Predicting Madden Ratings for Every First Round Rookie

This year's installment of EA Sports' most popular video game franchise, Madden NFL, will pay homage to its history. This year's game is titled "Madden NFL 25," in honor of the game's 25-year anniversary, and features Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders on its cover.

That said, the game will still be as new and updated as ever, which includes featuring the entire 2013 NFL draft class on its rosters.

While Madden developers create a full set of player ratings for every player in the NFL, it may be most difficult for them to rate each rookie, as they must base their ratings off of projections to the next level rather than off of what players have proven they can do in the league.

As a result, the rookie ratings may very well turn out to be the game's least accurate ratings, but let's take a look at what the ratings of all 32 first-round picks could be, using six main categories (overall, speed, acceleration, strength, agility, awareness) along with their skill set and measurables. I will also compare each of this year's rookies with a comparable rookie player from Madden NFL 13.

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan

Overall: 80

Speed: 69

Acceleration: 85

Strength: 89

Agility: 71

Awareness: 65

Pass Block: 90

Run Block: 83

Impact Blocking: 87

As the No. 1 overall pick, Eric Fisher should certainly have one of the top overall ratings among rookies in Madden NFL 25. His ratings should be comparable to those of Matt Kalil, an elite left tackle prospect who received an 80 overall as a Minnesota Vikings rookie last season.

Fisher should have strong athletic ratings for an offensive tackle and good ratings across the board. It's also worth noting that he is a better pass blocker than he is a run blocker at this point in time.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M

Overall: 80

Speed: 66

Acceleration: 81

Strength: 89

Agility: 68

Awareness: 65

Pass Block: 91

Run Block: 82

Impact Blocking: 85

Opinions were very split regarding whether Eric Fisher or Luke Joeckel was the top offensive tackle prospect in the 2013 draft class, and both ended up being selected with the first two picks in the draft. So, there is little reason for one to have a higher overall rating than the other.

Joeckel's ratings should be lower than Fisher's in terms of speed, acceleration and agility, though, which could end up pushing the overall rating in the No. 1 pick's favor.

3. Miami Dolphins: Dion Jordan, OLB/DE, Oregon

Overall: 75

Speed: 85

Acceleration: 92

Strength: 71

Agility: 82

Awareness: 54

Tackling: 80

Power Moves: 68

Finesse Moves: 80

Block Shedding: 80

Pursuit: 88

Man Coverage: 72

Zone Coverage: 78

There is no good basis for comparison for Dion Jordan, not only among last year's rookie class but among the entire NFL. He possesses a unique combination of explosive athleticism, length and skills that vary from rushing the passer to playing in coverage.

He still has some significant flaws in terms of his strength and pass-rushing moves, which should hurt his overall rating, but he will certainly score well in regards to his athleticism. He should also have unusually high scores for a hybrid linebacker/defensive end in man and zone coverage.

4. Philadelphia Eagles: Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma

Overall: 77

Speed: 75

Acceleration: 91

Strength: 90

Agility: 78

Awareness: 55

Pass Block: 88

Run Block: 82

Impact Blocking: 85

Lane Johnson is not quite as polished as Fisher and Joeckel, but one thing he will be right away is the NFL's most athletic offensive tackle (though New Orleans Saints third-round pick Terron Armstead also has a case to that claim). His ratings should reflect that.

5. Detroit Lions: Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Brigham Young

Overall: 74

Speed: 84

Acceleration: 90

Strength: 77

Agility: 79

Awareness: 50

Tackling: 77

Power Moves: 80

Finesse Moves: 60

Block Shedding: 80

Pursuit: 88

Considering how difficult Ezekiel Ansah is to project to the NFL due to his very limited football experience and only one year of production at BYU, projecting his Madden ratings is even harder. That said, as his game remains very raw with plenty of room to grow, his Madden ratings should also be left with plenty of room to improve.

