Five Giants Players Who Deserve Higher Madden Ratings

Okay, we admit that it's just a video game and not real life. But even we were a bit surprised by some of the scores given to some of the Giants players, so Mike Addvensky went through the list to see who was underestimated by the popular video game maker.

With ‘Madden NFL 21’ set to be released in about a month, EA Sports has put out the rating for each NFL player. Some of the top guys in the league have had strong reactions to their ratings. Here we are going to focus on some of the Giants’ players that deserved a higher rating.

Saquon Barkley — Madden NFL 21 Rating: 91

Barkley’s 2019 season was indeed somewhat disappointing, especially compared to his explosive rookie year. He missed three games due to an injury and did not appear to be 100 percent after returning.

Barkley still rushed for over 1,000 yards and had six touchdowns. He also caught 52 passes for a total of 438 yards. So although his numbers were not as impressive as they were in 2018, Barkley still had a respectable 2019 season.

A 91 rating is still good, but you can make a solid argument that Barkley should have received at least a 95. Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, Ezekiel Elliott, and Nick Chubb were the four running backs that received a higher rating than him.

Based on what they did in 2019, McCaffrey and Henry deserve to be rated as high as they are. Considering his rushing and pass-catching skills, Barkley should have received a better rating than the other two.

QB Daniel Jones — Madden NFL 21 Rating: 72

This rating is even more questionable than Barkley’s. Jones did have issues with turnovers during his rookie season, as he had 12 interceptions and 11 lost fumbles in 13 games played.

However, he also threw for 3,027 yards and 24 touchdowns, while rushing for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Jones’ first season in the NFL certainly had its ups and downs, but overall he proved that Dave Gettleman did not make a huge mistake by taking him with the sixth overall pick in the draft.

Instead, he showed that he has the arm strength and mobile skills necessary to one day be a top quarterback in the NFL. Jones should have at least received an 80 rating in ‘Madden NFL 21’.

OT Andrew Thomas — Madden NFL 21 Rating: 71

Many experts considered Thomas to be the most NFL-ready tackle in this year’s draft class. Dave Gettleman and his scouting department agreed as the Giants selected him with the fourth overall pick back in April. Thomas was the first offensive lineman taken this year.

During his three-year playing career at Georgia, he allowed just five sacks. Thomas only gave up one sack in 13 games played during the 2019 season. He’s also someone who has proven that he can be effective at both tackle positions.

Since Thomas is a rookie, this rating should be based on what he did at Georgia. With that said, he should have received a rating of 75 or better.

LB Blake Martinez — Madden NFL 21 Rating: 72

Martinez’s rating does not make sense. He’s recorded over 140 total tackles in each of the last three seasons. Martinez is coming off a season in which he finished second in the NFL in tackles with 155 and also had an interception.

A guy who figures to be a key player on the Giants’ defense in 2020, he is one of the best tacklers in the league. The people who decide the ratings for Madden should have given Martinez a little more respect.

Given that he’s one of the more dependable middle linebackers in the NFL, you would think that he deserves a rating of 75 or better.

S Xavier McKinney — Madden NFL 21 Rating: 74

Although 74 is not necessarily a bad rating for a guy who has yet to play in an NFL game, McKinney should be rated somewhat higher.

Since he is a rookie, whoever made this decision about him was most likely basing it off what he did in college. Since McKinney was one of the best all-around defensive backs in college football over the past two seasons, you would think his rating would be closer to 80.

He is coming off a junior season in which he had 95 total tackles, three sacks, three interceptions four forced fumbles and five passes defended. McKinney deserves a better rating if you take into account his awareness, speed, pass defending skills, and tackling ability.