Ravens GM Says Team Uses Madden Ratings in Model to Evaluate Players

It's in the game.

Decosta has worked in the Ravens' front office since 1996. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Apparently, Jets owner Woody Johnson's sons aren't the only ones using Madden ratings to evaluate NFL talent.

While speaking with draft analyst Todd McShay on The Ringer's The McShay Show, current Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric Decosta shared that his front office also uses numbers from the famous EA Sports video game to make decisions:

"For instance: Madden ratings," he shared in an interview from radio row ahead of Super Bowl LIX. "Who would have ever thought an NFL team would use Madden ratings in one of their models? Well, we do. I'm giving you just a small piece of what we do."

Decosta continued: "So we have these models that we use and it spits out grades and values for players, and we use those."

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta on his evaluation and modeling process

“A lot of other stuff that we use too. For instance Madden ratings. Who would ever think that an NFL team would use Madden ratings in one of their models. Well we do” pic.twitter.com/haNKEZz1jy

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) February 5, 2025

For context on the Jets/Woody Johnson jab from above, a story from The Athletic back in October reported that former New York GM Joe Douglas told the Denver Broncos that Johnson blocked a trade for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy because his Madden rating wasn't high enough.

The tactic works for the Ravens who—since Decosta took over as GM in 2019— have a 68-32 record and have won the AFC North three times.

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