The NFL is renowned for pumping out star-studded rookies every season, and this one was no different. With over 360 rookies in the league this season, there’s no doubt we saw some spectacular talent shine through. But that’s not what today’s about, sort of. Today, we’re taking a bunch of those big names from the rookie section and comparing them with their ratings in Madden 26.
Even after Madden tried its hardest to balance players throughout the season, some anomalies still slipped through. I’m going to talk about some of those anomalies alongside a few rookies who were in the spotlight and delivered. Make sure to read to the end to find out if your favourite rookie made the cut.
Underrated Players Who Rose To The Top
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I’m going to start strong with players who weren’t expected to shine, but made their place in the league. Their ratings were either sub-par or simply didn’t justify their performance this season (in a good way). So let’s see which rookies defied odds to reach the top.
Abdul Carter – 81 OVR
The first name on the list is for the Giants’ rookie, Abdul Carter. Carter plays as the EDGE for the Giants and has a Madden rating of 81, which is not high enough in my opinion. Yes, 81 isn’t a bad overall, especially for a rookie who has so much potential to grow. But the impact he’s made during the season has been phenomenal.
Many fans view him as breakout potential, the type to lead their teams to the Super Bowl. His pressure numbers were amongst the highest in the league, and he even made the PFWA All-Rookie Team. This just goes to show that even well-rated players have the potential to go higher, rookie or not.
Jaxson Dart – 68 OVR
The Giants didn’t have just one rookie outperforming expectations, but two. Jaxson Dart is a rookie QB who played for the Giants this season. Now, he had a significantly lower OVR compared to teammate Abdul Carter. However, he still wowed a lot of fans with his breathtaking performance on the field.
At 68 OVR, people often expect very little. Players at this rating usually get overshadowed by higher-tier players, but Dart was determined to make his mark. He had strong leadership on the field and made smart and strategic decisions, which led the Giants to several victories. He was also quick on his feet and had excellent awareness during games.
Cooper DeJean – 75 OVR
The final underrated rookie on the list is Cooper DeJean, DB for the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, DeJean’s start in the season wasn’t all that impressive, and reinforced expectations that he might just be a mid-70s DB. But once he picked up pace, he was outshining several other popular rookies in stats.
He has amazing coverage grades and is part of the starting lineup. DeJean also made a significant impact in most of his games throughout the season, proving himself to be worth more than a mediocre 75 overall rating.
Rookies That Were Hyped For The Right Reasons
Before we move to players that were overhyped for no reason, I have to mention the rookies that really lived up to expectations. Players usually fall somewhere around their predicted ratings, but when you’re rated high, the pressure is on. Fortunately, these players made it work.
Marvin Harrison Jr. – 84 OVR
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the WR for the Cardinals and was rated at 84 overall. Now, for most players, 84 is above-average, but for a rookie, that’s definitely being in the spotlight. As I mentioned before, rookies have a long way to go to develop their skills, so getting an 84 straight out of the gate says something.
And Harrison Jr. did not disappoint. He was determined to make his mark from the get-go and did not let up in any games. He was poised to justify his rating and lived up to expectations. If he keeps this up, we’ll definitely be seeing him in the 90s before you know it.
Brock Bowers – 83 OVR
Another rookie who played exactly as expected was Brock Bowers, the 23-year-old TE for the Raiders. Similar to Harrison Jr., Bowers was rated at 83 in Madden 26. This made him the highest-rated rookie TE in the season, so it’s safe to assume that eyes were on him. However, Bowers did not crack under pressure and delivered his absolute best.
He was a focal point in his team since day 1 and made his presence felt on the field. He had great offensive stats and understood his role really well. Bowers was a force to be reckoned with on-field and that’s why he lived up to expectations this season.
Overhyped Rookies That Dropped The Ball
The final section is probably what a lot of you were waiting for: which rookies failed to live up to expectations? Keep in mind that since this was their starting season, ratings can always be inaccurate. These players did try their best, but unfortunately, they couldn’t meet the standards that were set for them.
Luther Burden III – 78 OVR
First up, we have the WR for the Bears, Luther Burden III. Burden was rated a 78 OVR, making him the highest-rated rookie WR in the season. The spotlight was on him, and he just couldn’t make the cut. Burden’s main problem was his inconsistent use on the team. He would be brought in to play for a bit, but a lot of his time was spent on the bench.
A rookie, who has never played in the NFL, needs some experience to get a handle on things. Unfortunately for Luther Burden III, that was not the case. He was dropped from the starting lineup for other WRs, which severely affected his stats and future gameplay.
Cam Ward – 72 OVR
A QB is always the main focus in every match, whether they like it or not. The same went for Cam Ward when he played as a QB for the Titans. At 72 OVR, you’d think there weren’t many expectations. But Ward had the same issue as Burden: he was the top-rated rookie QB in the league. On top of that, he was the No.1 pick.
This played a major role in the young QB not being able to make his mark. Not only was he played inconsistently throughout the season, but he also received a lot of criticism over his gameplay and on-field presence. Many fans thought he couldn’t justify the No.1 pick, even though that wasn’t in his hands. All in all, Ward hasn’t shown us why he was so hyped up, but I’m hoping things will change for the best for him.
