To mimic the amount of effort that I expect to see from this point on I have created a weak ass mock draft. With that being said I still expect to get all of the picks correct, but that is a given at this point. I, Richard Ryder, will be retiring from the mock draft game. My time at the NNFL Network has been great but it is time to focus on other endeavors. 

1- Buccaneers - JaDarius Thurmond - Tackle - Arkansas

2 - Bears - Chris Lowe - Tackle - Penn State

3- Giants - Chauncey Buchanon - Wide Receiver - Texas A&M

4- 49ers - Quantavious Stewart - Guard -  Missouri 

5- Browns - Anthony Tucker - Guard/Tackle - Wisconsin 

6- Bengals - Calvin Ferrell - EDGE - Louisville

7 - Steelers - Mike Murray - Cornerback - USC

8- Giants - Dion Sullivan - Linebacker - South Carolina

9- Rams - Caleb Beard - EDGE - Florida State

10- Chiefs - Kevin Blackburn - Cornerback - Penn State

11- Cardinals - Rashaun Spence - Defensive Line - Alabama

12- Falcons - Kai Dupree - Linebacker - Texas A&M

13- Jets - Garrison Middleton - EDGE - North Carolina

14- Dolphins - Armon Tripplett - Safety - USC

15- Saints - Rashaad White - Halfback - Alabama

16- Chargers - Justin Simpson - Tight End - Ole Miss

17- Titans - Dan Fisher - EDGE - Florida State

18- Cowboys - AJ Rogan - Tight End - Ohio State

19- Raiders - Chris Santos - Quarterback - Louisville

20- Commanders - Khari Billingsly - Wide Receiver - Boston College 

21- 49ers - Sergio Webster - Defensive Tackle - Virginia

22- Packers - Quintin Westerman - Defensive Line - Wisconsin

23- Colts - Dennis Johnston - Quarterback - Alabama

24- Bills - Ben Briscoe - Cornerback - Miami

25- Texans - Javier Hutchins - Cornerback - Central Michigan

26- Patriots - Mike Craver - Cornerback - Mississippi State

27- Seahawks - Josh Bartin - EDGE - Ole Miss

28- Lions - Trey Franklin - Wide Receiver - South Carolina

29- Jaguars -  Mike Wilds - Offensive Line - Sully’s Alma mater

30- Vikings - Craig Townsend - Wide Receiver - Michigan State

31- Panthers - Andrew Forbes - Wide Receiver - Kent State

32- Ravens - Johnny Nixon - Cornerback - Florida

Shut up Tim

Del Viper and Rod McCray Mock Draft vs Richard Ryder Mock Draft

Madden brought something new to us this year, and no I'm not talking about the migraines. Madden 22 had the audacity to personally attack me by adding mockeries of mock drafts into the game. As you have all come to realize, I Richard Ryder, am a flawless mock drafter myself. I have taken upon myself to challenge the interlopers to a public MOCK BATTLE!!!!

