As Madden 23 ratings roll around, more debate and discussion arises over how properly players were rated. Often times, people will have strong opinions, and in a time where baseball is the only major sport on, Madden ratings bring the juice.
As I was looking through Madden ratings for quarterbacks, I saw the usual suspects: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes, all deservedly rated in the high 90’s, superstars.
What did strike me was two names that appeared in the top 10 for throwing power. There are some names that are mainstays, the future and past of the Cleveland Browns, and two rookies that you might not have expected to see get such early praise.
Let’s go through 8 of the 10:
1. Josh Allen (99 Throwing Power)
2. Patrick Mahomes (97 Throwing Power)
3. Justin Herbert (96 Throwing Power)
4. Matthew Stafford (95 Throwing Power) {Yes, the guy from the AT&T commercials)
5. Baker Mayfield (94 Throwing Power)- A little surprising given recent injury history.
6. Zach Wilson (94 Throwing Power)
7. Aaron Rodgers (94 Throwing Power)
9. Deshaun Watson (93 Throwing Power)
The two rookie quarterbacks to crack the top 10:
Malik Willis (94 Throwing Power)
Selected 86th overall in the third round, Willis holds a 94 overall throwing power rating. His 94 instantly puts him in the group of Baker Mayfield, Zach Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers. Known for having a big arm at Liberty, seeing Willis thrown in the top five for power before even playing a game is surprising. Maliks 92 speed places him tied in second with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson leads the category with 96 overall speed. It is a lot of praise to give to a rookie quarterback that many thought could’ve been a first round talent and as high as the top 10. Willis holds an overall rating of 69 going into his rookie season.
Who’s secretly not thrilled about the Malik Willis praise?
*Purely speculation* That would be current Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannenhill. Tannenhill is already coming into the season on the hot seat after an abysmal home divisional loss to the Bengals that saw him throw three interceptions. He also had the quote: “I don’t think it’s my job to mentor him, but if he learns from me along the way then that’s great.” When asked about Malik Willis in a press conference a few week after the draft. If Tannenhill struggles to start the season, fans will be murmuring for coach Mike Vrabel to give the new shiny toy a chance. Chase Larkins of Gridiron Heroics discusses key Titans rookies, and compares Malik Willis to a former great Titans quarterback.
Malik Willis has a ton of potential, I just would have liked to see him play a snap in preseason before EA anointed him as one of the most dynamic playmakers in the game.
Sam Howell (93 Throwing Power):
Drafted with the 144th pick in the fifth round by the Washington Commanders, Sam Howell comes in tied for the last spot on the throwing power list. With a throwing power of 93, this places Howell next to three time pro-bowler Deshaun Watson. In their pre-draft scouting, profootball network did describe Howell as an “Intelligent, accurate quarterback who possesses an excellent arm.” Eyes will be on him in preseason to see just how well that big arm does in game speed.
Howell, a rookie like Willis, is receiving high praise from the developers at EA before playing a snap. Howell will start his rookie season rated as a 67 overall.
Final thought:
Being surprised by the early praise isn’t to say that these guys aren’t deserving, but can we see flashes in preseason first? Start Willis and Howell on lower throwing powers and update their attributes as we see progression at NFL speed. It’s just a video game and not real life, but this is what football fans can get fired up about as we await preseason football.
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