The first look at all the ratings for Madden NFL 20 is especially intriguing this year due to the new system put into place that has spread out the ratings to provide increased differentiation between players and their performance on the field. A lot has changed since Madden NFL 19 and in theory for the better. While the top four players included only one change the shift was initially evidenced in the rookie numbers. Now through the sortable form on the game's official websiteƂĀ the ent...

Of the four players to be rated 99 Overall in Madden NFL 20 only one is new to the group. DeAndre Hopkins has received an upgrade from the 97 Overall he finished with last season to become the only offensive player rated 99 in the game at launch. With the move he overtook two other receivers who were rated higher than him heading into the offseason. Hopkins rise is the only surprise from the reveal of 99 Overall players. Antonio Brown had been rated 99 and Julio Jones was also above Hopki...

One of the big initiatives with Madden NFL 20 is to make players feel more true to their real skill levels through both X-Factor Abilities and a greater ratings spread. The latter is on display for the first time with the release of the rookie ratings. Winners include Quinnen Williams as the top rated rookie with Ed Oliver, Hollywood Brown, D.K. Metcalf, and Irv Smith rated well above their respective draft slots. Multiple first rounders are not even rated in the 70s but it's the #6 pick ...

Spreading out the player ratings is something many fans of sports games including myself have advocated for over the years. Doing so would help differentiate the superstars from the solid contributors, from the replacement-level players and especially those that rarely see action. Beyond that though it would also add considerable intrigue into the team-building process in Franchise Mode. This has actually been attempted a few times in the past however developers have quickly reverted to a...