Please support my Patreon : @KoSharp4eva

Scoring

• 2 Points per correct player

• 1 point per correct position 

1- Niners

• V/M Pick : QB Lane Anderson              

• RR Pick: EDGE Dalton Shultz

2 - Bears

• V/M Pick : QB Andrew Sartin

•   RR Pick: DL Kevin Pritchard

3- Steelers

• V/M Pick : QB Charlie Carney   

• RR Pick: WR Julian Battles

4- Buccaneers

• V/M Pick : QB Allen Howard

•         RR Pick: LT Elias Diaz

5- Broncos

• V/M Pick : LG Malcolm Roseman

•       RR Pick: QB Allen Howard

6- Cardinals

• V/M Pick : RE Dalton Shultz

•       RR Pick: LG Malcolm Roseman  

7 - Chargers

• V/M Pick : CB Braxton Palmer       

•     RR Pick: WR Terrance Sharper 

8- Rams

• V/M Pick : WR Josh Vines         

•  RR Pick: WR Josh Vines

9- Jets

• V/M Pick : WR Benji Cotton 

•    RR Pick: TE Ezekiel Beckham

10- Jaguars

• V/M Pick : DT Collin Tucker

•       RR Pick: DT Evan Stills

11- Giants

• V/M Pick : WR Cliff Dennard

•         RR Pick: LG Chris Ellington

12- Eagles

• V/M Pick : EDGE Kristian McJinney

• RR Pick: C/G Colby Colledge

13- Packers

• V/M Pick : CB Percy Luckett

•        RR Pick: EDGE Trent Wayne

14- Titans

• V/M Pick : WR Johnny Belser

•            RR Pick: QB Charlie Carney

15- Texans

• V/M Pick : EDGE Will McClean     

•         RR Pick: LT Austin Hooks

16- Browns

• V/M Pick : EDGE Brayden Meltzer

•  RR Pick: OLB Garrett McFarland

17- Chiefs

• V/M Pick : EDGE Princeton Ellis

•     RR Pick: WR Donnell Potter

18- Cowboys

• V/M Pick : LT Elias Diaz

• RR Pick: EDGE Braydon Meltzer

19- Patriots

• V/M Pick : DT Kevin Pritchard     

•    RR Pick: WR Thomas Harris

20- Saints

• V/M Pick : FS Brandon Buckley   

•       RR Pick: CB Braxton Palmer

21- Colts

• V/M Pick : EDGE Nate Sims

•      RR Pick: EDGE William McClean

22- Football Team

• V/M Pick : OLB Jack Hudik 

•      RR Pick: QB Lane Anderson

23- Falcons

• V/M Pick : TE Ezekiel Beckham

•      RR Pick: DT Braydon Grubbs

24- Ravens

• V/M Pick : WR Deon Mayo

•           RR Pick: CB LaMarcus Johnson

25- Raiders

• V/M Pick : LT Dalton Backus

•        RR Pick: LT Dalton Backus

26- Seahawks

• V/M Pick : LT Austin Hooks

•     RR Pick: LT Sam Schaffer

27- Lions

• V/M Pick : WR Taj Cross

•       RR Pick: HB Mack Coles 

28- Bills

• V/M Pick : EDGE Trent Wayne        

•         RR Pick: EDGE Princeton Ellis

29- Dolphins

• V/M Pick :        HB Mack Coles 

•        RR Pick: DT Collin Tucker

30- Browns

• V/M Pick : WR Donell Potter

•        RR Pick: OLB Jayden Sanborn

31- Bengals

• V/M Pick : LG Chris Ellington

•        RR Pick: RG Justin Forbes

32- Vikings

• V/M Pick : WR Thomas Harris

• RR Pick: S Brandon Buckley

A Boner a Cox and a Schwartz all in the draft class...LUCKY DAY LUCKY DAY! 

1- Broncos - EDGE Louis Schwartz  - UCLA

"The Von Miller replacement"

2 - Bears - LB Tyreke Kinney - Auburn 

I'm not one to make the same joke over and over, but yes this is Paniro and this is a LB pick. 

3- Falcons - DT Jarrad Adkisson - Ohio State

You have no idea how much I had to fight the urge to put QB Boner in the Falcon's slot. 

4- 49ers - WR Nick Jones - Washington State

Sully likes to trade for players from his alma mater, WASU. Will he trade for this one? 

5- Eagles (via TB) - QB Kyle French - Ohio State

All of you know that Ted will not draft a guy named Boner. 

6- Colts - EDGE Dante Samuel - Michigan

EDGE is arguably the biggest need for Jellybean and he plays to win. He won't take a QB at 6, I guarantee it. 

7 - Jaguars (via LAC) - LB Josh Livingston - Tennessee 

Biebs traded into this spot and has no idea what to draft

8- Rams - CB Zach Faulk - Michigan State

He is no Ramsey, but he will do. 

9- Patriots - QB Jamie Bonner - USF

The Mac attac may not be bac? 

10- Steelers - EDGE Quentin Michaels - Memphis

Flexible player to fit in at OLB or with his hand down. 

