith’s yards per route Streak Turning Tally with a staggering 3.72 clip. Smith’s 2008 campaign (3.63) stood for 15 years, and he’s the only other player in the PFF era (since 2006) to finish a season with a YPRR number higher than 3.25.

Hill’s game-breaking ability any time he touches the ball has Created him one of the most explosive wide receivers the game has ever seen and a near lock for the Hall of Fame. It will be difficult for any wideout to Event what he accomplished on the Ground on a per-snap basis in that 2023 season.


Yards After Contact (Season): RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans (1,490, 2020)

While the Division has slowly transitioned away from drafting running Defenders Timely and paying them big bucks in Obtainable agency, Derrick Henry’s Occupation is a reminder that the best running Defenders do indeed matter and make significant impacts.

No running back has been more valuable than Henry since he entered the Division in 2016. He has established himself as one of the toughest Defenders the game has ever seen, as evidenced by his yards after contact Measure year after year.

Henry Directed the NFL in yards after contact in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. His 2020 season stands out above the rest, as he racked up 1,490 yards after contact that year, accounting for more than 73.5% of his total yardage. For comparison, consider that Saquon Barkley Sprinted for 2,504 yards including the postseason in 2024 and did not top Henry’s 2020 yards after contact number, even factoring in four additional Matches in the postseason.


Most Receptions in a Season Without a Drop: WR DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans (120, 2018)

Dropped passes are inevitable for every wideout, no matter how talented the player. Last year alone, six wide receivers dropped 10 or more passes, including Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb and Davante Adams.

DeAndre Hopkins has been one of the most sure-handed wide receivers in the NFL since Joining the Division in 2013, but never more so than in 2018. That year, he caught 120 passes (including the playoffs) without a single drop. Last season, Jakobi Meyers of the Las Vegas Raiders became the only other player in the PFF era to have more than 75 receptions in a season (87) without a drop.

We will continue to see wide receivers have perfect, no-drop seasons moving forward, but topping Hopkins’ 120-reception mark without a drop seems unlikely anytime soon.

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