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Ben Wilson

Madden 24 rookie ratings for Bryce Young and more

Bryce Young Madden (Organization) Bijan Robinson Christian Gonzalez CJ Stroud EA SPORTS Houston Texans Seattle Seahawks Aidan Hutchinson Deonte Banks

Madden 24 rookie ratings are scoring plenty of discussion with the game now available across the globe. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has most to celebrate, with his OVR of 81 enough to earn the honor of Madden 24 best newcomer. First overall pick Bryce Young has to settle for a 74 rating as his career gets underway in Carolina. Below we profile more of the series' incoming youngsters, before covering all first-rounders on the Madden 24 rookie ratings list.

1. Bryce Young (QB, Carolina Panthers) - 74

Desmond Ridder was the highest-rated rookie in the 2022 draft class, with a meagre 70 score – but Atlanta didn’t claim Cincinnati’s college QB until the 3rd round, with the 74th overall pick. (Kenny Pickett went higher, but his OVR was an even lowlier 68.) EA isn't quite so stingy this year. The Panthers traded multiple picks to the Bears in order to take Young at number one, and he’ll start from the get-go following a 3328 yard, 32 TD campaign. It's an initial OVR of 74 for the Crimson Tide colossus.

2. CJ Stroud (QB, Houston Texans) - 73

Two more quarterbacks were taken in the first round this year. Ohio State signal caller Stroud went to the Texans at #2, while the Indianapolis Colts shocked all of football by grabbing Florida speedster Anthony Richardson at #4. We tipped both to earn overall ratings of 73, but Richardson has to make do with a 70. With the three QB-needy teams set, it meant projected first rounder Will Levis falling to the Titans in Round 2. He gets a rookie rating of 69.

3. Will Anderson (DE, Houston Texans) - 78

Traditionally EA plays it conservatively with first-round QBs, but there are no such concerns on the D-line. Aidan Hutchinson strolled into Madden 23 with an OVR of 77, and more than lived up to that rating as the Detroit Lions’ standout defensive player. Expect Will Anderson to have a similar impact in Houston after winning the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Nagurski Award, Bednarik Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, and Lombardi Award in his final season at Alabama.

5. Devon Witherspoon (CB, Seattle Seahawks) - 78

Sauce Gardner was granted the top overall rating at cornerback last year, on 78 – and the 4th overall pick owned opposition wide receivers in his first season for the New York Jets. Witherspoon, then, has a high precedent to live up to, and matches Gardner's score. Three fellow first-round CBs also receive ratings in the mid-70s: Emmanuel Forbes (Washington Commanders, 76), Christian Gonzalez (New England Patriots, 77), and Deonte Banks (New York Giants, 76).

8. Bijan Robinson (HB, Atlanta Falcons) - 81

Robinson earns the biggest score of this entire draft crop. Seahawks rusher Kenneth Walker notched a 77 OVR last year, and Robinson looks to be even more NFL ready. He clocked 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final year at Texas, at a ridiculous average of 6.1 yards per carry. Expect him to dominate in both Madden and real-life. It’s a good class for wide receivers as well as running backs, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, Seattle Seahawks, 78), Quentin Johnston (WR, Los Angeles Chargers, 74) and Zay Flowers (WR, Baltimore Ravens, 77) all earning decent starting OVRs.

99. Jake Moody (K, San Francisco 49ers) - 75

Like Will Levis, you won’t find Moody on the list below because it’s specific to first-rounders – but we had to give him a mention. Michigan’s Exocet leg made him the first kicker since 2016 to be taken in the top 100 picks, following Tampa Bay’s Roberto Aguayo. (Let’s not discuss how that one turned out.) Moody went 38 for 39 from inside 40 yards over the last two years, so his kicking accuracy stat is 82 – and kicking power a monstrous 95.