11- Chiefs - LB Kadeem Dobbins - Alabama

12- Cardinals - EDGE Paul Jackson - Texas 

13- Cowboys - TE Rahim Lane - Louisville

Shut up Tim

14- Lions - WR Denzel Perriman - Alabama

15- Browns - DT Junior Frazier - Florida

Plot twist this guy will be playing OLB

16- Titans - DT Maurice Starks - Washington

17- Eagles - SS Josh Bryant - San Diego State

This should be the pick unless well, you know...it autopicks for whatever reason

18- Jaguars - CB Marcus Cox - Notre Dame

I sure do love mysteries 

19- Seahawks - C/G Desaun Hood - Oregon

Where da hood at? Seattle apparently 

20- Falcons (via NYG) - CB  Dominick Irons - Auburn

21- Dolphins - CB Silas Montague - Oklahoma State

22- Jets - EDGE Chuck Fisher - USF

23- Texans - DT Tyreke Landry - VA Tech

24- Saints - DT Kareem Jackson - Wisconsin 

25- DC Commanders - TE/WR Cody Miller - Syracuse

26- Packers - WR Kentrell Bronson - Oklahoma

27- Bengals - OL Hal McLean - Ohio State

28- Ravens - DT Joseph Telfer - Florida

29- Panthers - HB Eric Moore - Oregon State

Panda is a Moore Whoore

30- Raiders - OL Matt Darby - UCF

31- Bills - S Tommy Butler - Miami

32- Vikings - DL Erik Spearman - LSU

The Richard Ryder Mock Draft

1. CHI - Greg Rice - WR

2. DET - Kionte Weeks - QB

3. LAC - Dion Stapleton - WR

4. CIN - Morris Barber - QB

5. NE - Kendrick Ward - RE

6. MIA (SF) - Logan Canidate - QB

7. ARI - DeVante Baskerville - CB

8. PIT - Cam Doolittle - RT

9. DEN - Nick Adams - QB

10. NYG - Rick Wilson - QB

As you might’ve noticed a lot of QBs go in the top 10 here. Whether the QBs go here or later, I guarantee that they all go in the first round. The real question is what happens in between those QBs. Personally I feel like we will see a few storyline guys go here. One particular storyline interests me a great deal. Morris Barber, the top quarterback prospect, was kicked off the team early on. This is a storyline that we have never seen before which leads us to ask a few questions. Will he lose out on his dev trait? Will he somehow lose attributes? Is he just going to be stupid? I guess baldy will find out soon. 

11. DAL - Dennis Waddell - RE

12. PHI - Autopicked Gabe Hart - SS

13. NE (NYJ) - Bryce Waynes - FS

14. DET(LA)Brandon Browning - WR

15. KC - Dashawn Elam - RT

16. HOU - Al Garrison - DT

17. TB - Marcus McDaniels - ROLB

18. KC (TEN) - Jamal Lamb - CB

19. ATL - Marquise Northrop - RT

20. NO - Tyler Carter - LB

We see a couple of the top safeties leave the board, as well as the top two remaining tackles. Winthrop may slide further due to his injury history. My favorite prospects in this chunk are Waddell and Garrison (both are the top ranked prospects at their position). 

21. BUF - Mathias Prewitt - LT

22. IND - Max Singleton - DE

23. DC - George Cox - CB

24. BAL - Aaron Atkinson - DE

25. GB - Danny Barker - G

26. CLE - Brandon Matthews - TE

27. SEA -Quayshawn Jefferson - HB

28. DC (JAX) - Matt Copeland - WR

29. LV - Paul Atkins - G

30. MIN - Eric Wall - CB

31. CAR - Sergio Rosenthal - HB

32. MIA - Emmett Clay - S

This chunk of the draft is very interesting and could unfold several different ways. Prewitt, one of the best tackles in the nation, missed all offseason testing. We also see the top halfback in the nation drafted at 27. Matthews is a favorite of mine due to his size and receiving ability. Also, panda needs a new toy so I guess he will get a HB to spam. 

