[GameSpot] - Madden 23 Ratings: Predictions, Reveals, And 99 Club

[343iBot]

The release of Madden 23 is just over a month away but the developers are sticking with their recent trend of revealing the ratings during mid-July. Earlier this month, they announced that the ratings reveal would be beginning on July 18. While some fans might disagree about how Madden does the reveal for the individual ratings, the developers are sticking with the week-long event that showcases various players and whether they've risen or fallen in the ratings since last year. Of course, rookies are also included and will receive their first career Madden ratings.

The ratings will inevitably cause some friction within the community, as some fans will disagree with their favorite players' and team's rankings. However, as longtime fans know, these ratings are subject to change throughout the NFL season, so ratings aren't set in stone when they're first announced. This applies to the 99 Club as well, as those special inductees will also be revealed beginning on July 18. While it's not too often we get players added or dropped from the exclusive club, it does happen depending on what's going on during the season. In this guide, we'll be going over some predictions for the individual ratings as well as who we think will be inducted into the 99 Club in Madden 23.

Reveals and predictions

As previously mentioned, the official reveals will begin on Monday, July 18. Throughout that entire week, the official Madden 23 Twitter account and related social media accounts will reveal various players' ratings in addition to those in the 99 Club. Fans can expect a reveal for every individual player in the NFL for the 2022-2023 season. However, as always, these ratings can and will change throughout the season, so players shouldn't get too attached to a certain player's rating before the season even begins.

Patrick Mahomes - 96 OVR

While the fall of Patrick Mahomes in Madden isn't nearly as drastic as other players, it's certainly noteworthy for the Texas Tech product. Late last season, Mahomes was removed from the 99 Club, as EA made the Kansas City quarterback a 97 OVR. In Madden 23, we predict that his fall from grace continues by dropping him another point to 96 OVR.

Jalen Ramsey - 97 OVR

Another former 99 Club member finds himself on the outside looking in to start the Madden 23 season. While Jalen Ramsey might be a Super Bowl champion now, he didn't have as dominant of a season as he did in 2020. Cincinnati wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase cooked Ramsey on a few occasions in the Super Bowl, which was almost costly for the Rams. We don't think Ramsey falls too far from his previous 99 OVR rating, though.

Christian McCaffrey - 94 OVR

The run for McCaffrey as Madden's best running back should come to an end in Madden 23. Last year, the Carolina Panther was controversially ranked one point higher than Tennessee's Derrick Henry (97 OVR). While McCaffrey is certainly one of the top RBs in the league, when healthy, it's hard to see him ranked as the best RB in Madden 23 after his injury-plagued 2021-2022 season.

Darius Leonard - 92 OVR

The last couple of seasons, Indianapolis linebacker Darius Leonard has received sub-90 OVR ratings. He was vocally disgruntled before the 2020-2021 season with his 85 OVR rating. Since then, his highest OVR rating has been 89, which came last year and put him as the sixth-best linebacker in Madden 22. While Leonard hasn't displayed all of the traits of a number one linebacker yet, we believe that the Madden 23 ratings will finally push him over the 90 OVR hump. However, thanks to the emergence of other linebackers and veterans still playing at a high level, Leonard still might not be a top-five LB.

𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 somebody is pumped about their rating #Madden23 Ratings Week kicks off July 18th!

— Madden NFL 23 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 7, 2022

Second-year quarterbacks

Assigning a rating to second-year quarterbacks is one of the most difficult jobs the Madden rating crew has. There are a plethora of factors to consider, including whether or not the former rookies will make the second-year leap or go into a sophomore slump. For at least the beginning of Madden 23, we predict that New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones will be the highest-rated second-year quarterback, followed by Trevor Lawrence. Jones ended Madden 22 with a 76 OVR rating, despite making the playoffs in his rookie campaign. That should be increased to a low 80s OVR rating in Madden 23, with Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields trailing behind.

Rookies

If assigning a rating to second-year players is difficult, then it's even harder to rate rookies. The 2022 crop of rookies certainly has a solid amount of buzz around them but how will they be ranked? It's obvious to say that number one overall pick Travon Walker will be rated the highest but we think other picks, such as Sauce Gardner and Kayvon Thibodeaux, could encroach on Walker's rating. It will also be interesting to see how Madden rates the wide receivers, as there were an unprecedented six taken within the first 18 picks. Based on their college careers, we think Jameson Williams has a solid shot to be the highest-rated rookie receiver even though three receivers we're picked ahead of him.