6. Cleveland Browns: Barkevious Mingo, OLB/DE, LSU

Overall: 76

Speed: 86

Acceleration: 94

Strength: 70

Agility: 81

Awareness: 57

Tackling: 78

Power Moves: 70

Finesse Moves: 87

Block Shedding: 85

Pursuit: 92

Man Coverage: 42

Zone Coverage: 48

Barkevious Mingo's game is more polished and NFL-ready than either Jordan or Ansah. He is also a fantastic athlete, so his overall rating should be slightly higher. As someone who will be converting from defensive end to linebacker in the NFL, though, he loses points in awareness and coverage due to his lack of experience at the position. He will also lose points in strength/power, as he needs to bulk up and become stronger.

7. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Cooper, G, North Carolina

Overall: 82

Speed: 70

Acceleration: 79

Strength: 94

Agility: 71

Awareness: 65

Pass Block: 87

Run Block: 88

Impact Blocking: 87

Jonathan Cooper is an outstanding guard prospect with a rare combination of foot skills, power and technical ability. he is arguably a better prospect than David DeCastro was last year, but he projects with the same overall rating of 82. He should be rated immediately as one of the league's most athletic guards while leaving room to improve in both pass and run blocking ratings.

8. St. Louis Rams: Tavon Austin, WR/RB, West Virginia

Overall: 77

Speed: 97

Acceleration: 98

Strength: 52

Agility: 99

Awareness: 59

Catching: 90

Carrying: 79

Jumping: 82

Return Ability: 95

Trucking: 30

Elusiveness: 95

Ball Carrier Vision: 85

Spectacular Catch: 50

Catch in Traffic: 63

Route Running: 88

Tavon Austin has a rare combination of straight-line speed and lateral agility, and his scores should reflect that with very high ratings in those areas. He will also score much higher in areas such as carrying and ball carrier vision than most wide receivers would as a result of his experience and success playing running back at West Virginia.

9. New York Jets: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama

Overall: 80

Speed: 95

Acceleration: 93

Strength: 50

Agility: 88

Awareness: 58

Catching: 50

Tackling: 65

Jumping: 89

Man Coverage: 91

Zone Coverage: 85

Press Coverage: 85

Dee Milliner is a top-flight cornerback prospect, but he comes in with a slightly lower overall projection than Morris Claiborne, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft who was rated as an 81. Milliner is a very good athlete with explosive speed and acceleration, and he is very skilled in man coverage. But he loses points in catching, as he does not have natural hands.

10. Tennessee Titans: Chance Warmack, G, Alabama

Overall: 81

Speed: 60

Acceleration: 64

Strength: 94

Agility: 65

Awareness: 65

Pass Block: 82

Run Block: 92

Impact Blocking: 89

Another fantastic guard prospect, Chance Warmack's overall rating should not be far behind that of Jonathan Cooper or David DeCastro. He will grade out considerably lower than Cooper athletically, but he has the edge in run blocking and impact blocking because he is a more powerful guard who will drive more defenders off the line of scrimmage.

11. San Diego Chargers: D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama

Overall: 75

Speed: 64

Acceleration: 75

Strength: 91

Agility: 63

Awareness: 58

Pass Block: 81

Run Block: 89

Impact Blocking: 83

D.J. Fluker went much higher than right tackles went in the 2012 NFL draft due to an early emphasis on offensive linemen this year. Typically, he would have been a late first- or early second-round pick.

Fluker should grade out similar to, but slightly better than, Cleveland Browns rookie Mitchell Schwartz in last year's game. While he does not have great athleticism for an offensive lineman, he should grade out very well in terms of strength and run blocking.

12. Oakland Raiders: D.J. Hayden, CB, Houston

Overall: 75

Speed: 95

Acceleration: 95

Strength: 55

Agility: 90

Awareness: 55

Catching: 67

Tackling: 70

Jumping: 75

Man Coverage: 84

Zone Coverage: 92

Press Coverage: 84

D.J. Hayden was one of the draft's toughest prospects to project after his miraculous recovery from a near-fatal heart injury last season, and his Madden ratings aren't much easier to project. That said, he is a well-rounded cornerback who should score well in both man and zone coverage. He should also score very high in terms of his speed, acceleration and agility.