NNFL Playoff Predictions

NFC

1. Eagles-Falker

2. Saints- Visual

3. Packers- Felix

4. Rams- Chew

5. Panthers- Panda

6. Seahawks- Sully

7. Buccaneers- Rome

1st Round Matchups

Saints-Buccaneers 

Packers-Seahawks

Rams-Panthers

2nd Round Matchups

Saints-Panthers

Eagles-Seahawks

3rd Round Matchups

Panthers-Eagles

The addition of a new playoff spot will undoubtedly lead to more storylines, and better games. In this playoff scenario we have a division rivalry game, an old man game, and a best friend game in the first round. In my scenario I have the Saints, Seahawks, and Panthers moving on to the second round. In the second round the Saints will face another NFC South opponent, but this time they won’t escape with the win. Sully moves on to the second round, but he will hit a wall that he has hit many times. Finally, we arrive at the NFC Championship game, and this is one that we have seen a lot. This will be a tough game, but Falker will move on to the Super Bowl. 

AFC

1. Dolphins- Dakidd

2. Browns- Vet0

3. Chiefs- Bob

4. Colts- Worm

5. Chargers- Steve

6. Raiders- Ray

7. Titans- Juice

1st Round Matchups

Browns-Titans

Chiefs-Raiders

Colts-Chargers

2nd Round Matchups

Dolphins-Raiders

Browns-Chargers

3rd Round Matchups

Dolphins-Browns

The first round features a few interesting matchups. Vet0 will meet the powerful run game of juice, but even with the powerful run game Juice loses this game on a 4th quarter pick 6. The Divisional Grudge Fuck between Ray and Bob will most certainly lead to an argument. The odd thing about this eventual argument is that this argument will be between Bob and Juice. Bob and Juice will assault each other for at least a week in their attempt to justify who’s first round exit took more talent. The last matchup is between Steve and Worm, and I expect it to be boring. I don’t think either are bad players obviously, but we have seen this matchup a lot and they are typically boring. I have Steve moving on to the second round team, where he will face his old team. This matchup will see two very good teams (my top two franchise teams) go head to head, and for this situation Vet0 will roll on. After his victory against Bob we see Ray head on into a matchup with Dakidd. At this point both Henry Ruggs and Jakeem Grant are gods, so expect a lot of shot plays. I have Dakidd winning this shoot out, which leads him to the AFC Championship game to face Vet0. This game will be tight and revolving around the run game. Dakidd will break the tie in the 4th quarter to slide on to the Super Bowl. You knew this was where it was leading and here we are, Falker-Dakidd 22 or something like that. Typically fight rematches lose luster after 3, but we love this one so much we keep letting it happen. We have seen this matchup end several different ways in the past, good game, ugly game, tight game, not so tight game, etc. This game is a literal toss up, but I hate Falker winning for the purposes of this article. 

NNFL Division Predictions part 4 West Divisions

NFC West

The NFC West is the bargain bin version of the NFC East; Four lunatics that grind on one another’s nerves constantly, and yet they stay together. Sully had the majority of division titles last madden; on the back of thousands of possession catches I should add. All of the teams in the division have improved, so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. 

Best Offense- Cardinals

• Kyler Murray, who is an incredible Madden QB, leads the Cardinals’ explosive offense. This is an offense that includes receivers such as newly acquired Deandre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and Maxx Williams. Kenyan Drake, who had a breakout year in 2019, provides a consistent back to compliment the passing attack. The offensive line is the weak point of this offense. With that being said, The Cardinals have at least three backup linemen who would start on Seattle's offensive line. 

Best Defense- 49ers

• The runner up 49ers defense is led by Nick Bosa, the star edge rusher. Bosa is accompanied by Dee Ford, Arik Armstead, and Javon Kinlaw on the 49ers line. While this is the strongest group on the 49ers defense; the linebackers are nothing to scoff at. Fred Warner is the young star of the 49ers linebacking group. Warner has two talented linebackers beside him, Kwon Alexander and Dre Greenlaw. The secondary may not be as star studded as the other two groups, but this group is far from weak. The 49ers DBs are led by Richard Sherman. The rest of the group includes K'waun Williams, Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt and younger DBs like Emmanuel Moseley. 

Toughest Schedule- Cardinals

Division Winner- Rams

• Aarod Donald has been, and will always be a ridiculous human being; and in terms of Madden he’s a golden god. Aaron Donald should be even more disruptive with the revamped pass rushing mechanics. Chew has also been blessed with another golden god of Madden, Jalen Ramsey. With their powers combined they will take the form of a rain cloud, and ruin Sully’s parade. 

