Goodbye Madden 25
This article is my last post for Madden 25. It will be a 6 parter (with a bonus current season) best of rookies from our first season until the season that wasn’t. I’m going to give my all pros given that we have had a cycle.
Class of 2024
1st Team
QB – Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys) – 99 OA
This was a toss up, McCarthy will go down as the better of the two QBs, but you can’t deny the fact that Caleb went from an almost certain HOFer to an absolute bust to a Super Bowl Champion. What a cycle. If he never went to Dallas, he wouldn’t be here.
HB – Brealon Allen (New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles) – 99 OA
Brooks or Allen, 2 of the best this cycle. Allen gets the slightest of edges due to multiple years of double digit rushing TDs.
WR – Brian Thomas Jr (Jacksonville Jaguars) – 99 OA
From raw athlete to impossible to guard, Thomas was heads and shoulders above the rest of a VERY strong rookie WR class.
WR – Ladd McConkey (Los Angeles Charger, Jacksonville Jaguars) – 95 OA
Ladd had a very hot first half of his career, and finished his cycle as a number 2 to Thomas. Which dropped his numbers but upped his efficiency
WR – Xavier Leggette (Carolina Panthers) – 93 OA
Once season 3 hit, Leggette exploded. He helped the development of the rookie QB in Carolina.
TE – Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders
In an overall weak draft class of TEs, Bowers emerged as a favorite target for all the gun slingers in LV. At the end, Bower was one of the best TEs in the league, let alone from this class
OL – Olumuyiwa Fashanu (New York Jets) – 99 OA
OL – Joe Alt (Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants) – 98 OA
OL – Patrick Paul (Miami Dolphins) – 92 OA
OL – Tyler Guyton (Dallas Cowboys) – 92 OA
C – Cooper Beebe (Las Vegas Raiders) - 92
DE – Ruke Orhohoro (Atlanta Falcons) – 95 OA
Finishing with 54 sacks, Ruke leads all DEs at 95 OA with 99 Block Shed.
DE – Chop Robinson (Miami Dolphins) – 91 OA
He didn’t have exciting numbers, but he was instrumental in the super bowl run, where in the playoffs he sacked Josh Allen 3 times
DT – Jer’Zhan Newton (Washington Commanders) – 95 OA
He anchored the defensive line. HE became a 95 OA with 97 block shedding, 95 power move and 98 finesse move. He didn’t light the stats up, but his presence was felt.
DT – Mike Hall (Cleveland Browns) – 95 OA
Hall was just as good and slightly more productive. Hall helped clogged the middle and also finished with 6 forced fumbles over the cycle
OLB – Dallas Turner (Minnesota Vikings) – 99 OA
Turner finished the cycle as one of the best OA pass rushers. He boasted 97 power move with 99 finesse move and finished 52 sacks, 5 FFs, 1 INT and 1 DTD.
MLB – Junior Colson (Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals) – 98 OA
Colson lacked the numbers that show he was an elite talent, but he did finishe with 18 sacks, 6 FFs, 13 INTs and 2 DTDs. He finished with 90 zone coverages, making him a top tier as coverage linebacker.
OLB - Jaylon Carlies (Indianapolis Colts) – 89 OA
Probably the best overall LBer from the draft, Carlies didn’t boast high pass rush attributes but finished with 25 sacks, 9 FFs, 22 INTs and 2 DTDs. 95 zone coverage and 86 man made him a nightmare.
CB – Cooper DeJean (Philadelphia Eagles) – 98 OA
Cooper develops into 1 of the top tier corners in the league, featuring 98 MCV and 95 ZCV, he finishes with 21 INTs and 1 DTD.
CB – Chau Smith-Wade (Carolina Panthers) – 95
Developing Wade must have been a test in patience. He finishes with the same coverages as DeJean. 14 INTs and 1 DTD
Safety – Cole Bishop (Buffalo Bills) – 99 OA
Cole was by far the best safety to develop in this draft class. Finishing 99 OA, having the same coverages as DeJean and Smith-Wade, Bishop finishes with 26 INTs and 5 DTDs
Safety – Javon Bullard (Green Bay Packers) – 88 OA
In a relatively weak safety class, Bullard develops enough to earn him the honors of first team rookie. 3 FFs. 17 INTs with 2 DTD.
K – Harrison Mavis – 84 OA
P – Austin McNamara – 76 OA
2nd Team
QB – JJ McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings) – 99 OA
HB – Jonathan Brooks (Carolina Panthers) – 99 OA
WR – Marvin Harrison Jr (Arizona Cardinals) – 93 OA
WR – Malik Nabers (New York Giants) – 93 OA
WR – Xavier Worthy (Kansas City Chiefs) – 92 OA
TE – Ja’Tavion Sanders (Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos) – 91 OA
OL – Amarius Mims (Philadelphia Eagles) – 91 OA
OL – Kingsley Suamataia (Philadelphia Eagles) – 91 OA
OL – Troy Fatanu (Pittsburgh Steelers) – 91 OA
OL – Taliese Fuaga (New Orleans Saints) – 90 OA
C – Graham Barton (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – 91 OA
DE – Byron Murphy (Seattle Seahawks) – 91 OA
DE – Liaitu Latu (Indianapolis Colts) – 89 OA
DT – Kris Jenkins (Chicago Bears) – 93 OA
DT – Darius Robinson (Arizona Cardinals) – 87 OA
LB – Edgerrin Cooper (Green Bay Packers) – 98 OA
LB – Trevin Wallace (Carolina Panthers) – 97 OA
LB – Cendric Gray (Tennessee Titans) – 89 OA
CB – Nate Wiggins (Baltimore Ravens) – 95 OA
CB – Kool-Aid McKinistry (New Orleans Saints) – 94 OA
Safety – TyKee Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders) – 84 OA
Safety – Calen Bullock (Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons) – 78 OA