13. New York Jets: Sheldon Richardson, DE/DT, Missouri

Overall: 77

Speed: 74

Acceleration: 89

Strength: 86

Agility: 74

Awareness: 55

Tackling: 77

Power Moves: 82

Finesse Moves: 70

Block Shedding: 85

Pursuit: 91

Though Sheldon Richardson will have to make the transition to defensive end in Jets' 3-4 alignment, he should rate similarly in his rookie year of Madden as Fletcher Cox did last year. Cox, the No. 12 overall selection of the 2012 draft, is an explosive and athletic interior penetrator, like Richardson, whose burst off the line and interior pass-rushing ability garnered him high scores in acceleration and pursuit.

14. Carolina Panthers: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

Overall: 80

Speed: 68

Acceleration: 85

Strength: 96

Agility: 69

Awareness: 59

Tackling: 80

Power Moves: 90

Finesse Moves: 63

Block Shedding: 88

Pursuit: 84

While draft position may be taken into account and lower his overall grade by a few points, Star Lotulelei deserves to be rated as an 80 overall in Madden NFL 25. He is a well-rounded defensive tackle with great strength, power moves and good burst and agility for a defensive tackle of his size. He should only improve as he gains experience to improve his awareness.

15. New Orleans Saints: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas

Overall: 77

Speed: 84

Acceleration: 89

Strength: 68

Agility: 86

Awareness: 52

Catching: 63

Tackling: 63

Man Coverage: 78

Zone Coverage: 75

Hit Power: 92

Press Coverage: 70

Kenny Vaccaro is a versatile safety whose ratings should reflect that part of his game. While he is not a spectacular athlete, he has very good cover skills for a safety. He has some issues with missed tackles, which hurts his tackling score, but he is a hard-hitter who should have a high hit power score.

16. Buffalo Bills: EJ Manuel, QB, Florida State

Overall: 74

Speed: 83

Acceleration: 89

Strength: 73

Agility: 84

Awareness: 55

Throw Power: 90

Throw Accuracy: 75

Throw on Run: 89

It will be interesting to see where EJ Manuel—who was not considered a first-round talent by most experts but ended up being the only quarterback drafted in the first round—falls in on the grading scale. Most likely, his overall grade will be similar to that of Ryan Tannehill and Brandon Weeden last season, who both carried overall grades of 74.

Manuel has more athleticism and throw on the run ability than either of them, but he will be docked for his throwing accuracy.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

Overall: 76

Speed: 78

Acceleration: 89

Strength: 71

Agility: 72

Awareness: 65

Tackling: 85

Power Moves: 88

Finesse Moves: 83

Block Shedding: 76

Pursuit: 90

Injury: 50

Jarvis Jones will not get great scores for his speed and agility after a disappointing pro day at Georgia, but he is a skilled pass-rusher and strong tackler who should score well in pursuit, power moves and tackling. His consistent production at Georgia should boost his awareness score, but his ratings could take a hit from a low injury score due to concerns about his spinal stenosis diagnosis, even though he was cleared by doctors.

18. San Francisco 49ers: Eric Reid, FS, LSU

Overall: 75

Speed: 88

Acceleration: 92

Strength: 66

Agility: 84

Awareness: 55

Catching: 69

Tackling: 67

Man Coverage: 75

Zone Coverage: 80

Hit Power: 85

Press Coverage: 60

Eric Reid is not quite the hitter that his predecessor in San Francisco, Dashon Goldson, was. But while he does not stand out in any one area, he should have fairly solid ratings across the board, as he is a well-rounded safety who can cover well, has good athleticism and can make plays on the ball.

19. New York Giants: Justin Pugh, OT/G, Syracuse

Overall: 72

Speed: 68

Acceleration: 83

Strength: 85

Agility: 70

Awareness: 58

Pass Block: 86

Run Block: 82

Impact Blocking: 80

A surprising first-round selection, Justin Pugh could have one of the lower overall ratings of the 32 first-round picks, even though he was selected within the top 20 picks. He is not as powerful of a run blocker or as efficient of a pass blocker as the top offensive tackles that were drafted, but he should have a rating comparable to that of 2012 second-round picks Cordy Glenn and Mike Adams.

