Madden NFL 21 released its player rankings on Friday evening, and Ohio State well-represented in the game once again. Fifty-seven former Buckeyes are included in this year’s installment, with New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas among the highest-rated players in the game.
🚨 All of the #Madden21 Ratings are now LIVE‼️
— Madden NFL 21 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 18, 2020
Thomas, who caught an NFL record 149 regular-season passes for a league-high 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns last season, is one of five players in the game at 99 overall, joining Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
He is the only former Ohio State player to ever to earn a 99 overall rating, dating back to the game’s first rating system in Madden 99. It’s worth nothing former running back Eddie George did grace the cover of Madden 2001, though.
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (92 overall), Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa (91 overall) and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (90 overall) round out the list of former Buckeyes with a 90 or better overall rating.
Washington Redskins defensive end Chase Young, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, is the highest-rated rookie in the game at 80 overall. Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah (76 overall) and Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins are the highest-rated rookies at their respective positions, meanwhile.
Right tackle Branden Bowen (54 overall) is included in the game after signing an undrafted free agent deal with the Carolina Panthers, but Las Vegas Raiders long snapper Liam McCullough, New England Patriots tight end Rashod Berry and New York Giants wide receivers Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor are not.
Los Angeles Rams long snapper Jake McQuaide, who is listed as a tight end since the game does not have long snapper designation, is the lowest-rated former Buckeye at 35 overall.
Check out the breakdown of every former Ohio State player in Madden NFL 21 below:
| PLAYER | POSITION | TEAM | RATING |
|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL THOMAS | WR | NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | 99 |
| EZEKIEL ELLIOTT | RB | DALLAS COWBOYS | 92 |
| JOEY BOSA | LE | LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | 91 |
| CAMERON HEYWARD | RE | PITTSBURGH STEELERS | 90 |
| NICK BOSA | RE | SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | 89 |
| MARSHON LATTIMORE | CB | NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | 86 |
| DENZEL WARD | CB | CLEVELAND BROWNS | 86 |
| MALCOLM JENKINS | SS | NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | 85 |
| ANDREW NORWELL | LG | JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | 83 |
| MALIK HOOKER | FS | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | 82 |
| TERRY MCLAURIN | WR | WASHINGTON REDSKINS | 82 |
| CARLOS HYDE | RB | SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | 80 |
| BRADLEY ROBY | CB | HOUSTON TEXANS | 80 |
| CURTIS SAMUEL | WR | CAROLINA PANTHERS | 80 |
| JOHN SIMON | LE | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | 80 |
| CHASE YOUNG | RE | WASHINGTON REDSKINS | 80 |
| VONN BELL | SS | CINCINNATI BENGALS | 79 |
| COREY LINSLEY | C | GREEN BAY PACKERS | 78 |
| GAREON CONLEY | CB | HOUSTON TEXANS | 76 |
| JOHNATHAN HANKINS | DT | LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | 76 |
| RAEKWON MCMILLAN | MLB | MIAMI DOLPHINS | 76 |
| JEFF OKUDAH | CB | DETROIT LIONS | 76 |
| ELI APPLE | CB | CAROLINA PANTHERS | 75 |
| J.K. DOBBINS | RB | BALTIMORE RAVENS | 75 |
| TED GINN | WR | CHICAGO BEARS | 75 |
| SAM HUBBARD | RE | CINCINNATI BENGALS | 75 |
| JEROME BAKER | MLB | MIAMI DOLPHINS | 74 |
| TAYLOR DECKER | LT | DETROIT LIONS | 74 |
| KENDALL SHEFFIELD | CB | ATLANTA FALCONS | 73 |
| PARRIS CAMPBELL | WR | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | 72 |
| PAT ELFLEIN | LG | MINNESOTA VIKINGS | 72 |
| TYQUAN LEWIS | DT | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | 71 |
| DAMON ARNETTE | CB | LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | 70 |
| NOAH BROWN | WR | DALLAS COWBOYS | 70 |
| DAVON HAMILTON | DT | JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | 70 |
| DWAYNE HASKINS | QB | WASHINGTON REDSKINS | 70 |
| JEFF HEUERMAN | TE | DENVER BRONCOS | 70 |
| DEVIN SMITH | WR | DALLAS COWBOYS | 70 |
| MALIK HARRISON | MLB | BALTIMORE RAVENS | 69 |
| CAMERON JOHNSTON | P | PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | 69 |
| DRE’MONT JONES | LE | DENVER BRONCOS | 69 |
| NICK VANNETT | TE | DENVER BRONCOS | 68 |
| NATE EBNER | SS | NEW YORK GIANTS | 67 |
| BILLY PRICE | LG | CINCINNATI BENGALS | 67 |
| ROD SMITH | RB | LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | 67 |
| JOHNNIE DIXON | WR | ARIZONA CARDINALS | 66 |
| JALYN HOLMES | LE | MINNESOTA VIKINGS | 65 |
| K.J. HILL | WR | LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | 64 |
| JORDAN FULLER | SS | LOS ANGELES RAMS | 63 |
| JONAH JACKSON | RG | DETROIT LIONS | 63 |
| JAMARCO JONES | LT | SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | 62 |
| MICHAEL JORDAN | LG | CINCINNATI BENGALS | 61 |
| JASHON CORNELL | DT | DETROIT LIONS | 60 |
| ISAIAH PRINCE | RT | CINCINNATI BENGALS | 60 |
| BRANDEN BOWEN | RT | CAROLINA PANTHERS | 54 |
| J.T. BARRETT | QB | PITTSBURGH STEELERS | 50 |
| JAKE MCQUAIDE | TE | LOS ANGELES RAMS | 35 |
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