It’s back! The annual XCFL Redraft! If you’ve been living under a rock or just joined the XCFL or if you just joined the XCFL because you’ve been living under a rock, this article takes an existing XCFL draft from a past year and uses the ratings/developments of those drafted to determine where they would’ve been selected if we know all that we know now. ENJOY!
SEASON 40 DRAFT:
ORIGINAL ORDER OF TOP 10
REDRAFTED TOP 10:
This was kind of confusing. The Falcons actually took Jabari Mills with the 1st overall pick of the biggest debacle of a draft in XCFL history. Guac ended up getting Simpson with the 17th overall pick and he became an absolute stud. However, QB’s are a dime a dozen and corners are almost impossible to dev so I had Guac taking Warrick out of the gates to bolster that secondary.
I think Mitchell was the correct choice here. You could even make the argument that he should’ve gone 1st overall. Mitchell has way better athleticism but Warrick has way better coverage ability. Having either one are the obvious two choices in this redraft.
Kevin Greene came out of the box with superstar development. His length and athleticism has helped him become an XCFL legend that will go down in JMo’s ring of honor. Shawn takes him here as Blackwell has not yet even gotten a dev upgrade and has looked like a bust for the 3rd overall pick in my eyes.
Rob has played musical chairs with his QB’s so far this cycle. With his corner already taken, he goes Simpson here to get a franchise QB. Who knows if this actually happened if Rob would’ve made the playoffs by now.
Boone wanted to take Bryant apparently anyway with this pick. XCFL admin gave him the benefit of the doubt and gave him a created player Bo Dillon. In the redraft Boone gets his guy but because this redraft is 6 years in the past, we know Boone still does not win in the playoffs despite getting his guy.
6. Doug WIlson QB - Eagles
Griffey was a great pick and Jon uses him well. However, looking back and knowing that Tight Ends are gltiched out and don’t receive end of year dev upgrades for good seasons, I’m sure Jon wishes he had this pick back. Another XCFL GM that’s played musical chairs and having Wilson who has now reached 99 overall would change the trajectory of the Eagles franchise.
McNeal got the wheel spin and was gifted the SuperStar development out of the box. Currently sitting at 96 overall, the Bears get a franchise safety that would help them for the entire cycle on defense. McNeal has the coveted size (6’3) and speed (90) that this cycle severely lacks for safeties.
Maybe the worst selection anyone has ever seen, Boone takes a 67 overall guard with the 8th pick in the draft. We’ll help Boone out in this redraft as we gift him 95 overall CB and X-Factor talent Trent Woodson. Still won’t matter for Boone but at least his roster would look better.
Riot started with a good squad but after trading most of his good players away, he lacks pass rush. Mobley has had a fantastic cycle for the Rams and has become a terror in this league. His 96 overall ability matched with X-Factor development makes him a no brainer top 10 pick in the redraft.
The Cowboys had good receivers back then but drafting Hess would allow them some capital in that room and move some on from the likes of Amari Cooper and Michael Gallop. Pairing Hess with Lamb would allow the Cowboys a 1-2 punch that would allow them to compete for years to come.
Total Trades : 401
Trades involving 1st round pick : 172 (43%)
Trades involving 2nd round pick : 164 (41%)
Trades involving 3rd round pick : 119 (30%)
90+ Overalls Traded : 110
99 Overalls Traded : 7
Trades involving #1 Overall Pick : 5
Trades into top 10 : 9
Trades up/back in top 10 : 8
3 Team Trades : 7
Team that has traded for the most 1st round picks : Bills and Chargers (8)
Team that has traded away the most 1st round picks : Vikings (9)
Most Trades by Same Duo: Chargers and Patriots (6)
Trade #’s By Team:
And now the moment everyone has been waiting on. Who trades the most with the lower tier teams? I used these teams as the lower tier teams when creating the numbers for this one – Bills, Chargers, Falcons, Lions, Chiefs, Bengals, Bears, Eagles, Giants
The Winner: Patriots! 17 of their 35 trades (49%)
It’s back! The annual XCFL Redraft! If you’ve been living under a rock or just joined the XCFL or if you just joined the XCFL because you’ve been living under a rock, this article takes an existing XCFL draft from a past year and uses the ratings/developments of those drafted to determine where they would’ve been selected if we know all that we know now. ENJOY!
SEASON 34 DRAFT:
ORIGINAL ORDER OF TOP 10
REDRAFTED TOP 10:
After stating he “refuses” to put his defensive backs in on special teams to help them get tackles/xp he now has gotten back to back seasons of development increases for Gilbert. (2 more than me ;)) Gilbert came out of the box as a good young player with good speed (91) and is now the highest rated player from this class at 88 overall. Falcons draft the X-Factor safety with the 1st overall pick.
