EA Sports’ Madden NFL franchise is an annual video game series that attempts to simulate pro football. That’s a simple way of explaining Madden, but it doesn’t come close to sizing up its cultural significance.
First, people care. That’s evidenced by the $4.2 billion in revenue Madden has generated since the series began.
And, perhaps surprisingly, NFL players care, too. A 2015 article from FiveThirtyEight detailed how former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton actually visited the office of EA Sports employee Donny Moore, the man responsible for rating every single player that appears in Madden games. The reason? Newton was upset about his speed rating.
Lastly, Madden is not just a video game series; it is the series for pro football. EA Sports holds an exclusivity agreement with the NFL that essentially gives it a monopoly on the football gaming market. No other game publisher can use anything under the NFL’s umbrella — players, team logos, stadiums and more — and thus EA has no legitimate competition.
Since it’s that time of year — Madden NFL 17 will be released on Aug. 23 — SEC Country decided to investigate how the SEC’s former stars stack up against each other. Using ratings taken from the official EA Sports web site, we’ve broken down conference’s former players by college and other categories, including best overall players, best rookies and a couple of marquee positions.
Let’s dive into some numbers:
Top SEC players
There are 34 players rated 93 or higher in the game, and the mighty SEC accounts for nearly a third of them. Four former Georgia studs fall into this category, including Chiefs sack record holder Justin Houston. Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller, a former linebacker at Texas A&M, is one of only four players in the game to receive a max overall rating of 99.
And the freakish likes of former SEC stars Julio Jones (98 catch, 93 speed), Odell Beckham Jr. (96 catch, 93 speed) and Newton (81 strength, 86 speed) make great options for Madden gamers who roll out and throw go routes every play. You know who you are.
Broncos OLB Von Miller (99) — Texas A&M
Chiefs OLB Justin Houston (97) — Georgia
Falcons WR Julio Jones (96) — Alabama
Cardinals FS Tyrann Mathieu (96) — LSU
Bengals DT Geno Atkins (94) — Georgia
Panthers QB Cam Newton (94) — Auburn
Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. (93) — LSU
Eagles DT Fletcher Cox (93) — Mississippi State
Bengals WR A.J. Green (93) — Georgia
Dolphins SS Reshad Jones (93) — Georgia
Bengals LT Andrew Whitworth (93) — LSU
Top SEC rookies
Laremy Tunsil was the near-consensus top NFL prospect before, uh, some things happened on draft night. But Madden doesn’t factor in off-the-field happenings, so who cares? Already with Ryan Tannehill, Arian Foster, Jarvis Landry, Mike Pouncey and Ja’Wuan James, the Dolphins offense has become an All-SEC team that nobody watches (cc: disinterested Miami fans).
Hunter Henry looks like a steal for the Chargers here. The biggest surprise is probably the lack of Crimson Tide guys on this list, namely the triple-R trio of Reggie Ragland, A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed. Alabama ain’t produced nobody, I guess.
Dolphins LG Laremy Tunsil (78) — Ole Miss
Chargers TE Hunter Henry (78) — Arkansas
Bucs CB Vernon Hargreaves (77) — Florida
Falcons SS Keanu Neal (77) — Florida
Bears ROLB Leonard Floyd (76) — Georgia
Colts C Ryan Kelly (76) — Alabama
Chargers P Drew Kaser (76) — Texas A&M
Cardinals LE Robert Nkemdiche (75) — Ole Miss
Vikings WR Laquon Treadwell (75) — Ole Miss
Seahawks RG Germain Ifedi (75) — Texas A&M
Titans RB Derrick Henry (74) — Alabama
Top SEC quarterbacks
Cam Newton, Panthers (94) — Auburn
Matt Stafford, Lions (85) — Georgia
Eli Manning, Giants (83) — Ole Miss
Jay Cutler, Bears (80) — Vanderbilt
Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (79) — Texas A&M
Blaine Gabbert, 49ers (74) — Missouri
A.J. McCarron, Bengals (73) — Alabama
Dak Prescott, Cowboys (71) — Mississippi State
Chase Daniel, Eagles (71) — Missouri
Top SEC running backs
Todd Gurley, Rams (85) — Georgia
Eddie Lacy, Packers (83) — Alabama
Mark Ingram, Saints (83) — Alabama
Arian Foster, Dolphins (81) — Tennessee
Jeremy Hill, Bengals (81) — LSU
T.J. Yeldon, Jaguars (80) — Alabama
Darren McFadden, Cowboys (79) — Arkansas
Tre Mason, Rams (78) — Auburn
Matt Jones, Redskins (77) — Florida
Alfred Blue, Texans (76) — LSU
His name's @TG3II.
