No one should really put too much stock into Madden ratings. They don’t really matter. That being said, the people who put together Madden ratings aren’t exactly high on the Green Bay Packers.
Madden is really not a fan of the roster that the Packers have assembled this year. Jaire Alexander and Aaron Jones are the only two players ranked within the top 10 in their respective positions. Jones is at 10 among running backs, and Alexander is the second-highest-rated corner in the game.
Some Packers just missed the cut for consideration in the top 10 at their position. Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, defensive lineman Kenny Clark, offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, and edge defender Rashan Gary all were just outside that mark. Almost all of the players listed above had higher ratings last year.
Some of the decisions Madden made didn’t make any sense. Let’s break it down position by position to try and better understand these baffling decisions.
The Packers obviously had a dropoff at quarterback. They rated Aaron Rodgers 96 Overall last year. He’s an 86 Overall for the New York Jets this season. Madden was very unkind to Jordan Love, who garnered a 79 rating. However, Love was a 66 last year, and I can get behind Madden rating him low and making him prove that he can be a capable starter before bumping his rating.
Madden’s running back ratings didn’t make a lot of sense. A.J. Dillion and Aaron Jones were both rated higher last year. Jones went from an 89 to an 88, and Dillion dropped two from an 80 to a 78 overall. Dillon had 33 fewer yards in 2022 but with two more touchdowns. How is that worthy of a two-overall drop? Jones had over 300 yards more than the year before, and he got a drop in rating. Come on Madden, you’re better than that.
However, Madden seems to like Green Bay’s receivers. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs both got boosts in ratings of at least six. Watson is up to a 77 and Doubs a 74. Watson is also in the top ten for speed ratings among all players. Samori Toure got a boost of a single overall. He saw limited playing time, so that’s understandable. Rookie Jayden Reed is a 73 Overall, which is higher than Watson was at the start of last season. Madden is high on Reed for a rookie, but overall it’s a very unproven group.
There is not a whole lot to say about the tight-end group in terms of Madden ratings. Josiah Deguara is the same as last year, 68, and the rookies are both 66 Overall. Musgrave will get the start as the TE1, and that’s sure to boost his rating by the end of the year.
On the offensive line, almost everyone’s video-game numbers improved except for David Bakhtiari. He dropped four overall to a 90 and finished outside the top 10 in overall positional rankings. This drop is understandable. He was hurt for the first six weeks of the season and only started 11 games last year. Bakhtiari was his usual elite self when he was playing. But Madden values games played, so his rating dropped a few points. Madden may also believe Bakhtari’s play will decline with age. All of Green Bay’s other starting lineman’s ratings rose, a testament to their player development on the line.
Madden’s defensive line ratings are especially confounding They seem to think negatively about the men in the trenches on Green Bay’s defense. Madden gave Clark an 86 Overall rating this season; he was 89 last year. Clark had more tackles and the same amount of sacks. How would his rating go down? Furthermore, TJ Slaton and Devonte Wyatt both dropped in rating despite playing better last year. Both showed flashes last year and are expected in big roles this year. Wyatt and Slaton were 73 and 67, respectively. Both dropped and are now 70 and 66. That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
The edge rusher ratings are complicated for the Packers. Madden dropped Gary one overall to an 88, most likely for his missed time last year. That’s understandable. But the real crime was Preston Smith dropping six overall, from an 82 to a 76. Smith had a half sack less and more tackles in 2022. Why would his rating drop by six? Are you kidding me? That rating makes no sense. Some good news is that Kingsley Enagbare got a nice little boost to 69, and Lukas Van Ness is starting at 73. That’s fun to see from a developing player and a rookie.
The ratings are more rational for the linebacker group. Campbell took a step back last season, and his rating dropped two to an 85, which is understandable. Quay Walker got a five-point overall boost as the rookie leader in tackles going into his second year. He’s at a 78. Eric Wilson and Isaiah McDuffie got a little bumps as developing players but nothing too crazy. They are at 68 and 65, respectively. Good work here.
Madden also probably got cornerback right. Alexander, at 95, is the second-best corner in the game and arguably the best corner in the NFL. Rasul Douglas got a single point boost to an 81 as a result of his consistency last year. Eric Stokes struggled before he got hurt, so his rating dropped going into Year 3. Keisean Nixon got a 90 overall kick return rating and a little boost in the overall rating to a 68. Shemar Jean-Charles actually dropped in rating to a 63 due to his lack of development, and seventh-round corner Carrington Valentine got a 65.
The safety group took a hit. Adrian Amos was an 88 overall last year, and he’s gone to the New York Jets. Darnell Savage’s continued inconsistency dropped his rating by three points to 76. Rudy Ford got a 74 Overall rating. Pretty generous considering his lack of a track record and limited sample size. Jonathan Owens got a 72, and free-agent Tarvarius Moore got a 69. Madden was probably being a bit generous with these guys.
The specialist group is, unfortunately, nothing special. Punter Pat O’Donnell’s rating dropped a bit, although I’m not entirely sure why. Rookie Anders Carlson comes in with a 69 Overall rating. Madden ranked Mason Crosby as a 73 last year, which doesn’t make for much drop-off at place kicker.
Overall, this is a roster that is hurting. The expectations around this group seem to have lowered a lot, both collectively and individually. No, Rodgers. No Amos. Lowered ratings on Gary, Clark, Dillion, Jones, Bakhtari, Savage, and Campbell, plus voids at quarterback, tight end, receiver, and safety don’t help either. This is a team with a lot of potential, but the losses loom large, and Madden seems to concur.
