The CFL season is heating up, and each week, we’re diving into the numbers to spotlight the league’s top performers.

Thanks to consistent demand from fans, we’re bringing you the top 10 highest-graded CFL players who played significant snaps, based on PFF’s grading system.

From quarterbacks dissecting defenses to defensive linemen wreaking havoc in the trenches, these are the athletes who stood out above the rest in Week 14. We’ll be highlighting this group every week of the season, so CFL fans can keep track of the top-tier talent making an impact across the league.

Want to dig deeper into the data? Click here for full season-level PFF grades across the CFL.

Grading Highlight of the Week: RB Justin Rankin, Edmonton Elks

The Elks’ back carried the ball 16 times for an absurd 204 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a league-best 92.6 overall grade and a 94.3 rushing grade. Let’s break down how he earned that elite mark.

At PFF, we grade running backs based on what they do on a given play, independent of the blocking in front of them. A runner who consistently breaks tackles or creates yards despite poor blocking will grade higher than one who simply benefits from wide-open lanes.

A significant percentage of running back carries are graded as neutral (zero). A back isn’t penalized for getting tackled at the line if there was no room to run, but they are rewarded for making sharp cuts, reading the defense and turning potential losses into positive plays.

In Rankin’s case, 10 of his 16 carries (62.5%) earned a positive grade, while just six were neutral. For comparison, 2024 Most Outstanding Player Brady Oliveira finished last season with 55.0% positively graded runs and 45.1% neutral.

What pushed Rankin’s grade into elite territory was the quality of those positive plays. Both of his touchdowns featured multiple broken tackles and breakaway speed. He added two more long runs with sharp cuts and smart vision. He finished the game with four explosive runs, forced six missed tackles and gained 178 of his 204 rushing yards after contact — a staggering number considering just 26 came before contact.

Rankin’s tape and metrics tell the same story: a dominant performance, both on the field and in the gradebook.

Quarterback

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeCody FajardoEdmonton Elks5286.7Nathan RourkeB.C. Lions5785.5Dustin CrumOttawa Redblacks5977.0Trevor HarrisSaskatchewan Roughriders5072.3Bo Levi MitchellHamilton Tiger-Cats5666.4Zach CollarosWinnipeg Blue Bombers3364.6Vernon Adams Jr.Calgary Stampeders4955.3James MorganMontreal Alouettes4551.4

Running Back

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeJustin RankinEdmonton Elks4092.6Greg BellHamilton Tiger-Cats4977.5Travis TheisMontreal Alouettes3674.3Brady OliveiraWinnipeg Blue Bombers5365.5Dedrick MillsCalgary Stampeders5365.2James ButlerB.C. Lions5964.7A.J. OuelletteSaskatchewan Roughriders5364.2William StanbackOttawa Redblacks5261.3

Wide Receiver

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeJustin McInnisB.C. Lions5777.0KeeSean JohnsonSaskatchewan Roughriders5476.0Pokey WilsonWinnipeg Blue Bombers4471.9Odieu HiliareEdmonton Elks2770.5Erik BrooksCalgary Stampeders4970.2Nic DemskiWinnipeg Blue Bombers5369.3Kaion Julien-GrantEdmonton Elks5269.1Kalil PimpletonOttawa Redblacks4765.3Austin MackMontreal Alouettes4965.0Dohnte MeyersSaskatchewan Roughriders5763.3

Offensive Tackle

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeNick CallenderMontreal Alouettes5177.5Jarell BroxtonB.C. Lions5976.4Jermarcus HardrickSaskatchewan Roughriders5775.2Brendan BordnerHamilton Tiger-Cats5870.3Payton CollinsSaskatchewan Roughriders5769.7Kendall RandolphWinnipeg Blue Bombers5369.7Stanley BryantWinnipeg Blue Bombers5368.8Quinton BarrowHamilton Tiger-Cats5868.2Preston NicholsCalgary Stampeders5167.6Chris SchleugerB.C. Lions5964.6