He'll juke you.
Or he'll truck you.
Or sometimes he'll hurdle you. At full speed. #CLEvsSTL https://t.co/jGsY45EprV
— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2015
Individual teams: We’re now going to break down the Madden ratings for each SEC school’s former players. “Top players” includes anyone rated 80 or higher. Note: If a rookie does not appear under a given team, that means he has not been rated by the game.
Alabama
Quick thoughts: The Nick Saban machine churns out NFL guys in bunches, but Julio Jones might have been the best athlete to wear crimson and white for him. He has averaged 95.4 yards receiving in 65 career games. With Calvin Johnson getting up there in years, Jones is the NFL’s premier receiver — and it may not be long before Amari Cooper fights for that title himself.
Top players
Falcons WR Julio Jones (96)
Patriots ROLB Dont’a Hightower (90)
Bills DT Marcell Dareus (88)
Cardinals RG Evan Mathis (88)
Raiders WR Amari Cooper (83)
Saints RB Mark Ingram (83)
Packers RB Eddie Lacy (83)
Ravens MLB C.J. Mosley (83)
Titans FS Rashad Johnson (82)
Packers ROLB Nick Perry (81)
Jaguars RB T.J. Yeldon (80)
Rookies
Colts C Ryan Kelly (76)
Titans RB Derrick Henry (74)
Bills MLB Reggie Ragland (73)
Seahawks DT Jarran Reed (73)
Lions DT A’Shawn Robinson (72)
Patriots CB Cyrus Jones (71)
Dolphins RB Kenyan Drake (70)
Cardinals QB Jake Coker (62)
Saints LOLB Dillon Lee (57)
Arkansas
Quick thoughts: Remember how good Darren McFadden was in college? And how decidedly not good he has been in the NFL? Many an NFL career has been cursed by former Raiders owner Al Davis, but D-Mac deserved better than seven years in Oakland. Now he’s Ezekiel Elliott’s backup. Not much else to write about here, other than Alex Collins being a sneaky good draft pick.
Top players
Eagles LT Jason Peters (87)
Other notables
Cowboys RB Darren McFadden (79)
Vikings WR Jarius Wright (75)
Chiefs RB Knile Davis (73)
Rookies
Chargers TE Hunter Henry (78)
Seahawks RB Alex Collins (69)
Bills RB Jonathan Williams (67)
Jaguars QB Brandon Allen (65)
Titans RG Sebastian Tretola (64)
Raiders LG Denver Kirkland (57)
Auburn
Quick thoughts: The Gus Malzahn/Gene Chizik tenures at Auburn have not produced a ton of NFL success, and the 2016 class does not appear to hold any future stars unless Duke Williams (not rated) really gets his act together. But being able to claim the NFL’s reigning MVP — and arguably the new face of the entire league — makes up for many other shortcomings. In Madden, Newton has 86 speed, 81 strength, 97 throwing power, 94 short-range accuracy and 93 mid-range accuracy. This is the guy that will break the game.
Top players
Panthers QB Cam Newton (94)
Bengals LOLB Karlos Dansby (83)
Chargers LT King Dunlap (82)
Texans FB Jay Prosch (81)
Other notables
Saints DT Nick Fairley (79)
Lions ROLB Josh Bynes (79)
Rams LT Greg Robinson (77)
Rookies
Eagles FS Blake Countess (68)
Browns RT Shon Coleman (67)
Browns WR Ricardo Louis (64)
Bucs RB Peyton Barber (62)
Patriots CB Jonathan Jones (62)
Saints RT Avery Young (60)
Bucs MLB Cassanova McKinzy (57)
LSU
Quick thoughts: Just so no one forgets, the 2013 LSU offense had Zach Mettenberger, Jeremy Hill, Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Travin Dural and four offensive linemen currently in the NFL. That unit finished with the SEC’s fourth-best total offense and just its sixth-best scoring offense. Passing defense was the bigger weakness on that particular team, but there’s a reason Tigers fans have grown so weary of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.
