Madden 13: Wide Receivers Who Will Prove to Be Vastly Overrated

Hakeem Nicks is the most overrated wide receiver in Madden 13. 

He's not the only receiver that was given way too much credit either, and a couple of these ratings (courtesy of EASports.com) truly baffle me. 

This happens every year, though. As much research as EA Sports throws into their ratings, inevitably they get a bunch of them dead wrong.

With that in mind, let's take a look at four of the most overrated receivers in this year's installment of Madden.

Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants, Overall Rating of 94

Don't get me wrong. Nicks is a terrific receiver, but he doesn't deserve a rating of 94. 

I would argue that his teammate, Victor Cruz, is the best receiver on the team, yet he was only given a rating of 90. The numbers back my statement up, too. Cruz caught more passes for more yards and hauled in more touchdowns in 2011, and I don't see that trend reversing in 2012. 

Besides Cruz, other receivers like Brandon Marshall, Marques Coltson and Dwayne Bowe were rated lower than Nicks, yet they all put up similar or better numbers. Bowe and Marshall did so without the benefit of having an elite quarterback, making their accomplishments even greater. 

If I were handing out ratings, I would give Nicks an overall score of 88. 

Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans, Overall Rating of 88

Britt isn't anywhere close to being as good as Madden suggests. 

There's no doubt that he has a talent for hauling in deep passes, but he isn't an upper-echelon player and his off-field issues have to account for something. His own teammate, Nate Washington, was given an appropriate rating of 83, and he has been far more productive than Britt throughout his career. 

If these ratings were being based purely on potential, then Britt's upside is greater than Washington's. The fact of the matter is, though, that Washington is going to be a huge part of the offense for the Titans, while Britt hasn't proved once in his career than he can handle the rigors of playing 16 games as a starter. 

Bottom line: Britt's production in 2012 isn't going to come close to matching the rating that he was given. I would have given him a score of 81 or 82.

Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens, Overall Rating of 87

If determination, grit and fire were the items that attributed to these ratings, Boldin would be one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. In reality, though, Boldin's rating still reflects his time in Arizona with Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals. 

He's not the same player any more, and he doesn't have a guy like Fitzgerald on the field with him. His production has dropped off significantly since becoming a member of the Ravens, and it's not because Joe Flacco sucks. 

Boldin isn't a fast guy. He is an older version of Justin Blackmon, minus the attitude. His production has fallen every single year since 2008, and I'm expecting that trend to continue in 2012.

If I were handing out ratings, I would give him an 82.

Sidney Rice, Seattle Seahawks, Overall Rating of 84

Rice has had one good year as a professional, and that one good year came by way of Brett Favre's right arm. Then, he received a contract that was way too rich from the Seattle Seahawks, was promptly injured and hasn't been able to become a factor to this point during his tenure. 

Yet somehow, he's being rated above guys like Michael Crabtree, Santana Moss, Malcolm Floyd and Pierre Garcon—all of whom have been highly productive and possess equal or better overall skills. 

The latest reports out of Seattle regarding Rice are that he's just now starting to get hit in practice, according to the Seattle Times. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have burgeoning receivers in Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate and Ben Obomanu that have stepped up in his absence. 

If I were handing out ratings, I'd give Rice a 77. 

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