Flanagan was similar to Gilbert as he came out of the draft looking solid with the highest speed out of any safety in the draft (93). Now that he is SuperStar development, 91 zone and has the second highest overall of any player from this draft (87), The Titans get a great player for their aging secondary.
Year of the safety continues. Holy cow I didn’t realize how many good safeties were in this draft! Borum originally went #2 but his speed (88) keeps him just below the two safeties drafted in front of him. He does have SuperStar potential and is 86 overall (3rd for this draft) so he still goes high in the redraft.
Seriously?? Another safety?? You’re gosh damn right! A run of top safeties continues as Regan selects the same guy he took in the original draft. Curry is another stud with good speed (90) and is 86 overall, like Borum. His star potential makes him fall to past the other safeties in front of him. Still, a very good pick for the Ravens and their excellent secondary,
Sean really doesn’t need another Defensive End but Sheard is just too good to pass up. He’s just 23 years old, 86 overall, SuperStar development and already has 89 finesse moves which is a recipe for an absolute XCFL stud! The original pick of TE Farmer wasn’t terrible but with other more important positions on the board, it’s hard to justify a TE at #5.
6. Tavares Houston DE - Chargers
With Sheard being gone already, Brackett still looks to improve his pass rush and selects Houston. His 88 finesse moves at just 23 years old makes him a good selection here at #6. I think he is probably better suited for Defensive End but has been switched to OLB in New York. Either way, hes still a solid pick even for this early.
Predraft Tim Terry looked like an absolute freak and really was. He hasn’t been developed all that fast so far and McCloud has certainly surpassed him in terms of talent. At just 24, McCloud has SuperStar development, 99 strength, 88 power moves and 87 finesse moves! WOW! You could probably even justify him going even higher than #7.
McLean would be a no-brainer top 5 pick if he had more speed. His 82 speed really hinders him from being a top LB in the XCFL. However, he does have X-Factor development, and 84 zone coverage at just 24 years old so should still go high in the redraft. Doss gets a great player in the middle for the rest of the cycle.
Rob made a good pick originally in Edmond. He is the same overall and development as Starr, however he is a year older and has slightly less throw power. Rob has told me he doesn’t really like high throw power guys so he probably would’ve picked Edmond again. Either of the guys work here but Starr imo just edges out Edmond.
Wings has constructed a really good roster but has been playing OLB at DE for some time now. I think strength does heavily weigh their ability so drafting an actual DE to play the position would probably benefit him. Arnold is 23 years old, 84 overall, SuperStar development and has 85 power moves. He is a perfect fit for the Cardinals and rounds out the top 10 of the season 24 redraft!
It’s back! The annual XCFL Redraft! If you’ve been living under a rock or just joined the XCFL or if you just joined the XCFL because you’ve been living under a rock, this article takes an existing XCFL draft from a past year and uses the ratings/developments of those drafted to determine where they would’ve been selected if we know all that we know now. ENJOY!
SEASON 33 DRAFT:
ORIGINAL ORDER OF TOP 10
REDRAFTED TOP 10:
I think this one is pretty clear. Nance came out of the box an X-Factor QB for Kylo. His combination of development, speed and throwing capabilities would’ve made him a star for any GM that got him. The Falcons have an ok signal caller in Brooks Simpson, Nance has only thrown 18 INT’s in 3 seasons, has two MVP seasons, 2 MOP seasons and a Super Bowl Win. Oh and he’s just 24 years old. No brainer!
Tracy Mims was undoubtedly the guy to pick pre-draft if you wanted to go with a safety. He had great speed, size and had a good grade for hit power. He came out of the box well but with Sammy Eason being a year younger, a speed point better and having Superstar development, he quickly became the best safety in the draft. The Bengals get a stud at #2.
Again, Ace did well with his pick. Crosby is a really good player however he doesn’t have high pass rush moves or coverage ability which makes him slightly below Joseph to me. Joseph has good speed (86) and SuperStar development just like Crosby but his 89 finesse moves puts him over the top and the pick here in the redraft.
Khalil Sutherland just hasn’t progressed the way a top 5 pick should for Doss. He’s currently 26 years old and only 83 overall. Mims has had a similar developmental trajectory but he is a year younger and slightly better (85 overall) at this point in his career. He goes #4 in this redraft.
