This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Tyreek Hill was ranked as the NFL’s best player by his peers, so it’s fitting that the Miami Dolphins wide receiver is a 99 overall in this year’s edition of Madden NFL, which releases on Friday.
The same goes for this year’s cover athlete, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. He and Hill are two members of the exclusive 99 club, which also includes McCaffrey’s teammate, Trent Williams, and Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
There’s little to argue against those five receiving Madden’s highest possible rating, but not every player was given the respect they deserve in this year’s game.
Here are three players ranked too low in Madden NFL 2025:
Rams WR Puka Nacua: 84 overall
Nacua may not be a top-tier receiver yet, but he shouldn’t be ranked below 29 others at the position.
The Los Angeles Rams’ electrifying receiver is coming off a stirring debut season in which he set rookie records for receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486). The fifth-round pick also shined when it mattered most, setting a playoff rookie record with 182 receiving yards in Los Angeles’ wild-card loss to the Detroit Lions.
Nacua finished his first NFL season among the league’s top 10 in catches, receiving yards, yards after catch and 20-yard plays.
He was consistent, too. Nacua’s 87.4 receiving yards per game were the sixth-most in the league and more than top-rated players like A.J. Brown (95 overall), Davante Adams (94 overall) and Ja’Marr Chase (93 overall).
Somehow, Nacua is tied for 30th among all receivers in this year’s Madden ratings. Perhaps an equally strong sophomore season will garner the Rams’ young pass catcher the respect he deserves.
Ravens S Kyle Hamilton: 89 overall
Despite an All-Pro season for the NFL’s best scoring defense, Hamilton is tied with the Chicago Bears’ Kevin Byard III—on his third roster in seven months—as the seventh-highest-ranked safety.
I’m frankly not sure what more the Baltimore Ravens’ future superstar could have done to earn a higher rating. Hamilton tallied 81 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, defended 13 passes, and snagged four interceptions, including a pick-six, as a 22-year-old in just his second NFL season.
Hamilton’s peers took notice, ranking him as the top safety and the 43rd overall player in this year’s NFL Top 100. Fellow safety Antoine Winfield Jr. slotted in as the No. 46 player in the Top 100, yet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ veteran is Madden’s second-highest-rated safety (94 overall).
Similar to Nacua, Hamilton’s limited NFL experience is likely the biggest reason for his questionably low rating. But given how quickly he’s flourished for Baltimore’s elite defense, Hamilton’s ascent to a top-level rating appears imminent.
Eagles LG Landon Dickerson: 85 overall
Dickerson was the second-best run blocker in 2023, per ESPN Analytics, yet the left guard’s Madden run block rating barely cracks the top 50.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ underrated star posted an 81 percent run-block win rate last season, second only to teammate Lane Johnson (82 percent). Dickerson’s win rate was four percent higher than that of any other interior lineman.
Madden’s 82 run block rating for Dickerson already seems a little low on the surface. It becomes borderline egregious when you compare that rating to Dickerson’s peers.
Trent Williams (99 overall) and Penei Sewell (96 overall) are tied for the highest run block rating (98), even though neither placed in the top 10 in run block win rate. Tyler Smith (88 overall), who leads all left guards with an 88 run block rating, also placed outside the top 10 last season.
Again, Dickerson was better on the field than all three of those guys, but he’s the 49th-rated run blocker among all linemen and is just the sixth-best at his own position.
Dickerson’s overall rating is well below Williams’ benchmark for all linemen and Joe Thuney’s 91 grade, the highest among left guards.
And it’s not like Dickerson was a liability in pass protection. His 96 percent pass-block win rate last season was tied for fifth among all linemen.