AFC West

Now that Panda is out of the West, the division has become much less top heavy. With that being said, the West should be much more competitive now. Steve, Ray, Bob, and Dipset should all make strong pushes right away. 

Best Offense- Chiefs 

• No surprise here, the super bowl champions have the best offense in the division. As we all know, Patrick Mahomes is the leader of the Chiefs offense. This offense is littered with offensive weapons like Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, Sammy Watkins, Travis Kelce, Demarcus Robinson, and the combo of Damien Harris and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. The Chiefs also have a top 10 offensive line. 

Best Defense- Chargers

• As I mentioned in my “Top 5 Madden 21 Teams” article, the Chargers are stacked. The defense is led by Joey Bosa, the 135 million dollar man. Melvin Ingram, Uchenna Nuwosu, Linval Joseph and Jerry Tillery join Bosa on the line. The linebackers aren’t as good, but still have quality traits. The starters should include some combination of Kyzir White, Denzel Perryman, Drue Tranquill, and Kenneth Murray. 

Toughest Schedule- Raiders

Division Winner- Chiefs

• For the first time in quite a while a new AFC West team will win the division. Bob has the best offense in the division, and a penchant for deep passes. I do expect multiple AFC West teams to make the playoffs, but that is an article for another day. 

NNFL Division Predictions part 3 South divisions 

NFC South

Matty had a rough go of it last Madden where he had to deal with Dakidd and Rome for 8 seasons. Luckily for Matty both Rome and Dakidd gave up their teams during team selection. It was at this point that things started looking bright for Matty, his mind began to race with the possibilities. However, this dream was too good to be true and in the blink of an eye Rome returned and Panda arrived as a replacement for Dakidd. It is important that we all keep Matty in our thoughts and prayers, but it’s not all bad Matty you can still return to the glory days and download Madden 15. 

Best Offense- Buccaneers 

• This came down to the Saints and the Buccaneers. I decided to pick the Buccaneers because of their top talent, as well as their quality depth. The Saints have a much better offensive line, but the Buccaneers’ skill positions are much more fun. The stellar Buccaneers offense includes Tom Brady, Ronald Jones, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, OJ Howard, Rob Gronkowski. The Buccaneers also have a couple of bonus rookie pieces Keshawn Vaughn and Tyler Johnson. 

Best Defense- Saints

• The Saints defense is very solid, but this choice was made easier due to the poor defenses in the NFC South. This defense includes Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Marcus Williams, Demario Davis, Alex Anzalone, Kiko Alonso, Cam Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Sheldon Rankins, David Onyemata, Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins. Zach Baun is a solid rookie piece for this defense as well. 

Toughest Schedule- Falcons

Division Winner- Saints

• This will be a very challenging division to predict. This may end up being the tightest division race of all of the division races. In this case I’m betting on the most talented overall roster to win the division. 

AFC South

Best Offense- Colts

• The Colts have one of the best offensive lines in the league which includes Ryan Kelly, Quentin Nelson, Anthony Castonzo, Mark Glowinski and Braden Smith. This offensive line allows the trio of Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines and Johnathan Taylor to run free. The Colts offense is led by new arrival Phillip Rivers. Rivers has several targets to throw to including TY Hilton, Parris Campbell, Zach Pascal, Michael Pittman, Trey Burton and Jack Doyle. 

Best Defense- Titans

• The Titans start with a solid front seven which includes Daquan Jones, Jeffrey Simmons, Jack Crawford, Kamalei Correa, Jayon Brown, Rashaan Evans, and Harold Landry. The Titans secondary is just as good, if not better, than the front seven. The secondary includes Kenny Vacarro, Kevin Byard, Jonathan Joseph, Adoree Jackson, and rookie Kristian Fulton. 

Toughest Schedule- Jaguars

• It would be incredible to see the Jaguars reach a better record that 3-13. This might be the most difficult schedule in the entire league. 

Division Winner- Colts

• Worm has one of the best overall rosters in the league, unless he trades the house for Clowney. 

