Madden 15 Player Ratings: Jadeveon Clowney, Greg Robinson and more
Football season hasn't started yet, but these newly released Madden rookie ratings makes it seem just a bit closer. Unsurprisingly, Jadeveon Clowney and Greg Robinson -- the top two picks in May's NFL draft -- lead the pack with a shared rating of 83. But not listed amongst the 13 rookies are both of Cleveland's first round picks (yes, they had two) Johnny Manziel and cornerback Justin Gilbert. Below you'll find the 13 highest rated rookies in Madden 15, as well as some information about how top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney's rating was determined:
13. Zack Martin
Rating: 78
12. Mike Evans
Rating: 78
11. Darqueze Dennard
Rating: 78
10. Blake Bortles
Rating: 78
9. Taylor Lewan
Rating: 79
8. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Rating: 79
7. Aaron Donald
St. Louis Rams
Rating: 79
6. Calvin Pryor
Rating: 79
5. Sammy Watkins
Rating: 80
4. Jake Matthews
Rating: 81
3. Khalil Mack
Oakland Raiders
Rating: 81
2. Greg Robinson
St. Louis Rams
Rating: 83
1. Jadeveon Clowney
Rating: 83
I spoke with Madden ratings czar Donny Moore about his process for determining player ratings. You can read the full interview here, but below you can find out how he went about evaluating first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney:
Extra Mustard: Your highest rated player in this class was Jadeveon Clowney (who was tied with Rams offensive tackle Greg Robinson with an 83 ratings), what went into your rating process for him?
Moore:The thing about Clowney is that he can be absolutely special when he wants to be. He was a man amongst boys when he “turned it on,” which is why we gave him a 94 power move rating, the highest of any rookie in the game. He’s going to be able to get after the passer. He’s got 95 hit power – and the big hit against Michigan that was played over and over, that’s a big reason he was tied with (Louisville safety) Calvin Pryor with the highest hit power rating. He’s special in that regard.
But all that being said, he’s got a rating of 69 for stamina. What that means in Madden is that he’ll be great for a down or two, and then he’ll need a breather. He’s not a guy who can play all three downs and give you a ton or snaps per game. But when you have him out there he’s just going to wreak havoc.
EM: So for Clowney, it sounds like for one or two downs he can be one of the best defensive players in the game, is that accurate?
Moore: Yeah I think so, as long as you’re using him the right way on the right down. So for example, he’s got a 63 rating for zone coverage, 50 rating for man coverage. There are going to be some plays where he’s not rushing the passer and he’s going to have to learn how to cover somebody.
On franchise mode, that’s the first thing I’m going to do when I play with him. I’m going to take his progression points and put them towards zone coverage and stamina so I can get him out there for all three downs.
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