20. Chicago Bears: Kyle Long, OT/G, Oregon

Overall: 71

Speed: 71

Acceleration: 86

Strength: 82

Agility: 72

Awareness: 48

Pass Block: 83

Run Block: 81

Impact Blocking: 81

Kyle Long was another surprising first-round selection among offensive linemen. He is a fantastic athlete for an offensive lineman, which his ratings should reflect, but his pass block, run block and awareness ratings should be lower than the other first-round offensive linemen due to a lack of experience (he had only four starts at Oregon).

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame

Overall: 79

Speed: 84

Acceleration: 86

Strength: 74

Agility: 87

Awareness: 65

Catching: 91

Run Block: 54

Pass Block: 48

Jumping: 88

Spectacular Catch: 80

Catch in Traffic: 85

Route Running: 76

Tyler Eifert has the athleticism, receiving ability and ball skills to be an outstanding downfield threat at the tight end position. He should initially rate somewhere near or below the 80 overall range—last year's top tight end, Coby Fleener, was graded at a 75 overall—although the one area where his game remains very much a work in progress is his blocking, an area in which his scores should be relatively low.

22. Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington

Overall: 75

Speed: 95

Acceleration: 94

Strength: 55

Agility: 95

Awareness: 55

Catching: 65

Tackling: 55

Man Coverage: 80

Zone Coverage: 93

Press Coverage: 74

Desmond Trufant is the best zone cover cornerback in this year's rookiet class, which his rating should reflect, but he is not as strong in man coverage or in tackling as the two cornerbacks that were drafted ahead of him. His rating will contend with Hayden's, however, because of his athleticism and zone coverage ability.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

Overall: 76

Speed: 75

Acceleration: 87

Strength: 88

Agility: 71

Awareness: 55

Tackling: 79

Power Moves: 82

Finesse Moves: 70

Block Shedding: 87

Pursuit: 82

Sharrif Floyd is a very athletic defensive tackle who has good interior pass-rushing moves, is strong at shedding blocks and is a solid tackler. He should score well in all of those categories, but he will likely score lower overall than Richardson and Lotulelei, who were drafted earlier, are more polished players and are better in pursuit.

24. Indianapolis Colts: Bjoern Werner, OLB/DE, Florida State

Overall: 75

Speed: 82

Acceleration: 92

Strength: 81

Agility: 73

Awareness: 56

Tackling: 80

Power Moves: 86

Finesse Moves: 86

Block Shedding: 82

Pursuit: 88

Man Coverage: 20

Zone Coverage: 30

Bjoern Werner was not the first pass-rusher taken in this year's draft, but he does have the most polished pass-rushing moves of the entire group. His overall score should be comparable to that of Melvin Ingram in last year's game, who—like Werner—had to make the transition from 4-3 defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker after being the No. 18 overall pick in the 2012 draft.

Werner does not have as much natural athleticism as Jordan, Ansah or Mingo, but he should still score well in the athleticism categories. The biggest hits to his score should come in awareness due to his lack of experience in a 3-4 defense and at linebacker. He may also be docked in coverage, where he has little experience.

25. Minnesota Vikings: Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State

Overall: 74

Speed: 93

Acceleration: 92

Strength: 55

Agility: 90

Awareness: 55

Catching: 60

Tackling: 60

Man Coverage: 88

Zone Coverage: 80

Press Coverage: 94

Xavier Rhodes certainly captured many scouts' attention leading up to the 2013 NFL draft with his combination of length and size, athleticism and ability in press coverage. He should score very well in press coverage, but he could be knocked in his Madden ratings due to inconsistent tackling and a need to improve in off and zone coverage.

