EA Sports has released the ratings for the cream of this year’s rookie crop. After revealing their “99 Club“, the rating announcements have continued. Here we will look at the five highest-rated rookies overall as well as highest-rated rookies from various positions in Madden NFL 19.
This list is coming straight from EA Sports and I’ll be including a small blurb from Daniel Williams describing some of their ratings.
Top 5 Rookies
1. Left Guard Quenton Nelson – Indianapolis Colts – 83 overall
“His 97 Strength is outdone only by Ndamukong Suh. Nelson is more effective as a run blocker with an 85 rating but isn’t a liability in Pass Blocking with a score of 82.” – EA Sports
2. Running Back Saquon Barkley – New York Giants – 82 overall
“Barkley sports a 92 Speed, and a 93 Acceleration. His ball carrying moves include an 83 Trucking, 83 Stiff Arm, 86 Spin, and a 91 Juke.” – EA Sports
3. Quarterback Baker Mayfield – Cleveland Browns – 81 overall
“An 81 Speed doesn’t make Mayfield the fastest QB we’ve seen, but pair that with a 95 Throw Power, 88 Throw on the Run, and accuracy scores in the 80s at Short, Medium and Deep ranges means he’s not completely reliant on pocket protection to be a playmaker.” – EA Sports
4. Linebacker Roquan Smith – Chicago Bears – 81 overall
“His 88 Tackle and 87 Hit Power are enough to stop most ball carriers cold, but his numbers make him a natural fit in coverage, too. Smith sports an 89 Speed, 91 Acceleration, 88 Agility, with an 89 Pursuit and 80 in Zone Coverage.” – EA Sports
5. Defensive End Bradley Chubb – Denver Broncos – 80 overall
“Chubb’s ratings are pretty straight forward for a rookie DE with an 83 Speed and 91 Strength. He also comes equipped with an 85 Finesse Move rating…” – EA Sports
Top 5 Rookie Quarterbacks
Every year NFL teams go into the NFL draft looking for their franchise quarterback and now you can do the same as Madden 19 has revealed their top 5 rookie quarterbacks.
1. Baker Mayfield – Cleveland Browns – 81 overall
“Outside of his base ratings that we broke down, his 87 Throw Under Pressure rating is the highest of the rookie signal callers by a wide margin. He’s also the only rookie QB with an 80+ rating for Short, Mid, and Deep ranges.” – EA Sports
2. Lamar Jackson – Baltimore Ravens – 79 overall
“The stud athlete clocks a 91 Speed, making him not only the fastest QB in the game, but the only one who breaks 90 in that category. He also sports a 93 Ball Carrier Vision, an 86 Spin, 89 Juke, and 94 Throw Power. His accuracy scores (83 Short, 80 Mid, 74 Deep) can lead to some wild throws…” EA Sports
3. Josh Rosen – Arizona Cardinals – 78 overall
“Rosen is the only one in the top five listed under Field General. If you prefer a more traditional pocket passer, Rosen is the easy pick for you here…Rosen’s Accuracy scores at 89 Short and 85 Mid are the best in the rookie class.” – EA Sports
4. Sam Darnold – New York Jets – 75 overall
“His 90 Throw Power isn’t the strongest obviously, but his 86 Short and 82 Mid Accuracy scores allow for some reliability – but don’t throw it deep. His 73 Deep rating means connecting on huge passes will be rare, at best. But, his 85 Throw on the Run is second only to Mayfield’s 88.” – EA Sports
5. Josh Allen – Buffalo Bills – 74 overall
“With a 74 OVR and all Accuracy ratings below 80, he’s the least forgiving QB of the group. Allen fits the Strong Arm Player Archetype perfectly though, as he sports a 99 Throw Power.” – EA Sports
Top 5 Rookie Wide Receivers
Unlike some positions in the NFL, wide receiver can take some to adjust to the speed of the professional game. There’s always a chance that you get a stud right out of the gate, but more often than not you’ll have to bring your receiver along until they “get it”. This rookie class does not boast one 80 in the group.
