Predicting Madden 16 Rankings: Part 2

Starting in July, EA Sports will be dropping the player ratings for Madden 16. EA Sports normally releases rankings for the top five players at each position, starting at quarterbacks and finishing with specialists (punters and place kickers). In honor of NFL Network’s Top 100 Players in the NFL series—and not because I am going through football withdrawals—I decided to make predictions for the top five players at each position, according toMadden.

Now, the Madden rankings include every position—except for long snappers—but EA Sports employs professionals who spend the majority of time watching film and ranking players. I’m not a scout, so I have no idea which offensive linemen are best. Therefore, I will skip those predictions and simply focus on players that I can realistically judge.

Okay, now that I have come clean about my lack of scouting skill, it’s time for the rankings. Come along for the ride and laugh at my predictions.

Defensive Tackles:

• Ndamukong Suh – 98
• Gerald McCoy – 97
• Marcell Dareus – 95
• Jurrell Casey – 94
• Dontari Poe – 92

Dontari Poe is one of the members of a fierce Kansas City defensive line, and he has been very productive since entering the league in 2012. Poe may be a nose tackle, but he has still managed 10.5 sacks in the last two years to go along with nine blocked passes. Jurrell Casey is the lesser-known #99 in the AFC South, but that is mostly because he plays for the Titans. The 6’1”, 305-lb defensive tackle is very solid against both the run and pass, and he finished the 2014 season with 68 tackles and five sacks. Marcell Dareus is one of the best defenders at his position, and his 2014 season included 10 sacks and one forced fumble. Dareus has a few issues with drugs, but he is very talented.

Gerald McCoy is an absolute star at defensive tackle, but he plays on a terrible defense. The lack of overall talent in Tampa Bay hasn’t kept McCoy from becoming one of the best players around while reaching 27 sacks and 118 total tackles in five years. Ndamukong Suh may be a less-than-delightful human being, but he is undeniably talented. Like McCoy, Suh has been toiling away on a bad defense for five years, but he has exceeded expectations with 36 sacks and 180 total tackles. Now Suh is in Miami where he can pair with Cameron Wake to chase down quarterbacks. Suh should only get better in this new defensive system.

Defensive Ends:

• J. Watt – 99
• Robert Quinn – 97
• Mario Williams – 96
• Jason Pierre-Paul – 94
• Everson Griffen – 92

Everson Griffen has been a member of the Minnesota Vikings for five years. Until 2014, however, Griffen was a backup who had only started one game. The departure of Jared Allen put Griffen in the spotlight, and he responded with 12.5 sacks, 41 total tackles, a forced fumble, and a special teams touchdown. Jason Pierre-Paul came into the NFL as a raw but athletic freak, but he proved any doubters wrong with many splash plays over the years. 2013 was a horrible year for JPP as he only had two sacks, but he bounced back in 2014 with 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Mario Williams is 30, but he is one of the consistently best defensive ends in the NFL. Williams has averaged 10.1 sacks over his nine-year career, and he has only gotten better during his three years with the Bills.

Robert Quinn has only been in the NFL for four years, but he has become one of the best defensive ends around. Quinn is a tackling machine, and almost all of his best games have come against the fearsome Seahawks. Plus, Quinn has forced 13 fumbles during his four-year career, which is something that not many defensive ends can claim.

J.J. Watt is without question the best defender in the NFL. In his four years, Watt has racked up an astounding 57 sacks, including two seasons with 20.5 sacks each. More importantly, Watt has blocked 37 passes while earning the nickname of “J.J. Swat”. Sacks and tackles are great and all, but Watt does so much more. During 2014 alone, Watt caught four touchdown passes and returned both an interception and a fumble for touchdowns. The scary thing is that Watt is only 26-years-old. What’s next?

Cornerbacks:

• Richard Sherman – 99
• Darrelle Revis – 97
• Patrick Peterson – 96
• Joe Haden – 94
• Vontae Davis – 93

Determining the top cornerback in the NFL is an absolute pain. If you pay attention to Twitter, you will quickly notice multiple players talking trash and making their case for number one. Richard Sherman and Darrelle Revis are both deserving of the top spot for different reasons. Sherman is a role player who excels at his specific job and holds down one side of the field. Quarterbacks avoid throwing Sherman’s way, but he can occasionally be beaten. Revis, on the other hand, shadows the best receiver at all times. Quarterbacks throw at Revis more because he follows the top receiver, but he rarely allows completions. Revis is only behind Sherman because of age and injuries.

Patrick Peterson is one of the best cornerbacks around, but he hasn’t held up in coverage against Calvin Johnson and some other stars. Peterson does hold one advantage over the other four cornerbacks with his spectacular speed and punt return ability. Peterson has won multiple games for the Cardinals with his punt returns. Joe Haden is a very solid corner who has been able to keep big name receivers in check during his time with the Browns. Haden only has 16 interceptions during his five-year career, but he has 87 passes defended. Vontae Davis is an underrated corner, but he has been a solid starter for six years. During the last three years with Indianapolis, Davis has been one of the best defensive players on the roster, and he is finally starting to get some respect from offensive coordinators around the league.

Those are the latest predictions for Madden 16 rankings. Check back next week for part three when we predict linebackers, safeties, place kickers, and overall teams.