EA Sports released its Madden NFL 25 player ratings this week, spurring plenty of conversation about who was overrated and who should've been ranked higher.
Here are 10 non-rookie players who need their ratings adjusted:
Overrated
Mixon is a good player, but it's tough to argue that he's among the five most talented running backs in the league. He finished the 2023 season with the fifth-most carries but ended eighth in rushing yards and 11th in touchdowns. The 28-year-old ranked seventh among all running backs in both scrimmage yards and scores. An overall rating closer to 88 would be a better fit for the one-time Pro Bowler.
DK Metcalf earned an X-Factor development trait, outproduced Lockett in yardage each of the last two seasons and scored eight touchdowns against Lockett's five last year, but Lockett still ranks above Metcalf (86 overall), as well as Deebo Samuel (87 OVR) and Jaylen Waddle (87). The 31-year-old Lockett had a reasonably productive 2023 with 894 yards, but he should be closer to an 80 overall than a 90.
White has only played in 10 contests over the last two seasons, allowing 233 of the 300 yards he gave up in those games as air yards. The 29-year-old also had just one interception per campaign alongside eight combined pass deflections. That production isn't awful by any means, but handing White an X-Factor development trait - which is only awarded to 50 players in the league - and being given a borderline elite rating feels a bit rich.
The future Hall of Famer's rating is way too high for this stage of his career. Miller simply isn't the player he once was: The 35-year-old recorded just three total tackles and three quarterback hits in 12 games last season and hasn't recorded a sack or tackle for loss since Week 10 of the 2022 campaign.
You could argue that no one had a bigger falloff in 2023 than Bradberry. He went from being named to the second-team All-Pro squad to being a liability in coverage, giving up significantly more yards and touchdowns last season.
| 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Yards allowed | 382 | 740 |
| Touchdowns allowed | 2 | 11 |
| Completion percentage when targeted | 45.3 | 59.4 |
| Passer rating when targeted | 51.6 | 114.3 |
The fact that Bradberry was still given an 80 rating, which would make him CB2 on multiple teams, just doesn't fit what we saw last year.
Underrated
Nacua broke records seemingly weekly in 2023 and finished ninth in receptions, fourth in yards, and scored six receiving touchdowns. Still, he's not even the highest-rated receiver going into his second year - fellow upcoming sophom*ore Zay Flowers was given an 85 overall. Expect Nacua's ranking to rise quickly if he continues to put up strong numbers.
Only one player led two different teams in sacks last year: Sweat. The 6-foot-6, 262-pounder topped both the Commanders (6) and Bears (6.5) in quarterback takedowns and finished tied for 10th among pass-rushers with 12.5 sacks en route to his first Pro Bowl nod. But Sweat's overall rating sits 24th among edge rushers. Former teammate Chase Young ranks higher despite five fewer sacks, seven fewer tackles for loss last season, and 10 fewer quarterback hits.
Like Nacua, Williams put up stellar production for the Rams last year. The Notre Dame product put up 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, good enough for third and eighth in the league, respectively. He added an extra 260 yards and three scores as a receiver to give him 1,350 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns in just 12 outings. He'll need to stay healthy to continue his rise, but he's proven that he's one of the NFL's top backs when on the field.
McBride took a big leap in his second pro season, putting up 825 yards and three touchdowns on 81 receptions. His yardage mark was seventh among all tight ends and just 64 yards shy of Sam LaPorta's 889, which ranks fifth. While McBride may not be quite on LaPorta's level, his rating should be closer to the Lion's 86 overall than it is to Gerald Everett or Tyler Higbee's 81.
The Texans' signal-caller was electric as a rookie, joining Tom Brady (2007) and Joe Montana (1989) as the only quarterbacks to lead the league in both passing yards per game and touchdown touchdown-to-interception ratio in a single season, per CBS Sports' Doug Clawson. Despite Stroud's prolific campaign, his overall ranking is notably lower than that of Matthew Stafford (83 OVR) and Brock Purdy (85), among others.
| C.J. Stroud | Matthew Stafford | Brock Purdy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 15 | 15 | 16 |
| Passing yards per game | 273.9 | 264.3 | 267.5 |
| Passing touchdowns | 23 | 24 | 31 |
| Interceptions | 5 | 11 | 11 |
| Passer rating | 100.8 | 92.5 | 113 |
Honorable mention
Madden developers seem to have gotten one particular attribute rating wrong: Xavier Worthy's speed. The Chiefs selected the Texas product with the 28th overall pick in April's draft after he set a new combine 40-yard dash record with a 4.21-second sprint. Despite that performance, Worthy was given a 98 speed rating rather than the game's highest possible attribute score of 99.