26. Green Bay Packers: Datone Jones, DE, UCLA

Overall: 73

Speed: 82

Acceleration: 92

Strength: 86

Agility: 76

Awareness: 52

Tackling: 75

Power Moves: 84

Finesse Moves: 73

Block Shedding: 82

Pursuit: 85

Datone Jones is a very explosive athlete for an inside pass-rusher, which is why he will be a perfect fit in the Green Bay Packers' three-man front. His burst (acceleration) and power moves are among his strengths, which will help his overall grade. It should not be as high as the top pass-rushers, but it will receive a boost from his excellent combination of athleticism and strength.

27. Houston Texans: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson

Overall: 74

Speed: 86

Acceleration: 85

Strength: 58

Agility: 85

Awareness: 65

Catching: 92

Jumping: 89

Spectacular Catch: 75

Catch in Traffic: 92

Route Running: 89

DeAndre Hopkins does not have terrific athleticism for an NFL wide receiver, but he is very skilled at his position. He is very good at going up and catching the football at its highest point and through traffic. Hopkins is also a strong receiver who runs very smooth routes, all of which should improve his Madden ratings.

28. Denver Broncos: Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina

Overall: 72

Speed: 74

Acceleration: 85

Strength: 88

Agility: 63

Awareness: 55

Tackling: 74

Power Moves: 71

Finesse Moves: 60

Block Shedding: 72

Pursuit: 80

Sylvester Williams is an explosive athlete who should score well in acceleration, but he is also big and strong with decent power pass-rush moves. He is too reliant on his swim move, however, and doesn't have as much speed or pursuit ability as the draft's top defensive tackle should.

29. Minnesota Vikings: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee

Overall: 73

Speed: 94

Acceleration: 95

Strength: 70

Agility: 96

Awareness: 40

Catching: 75

Carrying: 65

Jumping: 91

Return Ability: 88

Trucking: 50

Elusiveness: 90

Ball Carrier Vision: 85

Spectacular Catch: 82

Catch in Traffic: 70

Route Running: 66

Cordarrelle Patterson is a truly dynamic playmaker with the size, speed and acceleration to be a deep threat on the outside. He also has fantastic agility, which gives him rare open-field playmaking ability for a 6'2" receiver including the ability to run plays out of the backfield. His overall rating should be hurt, however, by a lack of polished route-running, inconsistent hands and subpar on-field awareness.

30. St. Louis Rams: Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia

Overall: 72

Speed: 83

Acceleration: 92

Strength: 65

Agility: 87

Awareness: 40

Tackling: 80

Block Shedding: 86

Pursuit: 88

Play Recognition: 75

Man Coverage: 65

Zone Coverage: 73

Hit Power: 88

A converted safety, Alec Ogletree is a very athletic linebacker who can also attack the line of scrimmage, beat blockers and lay out opponents with hard hits. He is a very good coverage linebacker, but he needs to become a more consistent form tackler and develop better instincts.

31. Dallas Cowboys: Travis Frederick, C/G, Wisconsin

Overall: 69

Speed: 45

Acceleration: 58

Strength: 85

Agility: 50

Awareness: 60

Pass Block: 77

Run Block: 85

Impact Blocking: 84

Travis Frederick is likely to be the lowest-rated of the 32 2013 NFL draft first-round picks in Madden NFL 25. Although he was selected earlier than former teammate and last year's No. 55 overall selection Peter Konz, he is not as good of a prospect as Konz, who earned a 72 overall rating as a rookie last season.

Frederick lacks athleticism, even for an offensive lineman, so he should score quite low in the speed, agility and acceleration categories. He is also a stronger run blocker than he is a pass blocker.

32. Baltimore Ravens: Matt Elam, SS, Florida

Overall: 72

Speed: 88

Acceleration: 90

Strength: 70

Agility: 86

Awareness: 52

Catching: 73

Tackling: 80

Man Coverage: 55

Zone Coverage: 65

Hit Power: 96

Press Coverage: 52

Matt Elam's claim to fame is his ability to absolutely lay the wood on his opponents, so his hit power rating in Madden NFL 25 should be among the highest in the entire game. He is an athletic safety who should score well in speed and agility, but he has some issues in coverage, which will hurt his overall score.