NNFL Division Predictions Part 2- East Divisions

The NFC East

Nothing has changed in this division besides the mental state of the inhabitants. But let's get on with this anyway, we all know where it is heading. 

Best Offense- Cowboys

• This was a pretty easy decision due to this offense being so incredibly loaded. Dak, Zeke, Cooper, Gallup, Lamb, and that loaded offense line make for a terrifying offense. Of course it is to be expected considering how much Madden seems to over rate Cowboy players. Tim may find himself strapped for cap at some point, which may dismantle this offense. Until this offense is dismantled by need or otherwise it should remain one of the most talented offenses. 

Best Defense- Cowboys

• This was a bit more difficult but I ultimately decided to give the Cowboys the nod, primarily due to the Eagle’s dire need for safeties. With the Everson Griffin signing, the Cowboys have one of the deepest defensive lines in the league. The fumbling Dutchman is the star of the Cowboys linebacking group, but it could use one more linebacker to be a top tier linebacking group. The Cowboys secondary is talented but does lack a true top DB with the departure of Byron Jones. Overall, this defense has a bit of everything in terms of youth and veteran talent. 

Toughest Schedule- Washington 

• DC faces several difficult opponents, but the major factor is that he will have traded Panda half his team by week 8. 

Division Winner- Falker

• If there is a safer bet than Falker winning the NFC East I haven’t found it, unless of course you are betting that Sully will assault the intelligence of fellow league members by the end of season 1. 

AFC East

The AFC East is the NNFL division that changes the most from year to year, and this year is no different. A couple of teams moved around within the division (Jellybean and Dubbz) while one spot was filled with someone new (Smalls). 

Best Offense- Bills

• This one was pretty close, primarily due to the fact that none of these AFC East offenses are all that impressive in Madden. The addition of Stefon Diggs and a better offensive line pushes the Bills past the Dolphins in this race. The Bills offense has some pretty fun user weapons on either side of the ball, Josh Allen and Tremaine Edmunds in particular. The whole offense includes Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, Zach Moss, Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, John Brown, and an adequate offensive line. 

Best Defense- Patriots

• The Patriots defense is headlined by one of the 99 club players, Stephone Gilmore. Gilmore is the top dog in a stout secondary which includes Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones, JC Jackson, Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung and Kyle Dugger. The front 7 is not as star studded as the secondary, but it is a quality group nevertheless. The front 7 includes John Simon, Anfernee Jennings, Donta Hightower, Juwuan Bentley, Chase Winovich, Dietrich Wise, and Josh Uche.  

Toughest Schedule- Patriots

Division Winner- Dolphins

• If he continues to play the way he did in Madden 20 I expect to see Dakidd win early and often. With that being said Dakidd’s offensive line is much worse than it was when he had the Saints, which could cause him issues early. 

NNFL Division Predictions Part 1- North Divisions 

Today I am going to start my division prediction series. To kick off this new series of articles I will begin by breaking down the North divisions. 

The NFC North

One of the most noticeable changes in the NFC North is the arrival of Porky and ThatDude as the Lions and Vikings respectively. With these arrivals we can expect a much more civil and friendly, some believe this division could rival the AFC South in friendliness. Felix and Paniro remain as the veteran NFC North members, Porky and ThatDude look to be competitors for the title. A side storyline will be the extended Paniro/DC family showdown between Paniro and ThatDude.  Now let’s start breaking down the rosters. 

Best Offense- Packers

• The Packers have not one but two quality Madden QBs to take the reins of this talented offense. While the Packers receiving group may not be the most talented in real life, in Madden this group is very solid. Headlined by Devante Adams the Packers receiver group boasts several young receivers. As far as running backs go the Packers have a great, established back in Aaron Jones, and a young AJ Dillon who is brimming with Madden stud potential. David Baktiari is the star of a solid offensive line he is accompanied by Elgton Jenkins, Corey Linsley, and Rick Wagner as key pieces of the line. 

Best Defense- Bears

• The Bears have a great front 7, which stars Akiem Hicks, Kahlil Mack, and Roquon Smith. This front 7 could be incredibly disruptive especially with the upgraded pass rush for Madden 21. On the back end of the defense the Bears have 4 solid starters Tashaun Gipson, Eddie Jackson, Kyle Fuller, and Buster Skrine. The Bears also have a a couple of interesting rookie DBs Jayon Johnson and Kindle Vildor. 