Top players
Cardinals FS Tyrann Mathieu (96)
Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. (93)
Bengals LT Andrew Whitworth (93)
Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson (91)
Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry (87)
Panthers RG Trai Turner (87)
Saints CB Delvin Breaux (83)
Bengals RB Jeremy Hill (81)
Chargers RT Joe Barksdale (80)
Other notables
Rams DT Michael Brockers (79)
Eagles DT Bennie Logan (79)
Eagles P Donnie Jones (79)
Cowboys LG La’El Collins (78)
Eagles WR Rueben Randle (78)
Rookies
Falcons MLB Deion Jones (71)
Steelers LT Jerald Hawkins (67)
Raiders RG Vadal Alexander (66)
Eagles CB Jalen Mills (66)
49ers CB Rashard Robinson (64)
Ole Miss
Quick thoughts:
Top players
Giants QB Eli Manning (83)
Other notables
Ravens FS Kendrick Lewis (79)
Colts WR Donte Moncrief (78)
Panthers LT Michael Oher (78)
Jaguars RT Jeremy Parnell (77)
Ravens WR Mike Wallace (77)
Rookies
Dolphins LG Laremy Tunsil (78)
Cardinals LE Robert Nkemdiche (75)
Vikings WR Laquon Treadwell (75)
49ers RT Fahn Cooper (66)
Bengals WR Cody Core (65)
Saints SS Trae Elston (59)
Mississippi State
Quick thoughts: The Bulldogs have had a revolving door at defensive coordinator under Dan Mullen, but that apparently doesn’t matter when it comes to producing NFL athletes — or at least luring them to Starkville for four years. The most interesting guy for gaming purposes is of course Dak Prescott. I’ll put the over/under on his Madden 2018 rating at 79.5.
Top players
Eagles DT Fletcher Cox (93)
Bears LOLB Pernell McPhee (92)
Lions CB Darius Slay (90)
Seahawks ROLB K.J. Wright (88)
Raiders RG Gabe Jackson (83)
Other notables
Texans MLB Benardrick McKinney (77)
Redskins ROLB Preston Smith (77)
Rookies
Chiefs LE Chris Jones (72)
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (71)
49ers CB Will Redmond (68)
Bears CB Taveze Calhoun (62)
Packers LOLB Beniquez Brown (59)
Texas A&M
Quick thoughts: The expectations on a top-five draft pick are almost unfair. But Miller has lived up to them in every sense, logging 60 sacks and forcing 17 fumbles over his first five professional seasons. And he just spent his offseason cashing in on that success with a nice little award tour. Also, who realized that Texas A&M is suddenly pumping out NFL kickers and punters?
Top players
Broncos OLB Von Miller (99)
Seahawks LE Michael Bennett (91)
Bucs WR Mike Evans (86)
Patriots TE Martellus Bennet (85)
Falcons LT Jake Matthews (80)
Other notables
Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill (79)
Jaguars LT Luke Joeckel (79)
Texans P Shane Lechler (77)
Chargers K Josh Lambo (76)
Rookies
Chargers P Drew Kaser (76)
Seahawks RG Germain Ifedi (75)
Cardinals CB Brandon Williams (70)
Rams K Taylor Bertolet (65)
Bengals RB Tra Carson (62)
Saints CB De’vante Harris (60)
Florida
No Gators among Madden’s top tier of players, but there are a bunch of quality starters. Jordan Reed should be an often-used weapon in the game — 92 catch, 86 speed, 88 acceleration, 92 route running — while Vernon Hargreaves and Keanu Neal are two of the better rookies in the game. Still, I can’t help but feeling something is missing from this Florida list… What could it be?
Oh yeah. RIP Tim Tebow’s NFL career, which was last seen trying to crawl its way out of a Chip Kelly-designed grave. Who’s ready for Tim Tebow the outfielder on MLB The Show?
Top players
Redskins TE Jordan Reed (89)
Bengals LE Carlos Dunlap (88)
Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey (88)
Raiders FS Reggie Nelson (87)
Browns CB Joe Haden (86)
Vikings DT Shariff Floyd (83)
Steelers RT Marcus Gilbert (83)
Chiefs LE Jaye Howard (83)
Dolphins C Mike Pouncey (81)
Other notables
Dolphins ROLB Jelani Jenkins (78)
Jaguars RE Dante Fowler (77)
Redskins RB Matt Jones (77)
Eagles K Caleb Sturgis (77)
Rookies
Bucs CB Vernon Hargreaves (77)
Falcons SS Keanu Neal (77)
Bears LE Jonathan Bullard (69)
49ers RB Kelvin Taylor (67)
Colts MLB Antonio Morrison (65)
Chiefs WR Demarcus Robinson (65)
Falcons SS Brian Poole (60)
Eagles RE Alex McCalister (60)
Georgia
Quick thoughts: Georgia churns out NFL players at an LSU level. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Mark Richt was much more interested in recruiting them than, you know, coaching them. But man are there some good players on this list. Todd Gurley has a jump rating of 92, by the way.
