"Madden 23" won't hit shelves until Aug. 19, but this weekend's release of the full player ratings has gamers buzzing already.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the Ravens' ratings:
- Lamar Jackson's overall rating is an 87. That's a dip from the previous two years when he started above 90. The 2019 cover athlete is tied with Russell Wilson for No. 8 among the highest-graded quarterbacks. Five quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow) cracked 90, but Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert also came ahead of Jackson. Jackson came in at a 96 in speed and acceleration but was in the mid-80s in all throw accuracy measures.
- The Ravens' highest-graded player is tight end Mark Andrews at a 93. He's the third-highest rated tight end in the league, trailing Travis Kelce (98) and George Kittle (97). Andrews topped both of them in awareness with a high mark of 98. This is random, but where did the 12 in kick power come from? Only a handful of tight ends in the entire game have a lower rating and Kelce got a 35. Madden must have missed the memo that Andrews was actually an awesome soccer player growing up.
- It doesn't get any better at kicking than Justin Tucker, who is the top at his position and came in with a 99 on both kick accuracy and kick power. That's what a record-setting 66-yard field goal will do for you.
- The Ravens' other two players in the "90 Club" are cornerback Marlon Humphrey and tackle Ronnie Stanley. It's a sign of respect for both players who suffered season-ending injuries last year. Stanley missed half of the 2020 season and played just one game last year, but it still recognized as one of the premier blockers in the league. Stanley got a 92 in pass blocking and run blocking.
- Marcus Williams is the biggest "Madden 23" Ravens snub, as he was left off the top-10 safeties list. Williams was widely viewed as the top free-agent safety on the market this year, yet Tyrann Mathieu, who was unsigned until May, took the top spot. Williams was the 16th-ranked safety overall with a rating of just 86.
- The other diss came for Patrick Queen, who is the 32nd-ranked inside linebacker in the game at a 75 overall. He started at a 72 as a rookie. Queen is going to disprove that one might fast.
- Good luck trying to block the Ravens' defensive linemen. Michael Pierce came in at No. 6 and Calais Campbell is No. 7 in block shedding grades at their position. Pierce cracked the top 10 in defensive linemen overall with an 88 rating and is the Ravens' fifth-highest rated player overall. His 94 in strength is the highest on the team. That's a sign of respect after Pierce played in just eight games since 2019. Campbell, however, slipped below 90 for the first time in a long time and took note.
- Jackson is the Ravens' fastest player with a 96 speed. Wide receiver Devin Duvernay, a high school track star and champion in Texas, came in second with a 93, tied with rookie cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis.
- The Ravens wide receivers are being doubted, and that's reflected in the Madden ratings. Despite showing flashes of his first-round talent, Rashod Bateman came in which just a 77 overall rating – not much higher than he had at the start of his rookie year. Duvernay is a 73, Tylan Wallace is a 69 and James Proche II is a 68 overall.
- Humphrey comes in at No. 9 among cornerbacks around the league. Peters isn't far behind at an 86 overall at No. 16. Kyle Fuller comes in at No. 39. Three cornerbacks in the top 40 is darn good.
- Kyle Hamilton started his career with a 76 overall rating. Fellow rookie Tyler Linderbaum came in at 74. Punter Jordan Stout has the third-highest rating among Ravens rookies at 73.