Toughest Schedule- Packers/Lions

Projected Winner- Packers 

• Felix has a pretty tough schedule which includes games against Panda and the NFC South, Konesie and the AFC South, Pip, and Falker. These out of division games will be difficult, and the in division games will be no walk in the park. 

The AFC North

Similarly to the NFC North the AFC North has two new arrivals Vet0 and Markd. The AFC North has 4 talented teams each boasting their own strengths and weaknesses.  Baldy and Ted remain the veterans of this league, but their dynamic is more like a separated couple who can’t get away from one another. Vet0 will be running the Browns and will put up a strong fight for the title. Markd is new so I am not sure what to say about his ability, but the Steelers team is pretty strong but old. 

Best Offense- Ravens

• The Ravens running game should be nearly unstoppable with Lamar Jackson, the three headed beast of Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and JK Dobbins, and a top tier offensive line. This is not to say that the Ravens are a one dimensional team the Ravens also have great passing weapons as well. Marquise Brown, Miles Boykin, Willie Snead and Devin Duverney make up a stellar receiver group, Mark Andrews is the cherry on top. Studly Ronnie Stanley stars on the Ravens line which seemingly has no real weaknesses besides left guard. Overall, the Ravens have the most complete offense in the game, and will be a nightmare (perhaps impossible) to stop. 

Best Defense- Ravens

• This one was a tough decision between the Ravens and the Browns defenses. I decided to go with the Ravens due to their secondary being more complete. The Ravens defense has one of the best mixes of talent, depth and youth. Calais Campbell will serve as a stalwart leader on the Ravens defense for what little time he has there. The secondary, which I mentioned earlier, is the true gem of this defense. Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Jimmy Smith, Tavon Young, Chuck Clark, and Earl Thomas are all high quality starters and a couple of these players are backups. Much like the offense, this defense is one of the most complete and ready to win defenses in the league. Overall, this team is arguably the best team in Madden 21, and to go a bit further it will be difficult to lose with this team. 

Toughest Schedule- Bengals

Projected Winner- Browns

• A new year brings new challenges, expectations, and stories. However, as some things change we can expect others to stay the same.

Top 15 Players Traded in Season 1 of Madden 21

There is nothing quite like the trades in season 1 of a Madden league. All of the eagerness to build a team, to make a move, or to garner attention culminate in the trading of various types of players. The reasons that a player is traded may vary from case to case, but they all seem to fall into a few categories in season 1. 

• The Average player, big contract trade: This trade is made when a team that needs to free up some cap moves an average/quality player for picks/prospects. 

• The Abundance of Riches trade: This is one of the more common trades in Madden leagues. This trade is where a user notices that he has more talent than needed at one position. This trade typically includes two teams with abundant talent at one position and abysmal talent at another. 

• The “Juice Trade”- This is where a user looks at his team and says, “I’m tanking...but not really”. This trade typically looks similar to the two previous trades but are primarily geared towards the future. 

• The College Fan trade- This is a trade that occurs because a user wishes to trade for a player from their favorite college team, just a college player they like. 

There are other reasons for trading but I’m running out of ideas. I considered a “Panda trade” but those just happen and have no real signs. In this article I am going to look at all the rosters and tell you my top 15 players who are likely to be traded in season 1. 

1. John Ross//WR//Cincinnati 

Let’s all be honest with ourselves for a second, was there any other way to start this list? The Rossy has become a staple of the NNFL and I’m sure that Dakkid will try to keep the tradition going. On the Cincinnati side there are now several quality WR prospects, and AJ Green. AJ Green makes more sense as a trade option, but it’s not as exciting as a Ross trade. 

2. Melvin Gordon//HB//Denver or Kareem Hunt//HB//Cleveland or Todd Gurley//HB//Atlanta

For anyone who has moved, or has tried to move a HB you know it can be difficult. Most teams have at least one HB that is worth a damn. To hammer home that point all the 3 of these backs come from teams with two quality HBs. All of these guys have short contracts which makes them much more appealing, but I doubt that all 3 get traded. 