It’s weird looking at Lynch now after the “next Ray Lewis” tag put on him on draft night. Lynch hasn’t developed well at all and now with a couple drafts with high speed LB’s, he looks a little run of the mill. However, he’s still a good player and might have been suited better on a more developed roster. Rob had one of the most unfortunate picks here in the real draft. Wood looked like a BEAST (I wanted him really badly) but came out of the box with normal development. Rob gets a stud in the middle to replace BBK at #5.
6. Otis Bernard WR - Bears
Riot always seems to have a good WR on his team. He made Emmanuel Hall into a stud and has had a bunch of solid seasons with Dudley Bean. Both are aging and he could use a young wide receiver. Insert Benard who has X-Factor development and good speed for a wideout (92). Bernard has had some solid seasons in New York but gets drafted higher and goes #6 in this redraft.
Hammer has had an awesome cycle with Bryce Love and plays well when he is running the ball well. With Love regressing quickly, he goes RB here and selects Avion Jameson. Jameson has taken the XCFL by fire. He currently sits at 95 overall for a 24-year-old after back to back to back 1700 yard seasons. His 93 speed makes him a must have here at #6.
IT HAS FINALLY HAPPENED!! An offensive lineman gets redrafted into the top 10! I mean Boone has to be the worst drafter in our league. He has definitely had the most guys drafted in the top 10 that have busted. You could really insert anyone here and they would be better than Burgess who after 3 seasons still sits at 78 overall. Pretty much what im saying is if you are drafting behind Boone, you should feel a sense of relief.
Butter drafted a stud here in Bernard with his original pick but with him off the board he still goes WR and selects Baby Shark. The Heisman winner looked really good pre-draft but teams were hesitant because of him being 23 years old. His combo of size and speed is still elite and regardless of that age he goes in the top 10 of this redraft.
Like I said before, Crosby has a run stopper archetype and despite that not being what you should be looking for, hes still young (24), fast (86) and has SuperStar development. The Titans have had some good defenses in the past and with the aging of stud LB Ronald Vernon, they can get some insurance with Crosby and sure up the middle of that defense after the move Crosby inside.
Now that the Draft is over, I’ll take a deep dive for each position and who I think are the top 5 guys you need to know that can help you make your Madden 21 team selection. Much like I did last year, the rankings will take age, what I think their development will be, and attributes to come to my conclusion who the top 5 guys at that position are. I will also include who I thought were the top 5 going into Madden 20 so my guesses have accountability. We continue below with the Madden 21 Safeties:
Top 5 Safeties:
5. Marcus Williams – Safety is kind of an old man position in the NFL. Some of the top guys in the NFL are all old heads for Madden’s sake so I had to go down the list a bit to round out this top 5. Marcus Williams is a very good player and only 23 years old. He isn’t the fastest guy but this past cycle didn’t require a ton of speed from this position.
Prediction: 86 Overall. Star Development
4. Justin Reid – Justin Reid has had a good start to his NFL career and is still just 23 years old. I think most people would have Williams over him in real life but you can’t deny that Reid is a fantastic Madden player with his high speed for a safety (92). Whoever takes the Texans will have a great piece in the middle of their secondary for most of the cycle.
Prediction: 85 Overall. Star Development
3. Minkah Fitzpatrick – After Minkah got traded to the Redskins, I mean the Steelers his career really took off. He was in consideration for Defensive Player of the Year and had an unbelievable stretch where he picked off 5 passes in as many games. At just 23 he combines with Devin Bush on the Steelers to make the black and gold a lot more appealing.
Prediction: 88 Overall. SuperStar Development
2. Derwin James – Derwin was a cheat code this past cycle but I do think they will calm down the amount of fumbles a person can cause in M21. I mean a good season has a guy forcing 3-4 a season in real life. Derwin did that just about every game LOL! He will still be very sought after by anyone because of his youth and his athleticism. Only time will tell if his owner will trade him for pennies before he even gets to use his talents.
Prediction: 89 Overall. SuperStar Development
1. Jamal Adams – Back to back years with Jamal as the #1 safety on this list. He sounds like a dickhead but he is a very good football player on a bad team. He, like James, caused a crap ton of fumbles this past cycle and he is even more athletic and has even more hit power than James. He should find himself easily in the 90’s in terms of overall and will still just be 24 years old. Will he alone get someone to pick the Jets?
Prediction: 93 Overall. X-Factor Development
My Guesses Last Year:
5. Adrian Amos
4. Jonathan Abrams
3. Derwin James
2. Eddie Jackson
1. Jamal Adams
Now that the Draft is over, I’ll take a deep dive for each position and who I think are the top 5 guys you need to know that can help you make your Madden 21 team selection. Much like I did last year, the rankings will take age, what I think their development will be, and attributes to come to my conclusion who the top 5 guys at that position are. I will also include who I thought were the top 5 going into Madden 20 so my guesses have accountability. We continue below with the Madden 21 CB’s:
Top 5 CB’s:
5. Marshon Lattimore – This list was kind of weird to do because it’s so very similar to last year’s list. Lattimore is 24 and ended this past cycle at 85 overall. He actually went down throughout the year but 85 overall at 24 with high speed and man coverage are attributes any XCFL GM would drool over.
