Getty Darren Waller & Foster Moreau of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Every year, there are players who are very happy with their Madden ratings and others who are not. It’s highly unlikely that Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller cares much, but EA Sports absolutely disrespected him with his rating. They rated him lower than Evan Engram and Greg Olsen, which is perplexing, to say the least.
And thoughts here…?
Engram’s best season was his rookie year where he had 722 receiving yards and 64 receptions. Waller was nonexistent his first several years in the league, but he exploded last season for 90 receptions and 1,145 receiving yards. He had more receptions and yards than George Kittle, yet he’s rated as the 10th best tight end in Madden.
Also, there’s no way Olsen should be ahead of Waller. Yes, he’s been one of the best tight ends of the modern era but he’s also averaging 360 receiving yards a year over the last three seasons. That’s not to mention Rob Gronkowski, who didn’t play last year but is somehow the third-best tight end in the NFL. There’s a strong argument to be made that Waller belongs in the top five, but he’s just going to have to put up another big season. If he does that, then he will become a household name.
Raiders Offensive Line Gets Good Ratings
Out of the Raiders’ top-10 highest-rated players, four of them are offensive linemen. Here’s a list below:
- Rodney Hudson – 93
- Richie Incognito – 90
- Josh Jacobs – 88
- Trent Brown – 87
- Darren Waller – 85
- Damarious Randall – 82
- Lamarcus Joyner – 82
- Tyrell Williams – 82
- Derek Carr – 79
- Gabe Jackson – 78
It’s a little surprising to see Trent Brown only rated at 87. He made the Pro Bowl last year and was one of the best right tackles in the NFL. He’s barely becoming a household name, so it’ll probably take another year for him to get the respect he deserves.
Rodney Hudson certainly deserves to be the team’s highest-rated player because he’s been their best player for a couple of years now. He’s arguably the best center in the NFL and is the anchor of the offensive line. 88 isn’t a bad rating for Josh Jacobs considering his injury problems last year. If he can stay healthy, he could cement himself as one of the five best running backs in the NFL.
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Madden Doesn’t Like the Raiders’ Defense
It’s notable that only two defensive players are rated in the top 10 Raiders players. However, it seems strange to have Damarious Randall and LaMarcus Joyner being the top-rated defenders for the team. As of now, Madden hasn’t released the rating for Cory Littleton, but if he’s not over an 80 rating, that would be a serious oversight. He’s one of the better linebackers in the NFL and deserves recognition. An argument could be made that he’s already the team’s best defensive player.
Maxx Crosby also didn’t get any love after an impressive rookie year. It’s going to take a couple of more good seasons for him to get a higher Madden rating. The Raider defense clearly has a lot to prove in 2020.
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