Top players
Chiefs OLB Justin Houston (97)
Bengals DT Geno Atkins (94)
Bengals WR A.J. Green (93)
Dolphins SS Reshad Jones (93)
Panthers ROLB Thomas Davis (89)
Bills LT Cordy Glenn (89)
Rams RB Todd Gurley (85)
Lions QB Matt Stafford (85)
Panthers LE Charles Johnson (82)
Bengals LG Clint Boling (81)
Vikings K Blair Walsh (81)
Ravens TE Benjamin Watson (81)
Other notables
Rams MLB Alec Ogletree (79)
Saints DT John Jenkins (78)
Steelers ROLB Jarvis Jones (73)
Rookies
Bears ROLB Leonard Floyd (76)
Jets LOLB Jordan Jenkins (69)
Redskins RB Keith Marshall (69)
Patriots WR Malcolm Mitchell (67)
49ers LT John Theus (63)
Falcons DT Chris Mayes (61)
Colts RE Sterling Bailey (59)
Kentucky
Quick thoughts: Speaking of programs that recruit but don’t win, Kentucky surprised me by having some quality players here. Former sixth-round pick Danny Trevathan originally signed with the Wildcats as a 2-star recruit, and now he’s a Chicago Bears starter making $5 million this year. And Wesley Woodyard, who like Trevathan began his career with the Broncos, went undrafted despite earning All-SEC First Team nods in 2006 and 2007. Talk about working your way up.
Top players
Titans MLB Wesley Woodyard (87)
Packers WR Randall Cobb (86)
Bears MLB Danny Trevathan (85)
Other notables:
Falcons TE Jacob Tamme (79)
Titans MLB Avery Williamson (78)
Chargers WR Stevie Johnson (77)
Rookies:
Rams LOLB Josh Forrest (63)
Falcons DT Cory Johnson (58)
Missouri
Quick thoughts: Defense was Missouri’s hallmark during the Gary Pinkel era, and several of the former coach’s best have gone on to successful NFL careers. Aldon Smith might be the best one Pinkel ever coached — he recorded 33.5 sacks in his first two pro seasons — but the former Tiger’s arrests and other legal run-ins have his NFL future on thin ice. We’ll see if he can stay out of the headlines.
Top players
Chiefs WR Jeremy Maclin (86)
Jets RE Sheldon Richardson (86)
Raiders ROLB Aldon Smith (85)
Other notables
Panthers RE Kony Ealy (79)
Rams CB E.J. Gaines (79)
Falcons LOLB Sean Weatherspoon (77)
49ers QB Blaine Gabbert (74)
Broncos ROLB Shane Ray (73)
Rookies
Cardinals C Evan Boehm (67)
Vikings MLB Kentrell Brothers (66)
Broncos RG Connor McGovern (66)
South Carolina
Quick thoughts: Let this be another testament to just how well Steve Spurrier and his staff recruited for the Gamecocks. The incoming 2016 class is likely to outperform its rookie ratings, as well, in the cases of Jerell Adams and Pharoh Cooper. Bad quarterback play makes it hard for one to stand out in college.
Top players
Bears WR Alshon Jeffery (91)
Texans CB Jonathan Joseph (91)
Falcons FB Patrick Dimarco (91)
Bills CB Stephon Gilmore (86)
Chargers ROLB Melvin Ingram (86)
Broncos FS Darian Stewart (86)
Texans ROLB Jadeveon Clowney (83)
Titans K Ryan Succop (81)
Packers TE Jared Cook (80)
Rookies:
Giants TE Jerell Adams (66)
Jets RT Brandon Shell (66)
Rams WR Pharoh Cooper (63)
Tennessee
Quick thoughts: The Vols have long populated NFL rosters everywhere, but not a single Tennessee player has been drafted since 2014 — a lingering effect of the Derek Dooley years. The school only had three drafted in 2014. You’ve still got a slew of UT stars in the league, and none brighter than Eric Berry, who beat cancer and made the Pro Bowl in the same year. Incredible.
Top players
Chiefs FS Eric Berry (93)
Raiders DT Dan Williams (88)
Cowboys TE Jason Witten (87)
Jaguars DT Malik Jackson (86)
Bucs RE Robert Ayers (84)
Chiefs P Dustin Colquitt (82)
Steelers LG Ramon Foster (82)
Dolphins RB Arian Foster (81)
Broncos P Britton Colquitt (80)
Rookies
Rams WR Marquez North (63)
Colts MLB Curt Maggitt (57)
Vanderbilt
Quick thoughts: Vandy doesn’t have many NFL stars in its history books, so can’t you just let the Commodores enjoy Jay Cutler? (No you can’t, because Jay Cutler is the easiest NFL media target not named Tim Tebow.)
Top players
Chargers CB Casey Hayward (84)
Bears QB Jay Cutler (80)
Other notables
Eagles WR Jordan Matthews (78)
Texans FS Andre Hal (77)
Rookies
Vikings RE Stephen Weatherly (63)
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