Madden 2011 Rankings: Which Rookies Will Be Overrated/Underrated

Madden 11 will be released August 10, 2010. The game will be loaded with new features and new players.

This slideshow looks at the ratings of the rookies in the upcoming Madden game.

It consists of six rookies who are either rated too high or too low at their respective positions.

The slides will alternate with underrated and overrated rookies who are in the newest version of Madden.

Some aspects that were taken into consideration when compiling this list include: college productivity, combine workouts, draft buzz, depth at a given position and expected impact this season.

Quarterback: Tim Tebow (Underrated)

Tim Tebow
School: Florida
Pick: 1st round, 22 overall (Broncos)
Ht/Wt: 6'3"/236 LBS
Overall Madden Rating: 70

Tebow was the second quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) was drafted by the Rams with number one overall pick and Tebow was selected late in the first round. Bradford has an overall rating of 80, while Tebow is 10 rating points behind him at 70.

Many people thought the Broncos pulled the trigger on Tebow too early, so that may have something to do with his low rating in Madden.

Tebow is the second-lowest rated rookie in the first round, and for a player who may be the face of his franchise within the next two seasons, a 70 overall seems a bit low.

Wide Receiver: Dez Bryant (Overrated)

School: Oklahoma State University
Pick: 1st Round, 24th overall (Cowboys)
Ht/Wt: 6'2"/225 LBS
Overall Madden Rating: 80

Dez Bryant's body of work (both throughout his college career and at the combine) shows that he is ready to produce with an immediate impact for the Cowboys.

He appears to be the most NFL-ready player at his position. Bryant will be a go-to wideout for the Cowboys, but it won't be instantly.

In 2008, everyone thought Felix Jones was going to have a breakout rookie campaign, and possibly win rookie of the year with the Cowboys.

Bryant has similar expectations, and he is going to be in the same situation as his teammate Jones. Bryant is going to have to get acclimated to the NFL, and like Jones, he will have proven veterans in front of him. An overall rating of 80 seems steep for a player who may not get on the field some weeks.

Running Back: C.J. Spiller (Underrated)

School: Clemson
Pick: 1st Round, 9th overall (Bills)
Ht/Wt: 5'11"/196 LBS
Overall Madden Rating: 79

Spiller can't catch a break.

First, he was robbed when he wasn't invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony as a finalist, now he's getting robbed by the folks at EA Sports with a low rating in Madden 11.

Arguably the most complete offensive player in the draft this spring, Spiller will have a breakout rookie season and should be in the discussion for offensive rookie of the year once the season is over.

Spiller has blazing speed (4.3 in the 40 yard dash), he can run, catch out of the backfield and return kicks/punts.

Spiller will be special because he has the skill set of a Percy Harvin or Devin Hester, but from the running back position.

The Bills will try to put the ball in Spiller's hands as often as possible, and if anything, he should have been one of the highest rookies rated in Madden 11.

Tight End: Rob Gronkowski (Overrated)

School: Arizona
Pick: 2nd Round, 42nd overall (Patriots)
Ht/Wt: 6'6"/264 LBS
Overall Madden Rating: 77

Gronkowski was relatively unknown on the national scene during his last season at Arizona.

He was the second tight end drafted in a draft class that was not deep at his posiotion.

Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham was virtually the only tight end who was well-known at the national level.

However, coach Belichick and his staff obviously saw something they liked in Gronkowski when they drafted him as the second tight end selected after Gresham.

Gronkowski was rarely (if ever) mentioned in the same breath as Gresham, but yet they are rated fairly equally in Madden 11.

Gresham is rated at 78 overall and Gronkowski is rated at 77. We'll see if Gronkowski is worth the rating he received.

Safety: Taylor Mays (Underrated)

School: University of Southern Cal
Pick: 2nd Round, 49th overall (49ers)
Ht/Wt: 6'3"/230LBS
Overall Madden Rating: 75

Mays is one of the premier athletes of his draft class. His combination of size, speed and athleticism made him one of the most feared defenders in the college ranks while he was at USC.

He and Tennessee safety Eric Berry are considered the top two players at their position, but Berry (85 overall) is rated ten points higher than Mays.

Although Berry was taken 5th overall and Mays was selected in the middle of the second round, both players have will have an opportunity to become elite at the safety position, and Mays deserves a higher player rating.

Quarterback: Jimmy Clausen (Overrated)

School: Notre Dame
Pick: 2 Round, 48th overall (Panthers)
Ht/Wt: 6'3"/222 LBS
Overall Madden Rating: 76

Clausen appears to have all the tools of an NFL quarterback and he received tremendous help from coach Wies who ran a pro-style offense at Notre Dame.

Clausen may be under center week one, but the makers of Madden may have rated him slightly higher than he deserves.

Clausen will get plenty of reps this season, but it's going to take time for him to adapt and become the type of quarterback he is in Madden 11.

Out of the rookies, he is the second-highest rated quarterback in the new Madden (Sam Bradford: 80 overall), and he deserves to be near Bradford in ratings.

However, it will be interesting to see how Clausen responds if he hits a little adversity. Clausen is going to be good, just not right away.