Prediction: 86 Overall. Star Development
4. Jaire Alexander – See the trend? Another guy making the top 5 again. Maybe it’s because I don’t love the guys who were drafted this season or maybe it’s because the position was already driven by young guys. Jaire came in at #5 last year and moves up a spot this year. He’ll be just 23 years old and will have high speed and should be a high 80’s overall out of the box. He will be a great piece for whoever chooses the Cheese Heads this next cycle.
Prediction: 87 Overall. Star Development
3. Jalen Ramsey – Like Lattimore, Ramsey went down a couple overalls throughout the course of the season. However, he did start as a 96 so ending at 94 is nothing to sneeze at. He is still just 25 and more than likely will be SuperStar or even X-Factor development for the Rams GM.
Prediction: 94 Overall. SuperStar Development
2. Denzel Ward – Denzel was undoubtedly the top Madden 20 defender this past cycle. He has ridiculous speed (95) and will be 22 this next cycle. Having Tosh as a coach obviously helped him develop into greatness but I think anyone who had him would’ve greatly benefited. Having him and Garrett makes the Browns a must take again this cycle.
Prediction: 88 Overall. SuperStar Development
1. Tredavious White – Yep, the same 5 this year as last. At least I switched them up! Tre had an unbelievable season this past year in real life. He is certainly in the “Best CB in the NFL” realm and is still just 25 years old. I think he and Stephon Gilmore are the top 2 Overall CB’s out of the box.
Prediction: 95 Overall. X-Factor Development
My Guesses Last Year:
5. Jaire Alexander
4. Tredavious White
3. Denzel Ward
2. Marshon Lattimore
1. Jalen Ramsey
Now that the Draft is over, I’ll take a deep dive for each position and who I think are the top 5 guys you need to know that can help you make your Madden 21 team selection. Much like I did last year, the rankings will take age, what I think their development will be, and attributes to come to my conclusion who the top 5 guys at that position are. I will also include who I thought were the top 5 going into Madden 20 so my guesses have accountability. We continue below with the Madden 21 MLB’s:
Top 5 MLB’s:
5. Tremaine Edmunds – You know I had to put him on this list. He just turned 22, he was a Pro-Bowler, he has 87 speed and is 6’5. Oh and he was coached by the best damn Linebackers coach in the country.
Prediction: 84 Overall. Star Development
4. Roquan Smith – Roquan hasn’t had the best NFL career so far but he is an excellent Madden player. He could’ve been replaced with Deion Jones in this spot but Roquon is 2 years younger so he made the cut.
Prediction: 86 Overall. Star Development
3. Devin White – Devin White started out the cycle with 92 speed for an inside linebacker which is absolutely ridiculous. The key will be whether he gets the SuperStar development like he did this past cycle. Either way, he’s still going to be a Madden stud.
Prediction: 81 Overall. SuperStar Development
2. Devin Bush – Devin Bush is the exact same player as Devin White except he brings the high 80’s hit power. This means he’ll have a chance at the “Enforcer” ability which hopefully will be tuned down a bit this next cycle. Really all the guys on this list will be studs for most of the cycle but Bush brings stock attributes that put him just higher than most of these other MLB’s.
Prediction: 82 Overall. SuperStar Development
1. Isaiah Simmons – This will be the only time I have a rookie in the top spot. Why? Simmons ran 4.3, which means he will have 90+ speed, he’s 6’4 and will have good stock ratings in coverage and pass rushing. They will have to lower this dude’s awareness and play rec a bunch just got he’s not a 90 overall out of the box. Cardinals should get picked high just for the chance at getting to use this freak.
Prediction: 78 Overall. SuperStar Development
My Guesses Last Year:
5. Luke Kuechly
4. Bobby Wagner
3. Devin Bush
2. Deion Jones
1. Devin White
Now that the Draft is over, I’ll take a deep dive for each position and who I think are the top 5 guys you need to know that can help you make your Madden 21 team selection. Much like I did last year, the rankings will take age, what I think their development will be, and attributes to come to my conclusion who the top 5 guys at that position are. I will also include who I thought were the top 5 going into Madden 20 so my guesses have accountability. We continue below with the Madden 21 OLB’s:
Top 5 OLB’s:
5. Khalil Mack – Clearly Khalil Mack is one of if not the most dominant OLB in the NFL. He’s simply at #5 on this list because of his age. At 29 years old, whoever gets the Bears will get an absolute stud for 4-5 seasons but will probably start regressing after just a couple.