That does it for our general predictions of certain players and groups, but now we're going into who we think makes the biggest jumps and falls the farthest in Madden 23.

Micah Parsons - 95 OVR

The best defensive rookie in the NFL during the 2021-2022 season should see a giant increase in his Madden rating. By the end of Madden 22, Parsons was rated 87 OVR, which is quite low for an All-Pro like Parsons. We think the Dallas Cowboy linebacker makes a tremendous leap to 95 OVR in the Madden 23 ratings.

Joe Burrow - 93 OVR

This hardly qualifies as a prediction, as it's pretty much set in stone that Joe Shiesty will be rated much higher than he was in Madden 22. The AFC champion quarterback finished the Madden 22 season with an 86 OVR rating. It's clear Burrow will crack 90 OVR but we think he'll go a little farther than that, starting the season at 93 OVR.

Dalvin Cook - 90 OVR

Dalvin Cook finished the Madden 22 season as a 95 OVR player. While he certainly didn't perform badly last season, he finished with 400 yards less than he did in 2020-2021, despite only playing one less game. We don't think the Minnesota running back drops below 90 OVR, but rather sits right on the fence. A strong start to the 2022 season would allow Cook to enter the top running back ratings again.

JC Jackson - 95 OVR

JC Jackson cashed in big this offseason, getting paid like the best cornerback in the NFL by the Los Angeles Chargers after a successful four-year stint with New England. Jackson finished with a 89 OVR rating last season, which didn't really reflect how much of an impact he made on the field with the Patriots. Jackson is an interception machine, finishing with at least five interceptions since the 2019 season. His performance last season and receiving such a large contract should catapult Jackson into top cornerback territory with the Madden 23 ratings.

99 Club Predictions

Finally, we have a few predictions on who we think could be inducted into the 99 Club this season. It should be noted, there are several leaks floating around as to who Madden has chosen for the 99 OVR honors. While we'll be listing a few of those leaked players, we'll also be going off who we think deserves the rating overall.

The exclusive 99 Club will induct a few more players soon.

Aaron Rodgers - QB

The MVP of the NFL last season makes yet another appearance in the 99 Club. Rodgers supplants Tom Brady as the quarterback in the exclusive club, with Mahomes also dropping from the club after starting in it last season. Unlike Mahomes, Rodgers should be able to keep his place in the club as long as he performs like always does for Green Bay.

Aaron Donald - DT

Aaron Donald is simply a copy and paste in the 99 Club at this point. He's been in the club ever since its inception in 2019, and also had a 99 OVR rating in Madden 18. The future Hall of Fame defensive tackle cemented his legacy with a Super Bowl win last season and, despite some rumors, he has returned to the Rams for the 2022-2023 season.

Cooper Kupp - WR

The receiver from Eastern Washington University has earned his place in the 99 Club perhaps more so than any other player. Kupp had the definition of a breakout season in 2022 for the LA Rams, accumulating 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns en route to Super Bowl MVP honors. While it's unclear if Kupp can replicate his performance from last season, he should have no trouble remaining in the 99 Club.

TJ Watt - DE

TJ Watt earned his first Defensive Player of the Year honors last season and we're rewarding him a spot in the 99 Club for that accomplishment. Watt dominated the trenches and terrorized opposing quarterbacks last season. The Pittsburgh Steeler nearly broke the all-time sack record, finishing with 22.5, and is a near-lock for the 99 Club in Madden 23.

Trent Williams - OT

Trent Williams' spot in the 99 Club has already been confirmed, as the 49ers offensive lineman received word he would become a member earlier this summer. This is a historic accomplishment, as Williams is the first offensive lineman to receive the honors.

Davante Adams - WR

Despite changing teams this offseason, moving from Green Bay to Vegas, Davante Adams should once again be included in the 99 Club. Adams is the epitome of consistency at the wide receiver position. Of course, having Aaron Rodgers as your quarterback certainly helps production. However, Derek Carr will look for Adams above anyone else on the offensive depth chart, so his production shouldn't drop too harshly.

That's it for our overall and 99 Club predictions in Madden 23. We're going to be updating this article with the full ratings and 99 Club reveals as they happen, so keep coming back to see where your favorite player has landed.

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