NFL Draft 2011: Cam Newton and 10 Rookies Who Could Make the Cover of Madden '13
As you may have heard, a fan vote is on at ESPN to determine who will grace the cover of Madden 12.
The candidates are down to four: Cleveland's Peyton Hillis, Minnesota's Adrian Peterson, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, and Philadelphia's Michael Vick.
With the results of this year's contest so close at hand, it only makes sense to dig into the "way too early file" and take a look at the hot commodities in this year's draft.
In doing so, we can project not only the first year of these players' careers, but also the subsequent likelihood that they make the cover of Madden '13 next August.
What's that? That actually doesn't make that much sense?
Too late!
The list starts with...
10. Andy Dalton
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Fat chance, right?
Well, rule Andy Dalton out at your own risk. He's used to it.
Playing at TCU his whole college career, he must be used to winning all the time and still being treated as if a 34-3 record over his last three years was some kind of accident.
So is it likely that Dalton goes from fourth or fifth-best quarterback on the board to cover athlete of Madden '13?
Of course not. But he has a well-established history of winning when he's not expected to.
Just ask Wisconsin.
8. Patrick Peterson
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What? There had to be a dark horse defensive candidate in there somewhere. Might as well be the guy considered to be the top overall prospect in the draft.
Of course, only Ray Lewis and Troy Polamalu have ever made the cover of Madden as defensive players.
Polamalu shared his with Larry Fitzgerald because they were both in the previous year's Super Bowl.
Lewis made the cover because he was the most iconic defensive player during the year that EA made major changes to the game's defensive play (Madden 05's tagline: "Fear the D").
Both of them were dominant defensive players for long enough to have opposing teams drawing up offensive gameplans around them.
So why could Peterson make the cut at such an unglamorous position as cornerback? He probably won't, but if he makes some noise, it will be because he made some noise both on the defensive side of the ball and as a dangerous return man.
9. Ryan Mallett
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Ryan Mallett's eligibility for the Madden cover vote next year is likely contingent on him not getting suspended for something collosally stupid.
And that's no guarantee, considering this is Ryan Mallett we're talking about.
The good news is that any team desperate enough to take a chance on the guy is probably not sporting any talent in other areas to overshadow him, so at the very least he'll be the star of his own team.
Unless he remembers that he's Ryan Mallett and everyone remembers how much we don't need a new Jay Cutler.
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.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
7. Randall Cobb
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Randall Cobb is getting some love from scouts lately, so it's entirely possible he moves up and becomes a relatively high pick in this year's draft.
He is dangerous as a receiver or a return man, and could possibly be picked up by a team in the bottom of the first round (read: a team that does lots of winning).
Should be break out and be a dangerous weapon for a team like the Steelers, he could make a run at Madden '13.
That being said, Peyton Hillis doesn't exactly play in the biggest media market, or for the winningest team, so maybe Cobb would have a better shot at it as an "out of nowhere" player, getting drafted in the second round by the Seahawks or something.
6. Ryan Williams
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Ryan Williams is a more Madden-type player than anyone on this list so far.
For starters, he's a running back. And the first key to featuring on the cover of Madden is to touch the football a lot, which running backs do.
Even better, he figures to be the type of all-around running back that doesn't split carries, so he'll be spotlighted fairly often with his future pro team.
Will he play well enough to warrant Madden consideration? It's hard to say, but fans do love a good breakout rookie running back, especially when he's not the first running back off the board.
Williams could certainly meet those conditions, and that would be a very good start.
5. A.J. Green
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For as much as A.J. Green is considered a top five player, isn't it interesting how little we're hearing about him?
Normally the top wide receiver in the draft gets a little attention, but it seems like all people want to talk about is a certain product from Alabama who has yet to appear on this list.
Is it just that nobody cares because everybody knows he's going to land with Cincinnati?
Well, that's what just might make him an attractive Madden prospect. It certainly seems as though the Bengals are going to be blowing their operation up (they're currently locked out of the facility housing the detonator).
Should Green step in and be a team icon (whoever it may be throwing to him), he has a shot to pull some press and the love of Bengals fans. He'll need both to make a legitimate Madden run.
4. Blaine Gabbert
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Blaine Gabbert has everything he needs to make a run at next year's Madden cover.
He figures to be a very important piece of whatever team he lands with. He'll be a high first-round pick. He put up big numbers in college.
Oh, right. He's also a quarterback. That's also important.
Ultimately, we all know that when it comes to Madden covers, it's quarterbacks, then running backs, then everyone else (usually to promote whatever the new game mechanic is).
Wherever Gabbert surfaces, he'll probably be the starter from day one. If he does well from there, he'll at least make the vote.
3. Julio Jones
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Julio Jones is an unlikely candidate for Madden next year because of his position.
But with as much buzz as he has had surrounding him as a draft prospect, he seems more likely to bring that press with him into the league than fellow SEC WR A.J. Green.
He won a national championship with a historic program in college, and should carry lots of fans with him to his new NFL teams.
It might not be as many as Tim "Cult of Personality" Tebow, but it'll happen to an extent, especially considering how the NFL will never have a team in Alabama.
That's good for Jones, who will likely need as much support as he can from as many states as possible to make a run at the next Madden cover.
2. Mark Ingram
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Mark Ingram has all the same college football intangibles as his former teammate, Julio Jones.
But Ingram also has the inherent advantage of being a running back, and the consensus top running back on the board.
Even better, Ingram might fall to a team that actually has some pieces in place. That will hurt him in terms of exposure, but help him in terms of statistics.
After all, any skill player who has played for the Lions in the last decade will tell you how hard it is to succeed when you're a team's only reliable weapon (and then Barry Sanders will tell them to suck it up and deal).
The point is, Ingram might be put in a very good position to succeed this year, and his position won't be an immediate bar from Madden cover success like many others.
1. Cam Newton
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There is precedent here.
Cam Newton is exactly the kind of player that makes it on the Madden cover: A dual-threat quarterback.
Daunte Culpepper, Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb and Vince Young have all made the cover of Madden, and all were considered to be dual-threat quarterbacks in their prime.
Vince Young is the only one who did what Cam Newton could do: Make the cover of Madden after only his rookie year of play.
Granted, the Madden cover vote has been hugely successful this year, and it's entirely probable that they do this again next year. So it doesn't really matter who the marketing guys at EA Sports like, does it?
Well, that's true. But Michael Vick is poised in the top four in this year's vote, so try telling me dual-threat quarterbacks don't have a better shot than most.
Even better for Newton, he's looking more and more likely to Carolina at No. 1 overall. That not only gives him the advantage of being a top overall pick, but his team's featured talent.
That said, he actually needs to play well in 2011 and move past the controversy he had in his college years to merit consideration.
That might be a struggle, since Newton also figures highly on the "First Round Picks Most Likely to Bust" list, and the "People Everybody Wants to See Succumb to the Madden Curse" list.
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.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
