Madden 25 player ratings: McCaffrey joins 99 Club as top RBs release on Day 2

Welcome back football! As teams return to the field this week for the start of training camp, gamers will soon return to the virtual gridiron as EA Sports’ Madden 25 releases worldwide Aug. 16.

San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey earned his first ever Madden cover this year, and he became the second player announced this week for the 99 Club on Tuesday — joining Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

We’re unveiling the top position ratings each day this week, along with more content on ESPN, ESPN.com and our social platforms.

Here are the top 10 by position:

WIDE RECEIVERS

1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins (99 overall)

2. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings (98 overall)

3. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys (96 overall)

T4. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles (95 overall)

T4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions (95 overall)

6. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders (94 overall)

7. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals (93 overall)

8. Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans (92 overall)

T9. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (91 overall)

T9. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers (91 overall)

The preeminent deep threat in the NFL, Hill leads all players with 99 speed and is the highest-rated route runner in the game with 98 deep, medium and short route running. He also becomes the first Dolphins player to have a 99 overall in Madden. Tight coverage might not be enough to stop Jefferson, given his catch in traffic (98) and spectacular catch (99) ratings. He also trails only Hill in short (97), medium (97) and deep (97) route running. The NFL’s second-leading receiver from a season ago, Lamb ranks in the top-10 among receivers in deep (95), medium (94) and short (92) route running in his highest-ever ranking in Madden.

St. Brown makes his top-10 debut, and his catching (99) is the highest rating of any player in the game, and he’s an effective short (96) and medium (96) route runner. Diggs was traded this offseason after four productive seasons in Buffalo, but his arrival in Houston makes the Texans one of the most interesting teams on both the real-life and virtual gridiron. He’ll stretch the field with his medium (91) and deep (92) route running. Who knows where Aiyuk will play football this season, but he’ll be a problem for whoever he lines up against in Madden 25 after a career-best 1,342 yards last season. His strength in Madden stems from his reliability; he has the third-highest catch rating (98).

Dropped out from last year’s rankings: Cooper Kupp (T-4), DeAndre Hopkins (No. 7), Terry McLaurin (No. 8), Amari Cooper (T-9)

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SAFETIES

1. Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons (97 overall)

2. Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers (94 overall)

3. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers (93 overall)

T4. Derwin James Jr., Los Angeles Chargers (91 overall)

T4. Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans Saints (91 overall)

6. Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals (90 overall)

T7. Kevin Byard III, Chicago Bears (89 overall)

T7. Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens (89 overall)

T9. Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers (88 overall)

T9. Jevon Holland, Miami Dolphins (88 overall)

The top safety in the game, Bates gets a large bump from his 91 overall at last year’s launch. He is as good as it gets in essentially every major category, leading all safeties in pursuit (93) and zone coverage (96), and trailing only Mathieu in man coverage (86). Winfield earned himself a new deal this offseason and a career-high Madden rating, as he gets a sizable bump from his 87 overall at last year’s launch. He’s relentless with a 92 pursuit rating, second highest among safeties, and is reliable in both man (82) and zone (90) coverage.

Fitzpatrick maintains his 93 overall rating from last year’s launch and is a monster in zone coverage (95), trailing only Bates in that category among safeties. Mathieu ranks in the top 10 among safeties in catching (82), man coverage (88), zone coverage (86) and pursuit (87) — making him a well-rounded option at the position. Holland earns his first top-10 ranking and is among the best at his position in zone coverage (90) and man coverage (84).

Dropped out from last year’s rankings: Justin Simmons (No. 3), Kevin Byard (No. 4), Jordan Poyer (No. 7), Harrison Smith (No. 9), Micah Hyde (No. 10)

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RUNNING BACKS

1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (99 overall)

2. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns (96 overall)

3. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens (94 overall)

4. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles (92 overall)

5. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans (91 overall)

6. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (90 overall)

7. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers (89 overall)

T8. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks (88 overall)

T8. Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings (88 overall)

10. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs (87 overall)

McCaffrey, the cover star, should drive defenses crazy with his 94 juke move rating and 93 change of direction. As the second member revealed for the 99 Club, he gets a boost from his 96 overall rating at last year’s launch to top his position group. Chubb drops one spot in the position rankings, but you still had better fly to the ball when you play against him; his break tackle rating (99) is the highest in the game for the second year in a row, while his carrying (97) and stiff-arm (96) give him an advantage in short-yardage situations. Henry’s 99 stiff-arm will put defenders on a highlight (or lowlight?) reel, and his high break tackle (94) feels accurate for one of the toughest players in the NFL to tackle. As if the Eagles’ offense needed another superstar, Barkley’s high spin move (89) and juke (92) ratings will be good for getting out of trouble quickly.

Mixon returns to the top 10 after missing out last year and has the highest carrying rating (98) of his position group. Walker (94 speed) is one of the premier home run hitters at the position and also ranks seventh in change of direction (90). You had better break down when pursuing Jones (93), Etienne (91) and Mixon (91), as their high juke rating will leave defenders stumbling to the ground. Jacobs stays in the top 10 for the second year in a row, although his rating drops six points from a 95 overall. His stiff-arm (90) and break tackle (91) will make him difficult to bring down.

Pacheco’s wrecking ball running style should translate to Madden with 93 speed, 95 acceleration and 95 carrying — both top-10 figures among all running backs.

Dropped out from last year’s rankings: Dalvin Cook (No. 6), Austin Ekeler (T-7), Jonathan Taylor (T-7), Tony Pollard (T-9)

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DEFENSIVE LINE

1. Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs (97 overall)

2. Dexter Lawrence II, New York Giants (95 overall)

3. Quinnen Williams, New York Jets (94 overall)

4. Justin Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens (91 overall)

5. Derrick Brown, Carolina Panthers (90 overall)

6. Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers (90 overall)

7. Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (90 overall)

8. Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders (89 overall)

9. Christian Wilkins, Las Vegas Raiders (88 overall)

10. Cameron Jordan, New Orleans Saints (87 overall)

The three highest-rated defensive linemen remain exactly the same from a year ago. Now, it should be noted that the defensive line doesn’t include edge rushers that play along the line. Jones gets a plus-1 upgrade from his rating at last year’s launch and ranks in the top 10 among all defensive linemen in block-shedding (88), strength (96) and tackle (91). At 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, he’s a one-man wrecking crew against the run and pass. Lawrence (6-4, 340 pounds) is another massive presence in the middle of the trenches and is tied with Jones for the fourth-highest strength rating (96). He also ranks seventh in tackle rating (92) and 10th in block-shedding (86).

Williams also gets a plus-1 boost from his 93 overall last year. The Jets star owns the highest block-shedding rating (93) among all linemen and is a reliable tackler (93). After a 13-sack season in 2023, Madubuike gets a plus-13 to his overall ranking and rockets into the top 10 as the highest-rated newcomer. He is tied with Brown for the highest tackle rating (96) of any defensive lineman, and is sixth in strength (95).

Brown (98) and Vea (98) are tied for the highest strength rating of their position group. Allen’s overall rating decreased by three from last year but his tackle rating (95) remains the same. Wilkins’ overall rating improves by 2 from Madden 24, after a career-best 9 sacks in 2023.

Dropped out from last year’s rankings: Jeffery Simmons (No. 6), DJ Reader (No. 8), DeForest Buckner (No. 10)