3. Melvin Ingram//EDGE//Los Angeles C.

If we are going with the historical approach then this will be a Bosa trade instead of an Ingram trade. Either way I expect to see a Chargers EDGE player traded. Ucehnna Nwosu is another option, but if possible I am sure the Chargers user will try to move the oldest option. 

4. Sammy Watkins//WR//Kansas City

The Chiefs are going to be working with about $3.50 in cap space in Madden 21 following the Mahomes and Jones deals. This cap constraint will undoubtedly lead to a few moves with the intent of clearing cap. One of those moves will be the trading of Sammy Watkins. 

5. Carson Wentz or Jalen Hurts//QB//Philadelphia

As an Eagles user you’ll be faced with a decision, and there are a few ways to handle this. First, you could decide to trade Wentz and clear some cap along the way. Issues with this are that he is clearly the better QB at the start of the league; not to mention Wentz can last the entirety of the league. Second option, you could decide to trade the rookie Jalen Hurts who has some nice athletic traits but a weak arm. Lastly, you as an Eagles user could keep both QBs and decide who leaves at a later date.  

6. Dante Pettis//WR//San Francisco 

The 49ers, as I have mentioned previously, have a few solid receivers and a couple of projects as well. Eventually someone has to go, and I think that Pettis is a good option due to his contract. Kendrick Bourne and Trent Taylor are other options, but they lack the trade value that Pettis has. It is a bonus that Pettis is a Washington alum, there are some who value that. 

7. Yannick Ngakoue//EDGE//Jacksonville

As I mentioned in the “Worst Teams” article I said that Yannick Ngakoue was the odd man out, and now I will be going into more detail. With a 1 year pro Josh Allen, and a rookie K’lavon Chaisson there is no need to keep Ngakoue. If this were a situation where one of the rushers had a lot of strength then you could likely keep all 3 effectively; however that is not the case in this situation. 

8. Avery Williamson//LB//New York J.

The Jets have a deep off ball linebacker group, but one of the vets need to go. This could be CJ Mosley or Blake Cashman as well if the user decides to trade the younger guy. 

9.  Robby Anderson//WR//Carolina

Robby Anderson just arrived in Carolina this offseason, and it could be that he leaves in the first year of Madden league. The Panthers have DJ Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Seth Roberts and any of those players could be traded instead. Curtis Samuel or DJ Moore have the highest value, but are also the youngest of the group. 

10. Matthew Ioannidis//DT//Washington 

In their new 4-3 defense 1 of their 3 great DTs has to go. In this situation I chose Matthew Ioannidis for a couple of reasons. First, he has been traded a few times in our league already; and the other reason is because he is slightly older than Allen and Payne. 

11. Mike Hilton//CB//Pittsburgh 

In a situation similar to the Washington situation, the Steelers have 3 quality CBs and one likely needs to leave via trade. This trade trio is older than the trade trio in Washington, but I still think that it is likely that one is moved. 

12. Jadeveon Clowney//EDGE//Worm’s Team

If he can’t select the team that Clowney joins, whether by actually signing or FA draft, you had better believe that Worm will try and trade for him. 

13.  Levi Wallace//CB//Buffalo

See # 11. but younger. 

14.  Trysten Hill//DT//Dallas

The Cowboys have a lot of DTs, and Tristan Hill is the youngest of the bunch. The youth of the DT group won’t take a big hit due to the recent selection of Neville Gallimore in the NFL Draft. 

15.  Ben Burr-Kirven//LB//Seattle

Sully did it last year, and I think he might do it again. Ben Burr-Kirven is a linebacker that I like, a lot. He is fast, young, and well...that is about it. Nevertheless, Burr-Kirven should be a popular target for trade discussions. He is worth about a 7th and maybe an extra 6th in the following year. 

Before you say anything, yes I do have a problem. Some people do heroin, and some people imagine every possible trade for each team in the NFL. Although, a heroin addiction might’ve been a better habit to pick up in terms of my weight. I should throw out a disclaimer, you are in no way obligated to make any of the trades I mentioned. This is just a fun little exercise I decided to do.