Top 25 Offensive & Defensive Players of Madden 13 – Part 1
With the release of Madden 25 nearing, football fans across the world are gearing up for yet another year of battle on the virtual gridiron.
This year’s instalment of Madden is a special one with EA Sports celebrating its football simulation’s 25th birthday. In commemoration of the anniversary, the folks at EA have even created a Madden All 25 Team, with players that fans of the game know to be dominant.
Here at Gamesided, I’ve decided to jump into the celebration and reveal my “Top 25 Offensive and Defensive Players of Madden 13” list.
Like the Madden All 25 Team, I’ll be considering a player’s overall impact in Madden, and not necessarily how their real life counterpart performs (see: Brian Finneran). I also took into account teams and players gamers used more (so we won’t be visiting Revis Island this time), as well as a certain player’s surrounding cast.
Ex: Maurice Jones-Drew’s effectiveness was lowered playing with a QB like Blaine Gabbert, while Colin Kaepernick is made even more dangerous because of his multiple weapons.
Overall, I put an emphasis on players that are often user controlled (because of their ratings), and players who are reliable and consistent on their own. Think of the players you often look for or worry about on offense or defense while playing online or against friends. With that in mind, I’ve excluded offensive linemen from the list. Don’t get me wrong though, the trenches is where the real battle happens.
Without further ado, here are players 25-23 on both offense and defense:
Offense
25. TE – Vernon Davis (6’3, 250)
Key Ratings: 90 SPD/87 AGI/91 ACC/86 BPR/94 JMP
Tight ends were dominant in Madden 13, especially with how dangerous they were on streaks up the seam, or running corner routes. Davis made it problematic because of his size and speed, blazing past linebackers, and having enough strength to bully and speed to burn corners as well.
24. WR – Devin Hester (5’11 190)
Key Ratings: 98 SPD/92 AGI/95 ACC/95 ELU/96 JKM
Hester may no longer be Mr. 100 speed, but he still has all the tools to show why he’s considered one of the most exciting Madden players since 2004 Vick. Get him in the open field and watch out. When you factor in Jay Cutler actually has the throwing power to keep up with Hester on every route, it’s a no brainer as to why Hester is on the list.
23. WR – Julio Jones (6’3 220)
Key Ratings: 95 SPD/90 CTH/96 SPC/98 BPR/96 JMP
Meet who I like to think of as the Mini-Megatron of Madden 13. Jones has practically every rating that you could want in a wideout in his favour. Some receivers have the speed, while others have good hands, this Atlanta Falcon is the whole package. Lined up next to Roddy White and Tony Gonzales makes covering Jones an unenviable task.
Defense
25. MLB – Sean Lee (6’2 245)
Key Ratings: 83 SPD/75 CTH/97 TAK/89 BSH/98 PUR
Make no mistake about it; Sean Lee has made a name for himself in both the NFL and in Madden. He may actually be the most well rounded linebacker in Madden 13. Not only can he hit and shed with the best of them, but he also has the highest catch rating out of any linebacker. Gamers with strong user skills and Lee fit like a glove.
24. MLB – Ray Lewis (6’1, 250)
Key Ratings: 98 AWR/88 TAK/95 POW/90 PUR/99 PRC
Lewis may be a shell of his former Madden self, but what he lacks in athleticism, he makes up for with being in the right spots. With an elite awareness and play recognition rating, Lewis will chase down ball carriers like a heat seeking missile. His ratings also put him in good position to pick off any balls thrown his way as well.
23. ROLB – Thomas Howard (6’3, 240)
Key Ratings: 87 SPD/90 AGI/87 JMP/88 TAK/80 ZNE
I’ll be honest; it was a toss up between either Thomas Howard or Manny Lawson for who would make the tail end of this list. But out of either Bengal outside linebacker, Howard takes the spot because of his superior elite tacking ability. Besides that, Howard’s best ability is his speed and covering skills. Remember all those tight ends that gave you nightmares? Thomas Howard has the height and overall athleticism to be their krpytonite.
Make sure to check back here tomorrow at Gamesided as we continue my reveal of the “Top 25 Offensive and Defensive Players of Madden 13” list.
Note: Kristian Cuaresma began playing Madden in 2004 when introduced to the game by a circle of friends who had their own league. He then started playing competitively in 2006, and has since competed in several tournaments (both in Canada and the US) as well as various online competitions. Highlights including finishing top 16 in Canadian Madden Challenge, as well as finishing top 32 in the 2009 MLG Online Madden Challenge.