Offensive Guard

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeLiam DobsonHamilton Tiger-Cats5870.6Jacob RubyOttawa Redblacks5968.6Zack FrySaskatchewan Roughriders5766.3Jacob BrammerSaskatchewan Roughriders5766.1Kory WoodruffB.C. Lions5965.6Christy NkanuCalgary Stampeders6164.6Pier-Olivier LestageMontreal Alouettes5162.8Donald VentrelliMontreal Alouettes5162.4George UnaB.C. Lions5962.2Gregor MackellarEdmonton Elks5261.5

Centre

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeCyrille Hogan-SaindonMontreal Alouettes5181.3Coulter WoodmanseyHamilton Tiger-Cats5880.0Peter GodberOttawa Redblacks5975.4David BeardEdmonton Elks5267.7Logan FerlandSaskatchewan Roughriders5766.6Michael CoutureB.C. Lions5956.1Christopher FortinCalgary Stampeders6153.8Chris KolankowskiWinnipeg Blue Bombers5347.0

Interior Defender

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeJordan WilliamsEdmonton Elks4281.8Jake ThomasWinnipeg Blue Bombers3874.7Micah JohnsonSaskatchewan Roughriders3574.0Muftah AgeliOttawa Redblacks3773.0Caleb SandersSaskatchewan Roughriders2872.0Jonah TavaiB.C. Lions5570.8Blessman Ta’alaOttawa Redblacks3969.9Tyreek JohnsonEdmonton Elks2268.9Tomasi LaulileB.C. Lions3868.2Mike RoseSaskatchewan Roughriders3866.6

Edge Defender

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeJulian HowsareHamilton Tiger-Cats5187.7Malik CarneySaskatchewan Roughriders4481.9Clarence HicksCalgary Stampeders3779.2Isaac Adeyemi-BerglundMontreal Alouettes5868.8Noah TaylorEdmonton Elks5366.9Willie JeffersonWinnipeg Blue Bombers3966.8Bryce CarterOttawa Redblacks3266.7James VaughtersWinnipeg Blue Bombers5065.4Lwal UguakMontreal Alouettes3265.0Brandon BarlowEdmonton Elks5364.5

Linebacker

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeJovan Santos-KnoxOttawa Redblacks5577.1Reggie StubblefieldHamilton Tiger-Cats5076.0Lucas CormierOttawa Redblacks4673.3A.J. AllenSaskatchewan Roughriders5372.8Najee MurrayMontreal Alouettes5569.9Davion TaylorOttawa Redblacks2269.4Kyler FisherHamilton Tiger-Cats5169.3Geoffrey Cantin-ArkuMontreal Alouettes3068.6Micah TeitzCalgary Stampeders2968.3Adam BighillCalgary Stampeders2568.0

Cornerback

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeJonathan MoxeyHamilton Tiger-Cats5079.4Anthony JohnsonCalgary Stampeders5275.8Kabion EntoMontreal Alouettes5875.5Marcus SaylesSaskatchewan Roughriders3574.9C.J. Coldon Jr.Ottawa Redblacks5971.5Dexter Lawson Jr.Winnipeg Blue Bombers5571.2J.J. RossEdmonton Elks6170.3Cam StoneB.C. Lions5968.7Jamal PetersHamilton Tiger-Cats5168.0Robert Carter Jr.B.C. Liins5966.5

Halfback

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeDaShaun AmosHamilton Tiger-Cats5180.6DaMarcus FieldsSaskatchewan Roughriders5180.4Destin TalbertHamilton Tiger-Cats5075.2Ciante EvansMontreal Alouettes4674.8Kobe WilliamsEdmonton Elks6172.3Kordell JacksonEdmonton Elks6169.4Deontai WilliamsB.C. Lions5968.1Rolan MilliganSaskatchewan Roughriders5367.4Ronald Kent Jr.B.C. Lions5467.0Wesley SuttonMontreal Alouettes5865.8

Safety

NameTeamSnapsOverall GradeRedha KramdiWinnipeg Blue Bombers5576.5Damon WebbCalgary Stampeders5273.5Cristophe BeaulieuB.C. Lions5967.9Kosi OnyekaSaskatchewan Roughriders5164.5Deandre LamontOttawa Redblacks5962.9Stavros KatsantonisHamilton Tiger-Cats5062.3Royce MetchieEdmonton Elks6156.0Marc-Antoine DequoyMontreal Alouettes5852.3