Madden 15: Release Date and Ratings for Top NFL Players at Every Position

The release of Madden NFL 15 on Aug. 26 in North America (Aug. 29 internationally) has football fans and gamers ready to get their hands on the latest installment in EA Sports' classic series.

One of the biggest announcements for the game came gradually, as the video game franchise released the top player ratings for each position in increments. Now that all the names have been released, it’s time to examine the list and see where the best players landed.

Here is a full list of the top stars announced and a breakdown of the most overrated and underrated players.

Top Quarterbacks	Team	Rating
Top Fullbacks	Team	Rating
Top Running Backs	Team	Rating
Top Tight Ends	Team	Rating
Top Wide Receivers	Team	Rating
Top Offensive Linemen	Team	Rating
Top Defensive Ends	Team	Rating
Top Defensive Tackles	Team	Rating
Top Middle Linebackers	Team	Rating
Top Outside Linebackers	Team	Rating
Top Cornerbacks	Team	Rating
Top Free Safeties	Team	Rating
Top Strong Safeties	Team	Rating
Top Kickers and Punters	Team	Rating
Peyton Manning	Denver Broncos	98
Aaron Rodgers	Green Bay Packers	98
Drew Brees	New Orleans Saints	96
Russell Wilson	Seattle Seahawks	93
Tom Brady	New England Patriots	93
John Kuhn	Green Bay Packers	93
Mike Tolbert	Carolina Panthers	92
Marcel Reece	Oakland Raiders	92
Anthony Sherman	Kansas City Chiefs	90
Jerome Felton	Minnesota Vikings	88
Adrian Peterson	Minnesota Vikings	98
LeSean McCoy	Philadelphia Eagles	97
Jamaal Charles	Kansas City Chiefs	97
Matt Forte	Chicago Bears	95
Marshawn Lynch	Seattle Seahawks	95
Jimmy Graham	New Orleans Saints	97
Rob Gronkowski	New England Patriots	96
Vernon Davis	San Francisco 49ers	94
Jason Witten	Dallas Cowboys	93
Greg Olsen	Carolina Panthers	88
Calvin Johnson	Detroit Lions	99
Brandon Marshall	Chicago Bears	96
Andre Johnson	Houston Texans	95
A.J. Green	Cincinnati Bengals	95
Dez Bryant	Dallas Cowboys	94
Joe Thomas	Cleveland Browns	98
Evan Mathis	Philadelphia Eagles	97
Josh Sitton	Green Bay Packers	97
Trent Williams	Washington	95
Joe Staley	San Francisco 49ers	94
J.J. Watt	Houston Texans	99
Robert Quinn	St. Louis Rams	97
Cameron Wake	Miami Dolphins	96
Calais Campbell	Arizona Cardinals	96
Cameron Jordan	New Orleans Saints	93
Muhammad Wilkerson	New York Jets	93
Ndamukong Suh	Detroit Lions	97
Geno Atkins	Cincinnati Bengals	96
Gerald McCoy	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	95
Kyle Williams	Buffalo Bills	95
Jurrell Casey	Tennessee Titans	93
Patrick Willis	San Francisco 49ers	96
NaVorro Bowman	San Francisco 49ers	96
Luke Kuechly	Carolina Panthers	94
Derrick Johnson	Kansas City Chiefs	91
Jerod Mayo	New England Patriots	91
Von Miller	Denver Broncos	96
Aldon Smith	San Francisco 49ers	96
Justin Houston	Kansas City Chiefs	93
Lavonte David	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	93
Robert Mathis	Indianapolis Colts	93
Richard Sherman	Seattle Seahawks	99
Darrelle Revis	New England Patriots	97
Joe Haden	Cleveland Browns	95
Patrick Peterson	Arizona Cardinals	93
Vontae Davis	Indianapolis Colts	92
Jairus Byrd	New Orleans Saints	96
Earl Thomas	Seattle Seahawks	95
Devin McCourty	New England Patriots	94
Eric Weddle	San Diego Chargers	94
Charles Woodson	Oakland Raiders	86
Kam Chancellor	Seattle Seahawks	93
Troy Polamalu	Pittsburgh Steelers	93
T.J. Ward	Denver Broncos	91
Eric Berry	Kansas City Chiefs	90
Reshad Jones	Miami Dolphins	89
Brandon Fields	Miami Dolphins	96
Matt Prater	Denver Broncos	95
Andy Lee	San Francisco 49ers	95
Robbie Gould	Chicago Bears	93
Justin Tucker	Baltimore Ravens	93

*All stats via EASports.com.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Most Overrated Player: Andre Johnson, WR, Houston Texans

It’s hard to find an athlete in the game who can be considered overrated when the top player ratings are released, but Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson’s 95 is the perfect example of an inflated rating.

Johnson is tied for third-best wide receiver in the game with Cincinnati Bengals star A.J. Green and is rated one point less than Brandon Marshall of the Chicago Bears. He is also rated one point higher than Dez Bryant of the Dallas Cowboys.

For many hardcore football fans, the 95 rating doesn’t hold up.

EA Sports' Madden Twitter account broke down why Johnson was tied for third:

There is no questioning Johnson’s size, strength and speed (6’3” and 230 pounds), but at 33 years old and with a recent history of nagging injuries, the developers at Madden flat-out overrated Johnson this season.

On the field, Johnson was a beast for Houston in 2013, racking up 109 catches for 1,407 yards and five touchdowns, but he was targeted a career-high 181 times. While he is one of the smartest and toughest players at his position, he isn’t always the most consistent, which should have hurt his rating.

Other players who could have made a case for a spot in the top five over Johnson would be stars like Denver’s Demaryius Thomas, Green Bay’s Jordy Nelson or even Cleveland’s Josh Gordon.

Uncredited/Associated Press

Most Underrated Player: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

As crazy as it sounds, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the most underrated player in the game at 93 overall. Even at 37 years old there are few QBs in the NFL with as much skill as Brady.

Even in what many fans would consider a down year for the veteran, he still managed 4,343 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. Add in the injuries that plagued New England on offense last season, and Brady looks to have been punished for circumstances beyond his control.

Madden "Ratings Czar" Donny Moore still believes Brady still has what it takes to be a star but still has New England's centerpiece rated one spot lower than Seattle’s Russell Wilson:

"

Brady still has it. His 99 AWR is tied with Peyton for best in the NFL, and his 94 Short Accuracy (third), Medium Accuracy (fourth), and 93 Throw Power are all elite. There are plenty of reasons to NOT give up on Touchdown Tom quite yet.

"

It’s understandable to have Denver’s Peyton Manning (98 rating), Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers (98) and New Orleans’ Drew Brees (96) as the top three, but Brady belongs at No. 4 and rated at least a 95 overall.

Brady achieved last year’s numbers with tight end Rob Gronkowski hurt for the majority of the season, wide receiver Danny Amendola dealing with various injury issues and pass-catching running back Shane Vereen missing half the season with a wrist injury.

Imagine the numbers he would’ve posted if all three men where healthy for the majority of the season.

With a full cast of characters returning and ready to showcase their skills, Brady will return to his elite form and prove Moore wrong by once again inserting himself into the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks.

*Stats via NFL.com.