Think of how many times a 50/50 ball gets tossed in Madden NFL 23. 99% of the time, this will be an incomplete pass or an interception. the odds are so poor that gamers try hard to avoid the circumstance at all. What if, for these handfuls of tossups, the receiver came down with the ball?
In that situation, players would be much more open to taking risks in Madden NFL 23. For some players, it's hardly even risky. Elite wide receivers can jump higher than those who cover them, resulting in an edge that pros will abuse until they either win or their opponent quits.
Updated on February 24th, 2023 by Hodey Johns: The regular season, playoffs, and Super Bowl have concluded. With that all in the books, gamers will be bracing for a long off-season. Ratings adjusters have been working overtime, week-to-week, shifting players based on their performance in the previous weeks. Now, with the last performance in the books, players can pick up and drop players knowing what their stats will be. The ratings adjusters do, sometimes, inexplicably make small changes to player statistics during the offseason. However, this list will likely remain intact and the player statistics won't change substantially enough to merit a significant alteration.
11 Tyler Lockett - 91 OVR
Lockett is three points higher than teammate DK Metcalf despite having fewer receptions and receiving yards with the same amount of touchdowns. The reason Lockett is still considered better is that he draws the tougher matchups and makes some circus-style catches.
The Seahawks were supposed to be one of the worst teams in the league this year. They managed to get to the playoffs regardless and Lockett was a huge reason for that, drawing the attention of defenders even when he's not the target.
10 A.J. Brown - 92 OVR
The trade for A.J. Brown was considered a risky one for the Eagles, as the Titans seemed to feel like he was a glorified second receiver more than a true number one. But the trade has paid off and A.J. Brown has led Philadelphia to its best season since their Super Bowl win.
For whatever reason, the ratings adjusters tacked off a point from A.J. Brown despite his outrageous production and leading his team to a Super Bowl. The Eagles are indeed a run-first team, but Brown made it to the top four in receiving yards and touchdowns even so.
9 Ja'Marr Chase - 92 OVR
How Ja'Marr Chase did not start the year as a top-ten receiver is a mystery. Apparently, too many folks missed a huge storyline about how the Bengals made it to the Super Bowl in 2021. He's just as productive as he was last year and it seems the folks in charge of assigning OVR ratings are now up to speed.
The Bengals took a hefty step back due to an offensive line that lacked any element of cohesion to start the year. Chase has put up numbers regardless. The Bengals were a game away from the Super Bowl and it had a lot to do with Chase's vertical threat.
8 Terry McLaurin - 93 OVR
Terry McLaurin was so immediately impactful that he was made a starter in training camp, despite being taken 76th overall. The talent and work ethic of McLaurin has always been obvious to his coaches and teammates. That's finally evidenced in his rank which is up two points on the year.
With a quarterback situation in a seemingly permanent state of flux, fans of McLaurin can only hope that his team does not waste his potential. Despite finishing tied for 25th in receptions, McLaurin ended up top ten in yards received. He's incredible with the ball, it's been a matter of finding a quarterback that can get him the ball.
7 DeAndre Hopkins - 95 OVR
As franchise mode makes some critical improvements, players can control how much fun they have on their own. Getting Hopkins can improve any gamer's experience with all the jump balls he hauls in every game. But this only works in the game version of football.
Hopkins was suspended for using PEDs for the first part of the season. The Cardinals struggled. Then they somehow got worse when Hopkins returned, going 2-7 in those games. Quarterback Hyler Murray clearly loves Hopkins, but he's going to need to turn this connection into wins to prevent this franchise from bottoming out.
6
5 Justin Jefferson - 96 OVR
Justin Jefferson was second only to Cooper Kupp in terms of yardage last season and somehow only given a 93 OVR. Call it the annual football rumor mill in full effect, but it seemed like everyone know this was going to increase.
Jefferson uses every tool a receiver has, between speed, route-running, hands, and toughness. The young player is already an annual lock to make the Pro Bowl. He led the league in reception and yards. Jefferson was on pace to break a lot of records before teams figured out that, to beat the Vikings, all they have to do is double-cover Jefferson on every single play. Even then, he's still a threat.
4 Stefon Diggs - 97 OVR
Between Kirk Cousins and Josh Allen, it's clear that Stefon Diggs makes any quarterback throwing to him better. He's vibrant, to be sure, with plays as flashy as the cover art for the game. But the raw numbers of the teams he plays on don't lie.
His teammates also see their numbers go up too as he draws additional coverage. The Bills had an unceremonious end to their season, though none of the blame can go to Diggs. He draws double and triple coverage and still pulls down deep balls.
3 Cooper Kupp - 97 OVR
When predicting where the top-rated players would rank up, Kupp was a consensus 99. He started the year at a 98 to the outrage of his fans. The Rams, in the middle of a significant backslide, have struggled and Kupp's rating has also fallen to a 97.
Although Kupp led all receivers in every category last year and nearly broke every single-season record that exists for wide receivers, ratings are often based on how the team does more than the individual player. Before his season-ending injury, Kupp was leading the league in receptions. A 97 OVR isn't disrespectful for most players, but he's having a stretch on par with any receiver in NFL history. When he comes back in 2023, he'll aim to prove it.
2 Tyreek Hill - 98 OVR
When comparing this year's Madden to last year's, some things will change and others will stay the same. Tyreek Hill had a bit of both as his team went from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins but his speed and acceleration are still a perfect 99.
Apparently, some experts figured that most of Tyreek Hill's success came from Patrick Mahomes. Even with injuries to the starting quarterback, Hill managed to be second in receptions and receiving yards. The Chiefs did fine without Hill but that doesn't mean they don't miss him.
1 Davante Adams - 98 OVR
At some point, experts began to look at all the MVP awards for Aaron Rodgers and thought to themselves, "How is this guy still completing so many tight passes?" The answer to their question is Davante Adams. When it comes to hands and route-running, he's almost without equal.
That's why Adams got slapped with the perfect 99 OVR to start this year, the only receiver to get the designation. It's odd that he's been downgraded by a point despite leading the league in touchdowns. He was one of the few bright spots for the Raiders who had a disastrous season despite starting out with Super Bowl aspirations, but Adams should not have been punished for his underperforming team.
Madden NFL 23 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.