1. D.J. Moore – Carolina Panthers – 77 overall
“He’s not the fastest of the group, and his 90 Juke is his best move, but he has the best Route Running ratings with an 83 Short, 80 Mid, and 82 Deep. He also sports an 87 Spectacular Catch and 84 Catching.” – EA Sports
2. Calvin Ridley – Atlanta Falcons – 77 overall
“…the fastest option among the five rookie WRs with a 93 Speed. He also possesses more top scores, including a 93 Acceleration, 95 Agility, and 91 Juke. His ball carrier ratings end up around the mid-80s. His downside? His hands. His 81 Catching and 78 Catch in Traffic make him the least reliable option…” – EA Sports
3. Dante Pettis – San Fransisco 49ers – 76 overall
“At 90 Speed, he doesn’t carry the same breakaway potential as Moore or Ridley, but his hands are a nice tradeoff. An 85 Catching makes him the most dependable of this five. He can’t do anything too fancy with it once he catches it, without a ball carrying move above 90…” – EA Sports
4. Courtland Sutton – Denver Broncos – 75 overall
“An 89 Speed doesn’t necessarily make him a burner, but his size makes him a quality option within scoring distance. His pairing of an 89 Spectacular Catch and 86 Catch in Traffic is the best in the rookie class.” – EA Sports
5. Anthony Miller – Chicago Bears – 74 overall
“With routes, his 82 Short and 80 Mid are second only to Moore among the top 5. His 80 Catching is the lowest of the bunch.” – EA Sports
Top 5 Rookie Running Backs
Everyone loves their running backs in Madden. Whether you prefer the Marshawn Lynch-type of bruiser or a guy like Kareem Hunt who can hit the hole with a burst of speed, rookie tailbacks can make an immediate impact to your roster.
1. Saquon Barkley – New York Giants – 82 overall
“An effective balance of Speed (92) and moves (91 Juke) make Barkley the player of choice for the Giants’ ground attack.” – EA Sports
2. Derrius Guice – Washington Redskins – 78 overall
“Guice makes for an excellent ball carrier in Madden with an 89 Speed, 93 Agility, and an 85 in both Stiff Arm and Juke. Also, his 91 mark in Carrying and Trucking tops the rest of this top five.” – EA Sports
3. Ronald Jones II – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 77 overall
“His 93 Speed is the highest. Jones also sports an 89 Juke, which is his most effective ball carrier move by a wide margin.” – EA Sports
4. Sony Michel – New England Patriots – 77 overall
“Michel stands out of the pack with Speed (90), Agility (93), and Juke (88).” – EA Sports
5. Nick Chubb – Cleveland Browns – 76 Overall
“While not slow by any means with an 88 Speed, Chubb fits the mold of a traditional power back and rounds out this top five. His 85 Strength is the best of the rookie RB class, and his 87 Truck is second only to Guice. His 83 Agility limits his shiftiness…” – EA Sports
Top 5 Rookie Defense
“Offense wins games, defense wins championships”
If you subscribe to this playstyle, I’ve got the list for you. The NFL Draft was chock full of defensive studs this year with 15 defensive players being taken in the first round.
1. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith – Chicago Bears – 81 overall
“He’s not the fastest linebacker of the rookie class, but his 89 Speed helps him cover a great portion of the field and an 88 Tackle rating is the best among defensive rookies.” – EA Sports
2. Defensive End Bradley Chubb – Denver Broncos – 80 overall
“An 85 Finesse Move and 87 Block Shedding ensure he’ll place constant pressure on QBs, if not take them down. An 86 Jump will also help bat some short passes.” – EA Sports
3. Strong Safety Derwin James – Los Angeles Chargers – 80 overall
“That fact was further solidified with James, who brings a 90 Hit Power to the team, which is the strongest among the rookie class. James also carries a 90 Speed with an 81 Man Coverage.” – EA Sports
4. Cornerback Denzel Ward – Cleveland Browns – 80 overall
“With an outstanding pair of scores in a 95 Speed and 95 Agility, Ward will be able to keep up with just about any receiver. His Catch rating isn’t high, but a 92 Jump adds to his User Lurk potential.” – EA Sports
5. Defensive Tackle Vita Vea – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 79 overall
“His 97 Strength blasts him up towards the strongest in the league.” – EA Sports
What do you think of the rookie ratings in Madden NFL 19? Let us know in the comment section below!