Madden 16: Review of Elite Player Ratings, Achievements and More

Three players have received a 99 overall rating in Madden 16. The Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers, Houston Texans' J.J. Watt and New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski sit atop the overall ratings chart, and all of them deserve the respect they're receiving.

Position	Player	Team	Rating
QB	Aaron Rodgers	Green Bay Packers	99
HB	Marshawn Lynch	Seattle Seahawks	96
WR	Antonio Brown	Pittsburgh Steelers	97
TE	Rob Gronkowski	New England Patriots	99
T	Jason Peters	Philadelphia Eagles	96
G	Marshal Yanda	Baltimore Ravens	98
C	Nick Mangold	New York Jets	95
DE	J.J. Watt	Houston Texans	99
DT	Ndamukong Suh	Miami Dolphins	96
OLB	Von Miller	Denver Broncos	97
OLB	Justin Houston	Kansas City Chiefs	97
MLB	Luke Kuechly	Carolina Panthers	96
CB	Richard Sherman	Seattle Seahawks	97
CB	Darrelle Revis	New York Jets	97
FS	Eric Weddle	San Diego Chargers	96
SS	Kam Chancellor	Seattle Seahawks	94
K	Justin Tucker	Baltimore Ravens	95
K	Stephen Gostkowski	New England Patriots	95
P	Pat McAfee	Indianapolis Colts	95

That's My Quarterback

"

#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is the top rated QB in #Madden16 — http://t.co/fmwFB3PZf9 pic.twitter.com/KRKSr4OYw2

— Milwaukee (@SunTimesMIL) July 22, 2015"

Rodgers can simply do it all for you in Madden.

Throw Power	Play Action	Throw on the Run	Throw Accuracy Deep	Throw Accuracy Medium	Throw Accuracy Short
95	98	88	80	92	94

His arm strength and ability to both move outside the pocket and throw the ball with accuracy make him the ultimate weapon in the passing game. Playing with him is reason enough to pick the Green Bay Packers when you play online—unless, of course, you hate them.

Considering Rodgers gets to throw the ball to Jordy Nelson (93 overall rating) and Randall Cobb (91), the Packers' passing game could be the most devastating in Madden 16.

Gronk Is a Machine

Photo credit: EA Sports

The Patriots might have something to say about that, however. While Rodgers is No. 1 when it comes to quarterbacks, Tom Brady isn't far behind him at 97 overall. His No. 1 target is definitely Gronk, and a closer look at the tight end's ratings illustrates why he may be the toughest cover in Madden 16:

Spectacular Catch	Catch in Traffic	Release	Catching	Speed	Acceleration	Jump	Stiff Arm
94	98	95	94	82	87	84	84

Gronk is too strong for most corners and safeties, and he's too fast for most linebackers. His hands are excellent as well. That's why he's the ideal pass-catching tight end. Watch out for a low durability rating, though. We all know Gronk has been known to miss his share of games due to injury.

J.J. Watt Is Like a Created Player

Photo credit: EA Sports

On the defensive side of the ball, Watt is the closest thing to a perfect defensive lineman that you'll find.

Power Move	Pursuit	Strength	Tackle	Block Shedding
99	98	97	97	97

Because of his strength and versatility, he could play any position on the defensive line in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. I'm not so sure he couldn't play the outside linebacker position in a 3-4. Chris Littmann of Sporting News thinks Watt might be destined to become one of those legendary sports video game characters:

If you're looking to play with the best, taking control of these three players is the way to go. Some gamers look for more of a challenge, but that can be found by working through the various achievements/trophies in the game.

Marshawn Lynch Legacy Award	25
Ndamukong Suh Legacy Award	20
Early Bird	10
Draft with Style	35
That Was Easy	5
Stay Focused	25
The Champion	20
Online Next?	10
Now Do It Again	10
Grindin' Solos	20
Put Some Touch on It	10
Peanut Punch	10
Beyond a Hobby	20
Teddy Bridgewater Legacy Award	10
Good on Paper	50
Draftaholic	25
Lab Rat	10
Why Not Me in the Super Bowl?	50
This Is My Ultimate Team	10
Darrelle Revis Legacy Award	30
Sammy Watkins Legacy Award	10
Great Pick	10
Turn Down for Watt	20
Lay It All on the Line	20
Understanding	140
Negotiator	15
Threw Down the Gauntlet Again	50
Matt Ryan Legacy Award	10
Peyton Manning Legacy Award	75
Going for Gold	100
Walter Payton Legacy Award	50
Run Degree	20
Assisted	25
Ha Ha Clinton Dix Legacy Award	10
Snickers You're Not You When You're Losing	30
Le'Veon Bell Legacy Award	10
Achievement/Trophy	Gamerscore (Xbox Only)
"Using a created player, coach or owner - surpass a legacy score of 6,500"
"Using a created player, coach or owner - surpass a legacy score of 3,600"
"Get hit with a neutral zone infraction penalty (No SuperSim or Practice Mode)"
"Build a Team style (5 players of a particular team style)"
"Explore Draft Champions mode"
"Earn a first-round bye in Ultimate Team Seasons"
"Complete a Draft Champions event undefeated"
"Complete a Single-Player Draft Champions event"
"Complete your first Draft Champions event"
"Win a MUT Solo Challenge"
"Throw a Touchdown using the Touch Pass (No SuperSim or Practice Mode)"
"Successfully use the strip ball mechanic (No SuperSim or Practice Mode)"
"Complete a MUT set"
"Using a created player, coach or owner - surpass a legacy score of 300"
"Draft a team with an OVR greater than 82 in Draft Champions"
"Complete 5 Draft Events"
"Change 1 or more penalty sliders in the settings menu"
"Make it to a MUT Seasons Super Bowl"
"Create a MUT Team"
"Using a created player, coach or owner - surpass a legacy score of 9,500"
"Using a created player, coach or owner - surpass a legacy score of 25"
"Draft a player with an OVR at least 10 points higher than the base team's OVR in Draft Champions"
"Make a user-pick with J.J. Watt. (No SuperSim or Practice Mode)"
"Make the playoffs in Ultimate Team Seasons"
"Earn at least one bronze medal in all drills inside of Skills Trainer"
"Win a MUT auction"
"Defeat the Level 25 Boss of the Skills Trainer Gauntlet"
"Using a created player, coach or owner - surpass a legacy score of 1,500"
"Using a created player, coach or owner - surpass a legacy score of 20,000"
"Earn gold from a drill inside the Skills Trainer"
"Using a created player, coach or owner - surpass a legacy score of 15,450"
"Earn at least a bronze medal in all 6 Run Concepts inside of Skills Trainer"
"Record 4 assisted tackles in one game (No SuperSim or Practice Mode)"
"Using a created player, coach or owner - surpass a legacy score of 125"
"Come back and win when trailing by 17+ points at halftime (No SuperSim or Co-Op)"
"Using a created player, coach or owner - surpass a legacy score of 800"

Ratings Updates

Players like Watt figure to be immune to too much drop-off, but you never know what will happen over the course of the 2015 season. As usual, the ratings will be updated throughout the season. Last year, the first update came before Week 2 of the NFL season on September 11.

If the trend remains the same—as we assume it will—the first ratings update should come around September 17, just before Week 2 of the 2015 season gets underway.

Will Rodgers, Watt and Gronk remain 99 overall-rated players? Will another superstar join them in near perfection? We can't wait to find out. It's Madden season.

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All ratings info per EASports.com.

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