Prediction: 98 Overall. X-Factor Development
4. Darius Leonard – The Defensive Rookie of the Year winner in 2018 continued his excellent play in the NFL last season. He ended the cycle at an 85 overall, and at just 24 years old, he will be able to play 7-8 seasons for whoever gets the Colts.
Prediction: 86 Overall. Star Development
3. Leighton Vander Esch – LVE had a fantastic season for the Cowboys his rookie year and last year got a little nicked up but still did well when he was available. He is still very young at just 24 and has good attributes that make him an excellent Madden player.
Prediction: 86 Overall. Star Development
2. TJ Watt – TJ could’ve very easily won DPOTY honors last year in the NFL. He quite simply dominated and showed that he might be the better Watt brother. I was surprised he ended the cycle at just an 86, but was given X-Factor development at the end.
Prediction: 91 Overall. X-Factor Development
1. Josh Allen – Josh Allen absolutely crushed it his rookie season with the Jags. He amassed 10.5 sacks which was a new franchise record for rookies. He’s just 22 and undoubtedly will be a beast for most if not all of this next cycle.
Prediction: 87 Overall. SuperStar Development
My Guesses Last Year:
5. Jadeveon Clowney
4. Josh Allen
3. Von Miller
2. Darius Leonard
1. Khalil Mack
Now that the Draft is over, I’ll take a deep dive for each position and who I think are the top 5 guys you need to know that can help you make your Madden 21 team selection. Much like I did last year, the rankings will take age, what I think their development will be, and attributes to come to my conclusion who the top 5 guys at that position are. I will also include who I thought were the top 5 going into Madden 20 so my guesses have accountability. We continue below with the Madden 21 DT’s:
Top 5 DT’s
5. Vita Vea – This Top 5 is a huge sigh. All the top DT’s are over the age of 27 which for us means they are on their way down. Obviously you have guys like Fletcher Cox, Grady Jarrett and Geno Atkins but all 3 are old. Vea makes the list primarily because he’s only 25, will have nearly 99 strength and ended this past cycle as 85 Overall.
Prediction: 85 Overall. Star Development
4. Da’Ron Payne - I honestly never would have thought I’d be putting Da’Ron back on this list but here we are. Why are there no good young Defensive Tackles in the NFL? Don’t get me wrong, Da’Ron is a good young player but DAMN! As you keep going down this Top 5 you’ll understand why he is on here.
Prediction: 86 Overall. Star Development
3. Deforest Buckner – Deforest is much more dominant of a player than those first two guys but even he leaves a lot to be desired. He is now on the Indianapolis Colts so maybe he’ll become an absolute nightmare…probably not. I think I might just skip to OLB.
Prediction: 87 Overall. Star Development
2. Kenny Clark – Ok here we go! Kenny Fucking Clark baby! He’s good and young! He’s strong and can shed blocks all day! He can’t rush the passer a little bit but whatever, he’s better than most of the other guys at this position.
Prediction: 91 Overall. Star Development
1. Chris Jones – FINALLY! An interior DLineman that can do more than just be big and eat up blocks. Jones had a breakout year last year in the NFL and dominated for the Chiefs on his was to getting that Super Bowl ring. He’s only 25 so he’ll be around for most of the cycle and at Super Bowl week, Madden had him rated as a 92 so should be similar this cycle.
Prediction: 94 Overall. X-Factor Development
My Guesses Last Year:
5. Deforest Buckner
4. Jeffrey Simmonds
3. Quinnen Williams
2. Da’Ron Payne
1. Kenny Clark
WOOF!!!
Now that the Draft is over, I’ll take a deep dive for each position and who I think are the top 5 guys you need to know that can help you make your Madden 21 team selection. Much like I did last year, the rankings will take age, what I think their development will be, and attributes to come to my conclusion who the top 5 guys at that position are. I will also include who I thought were the top 5 going into Madden 20 so my guesses have accountability. We continue below with the Madden 21 DE’s:
Top 5 DE’s
5. Chase Young – Sorry guys but Chase Young should be an absolute animal. He didn’t attend the combine so his attributes are not very clear but with a quick Google search he reportedly runs in the 4.5’s and can bench over 450 pounds. That means he should be fast, strong and have high development. Oh and he’s only 21!
Prediction: 79 Overall. SuperStar Development
4. Danielle Hunter – I chose not to add Aaron Donald this year just because of his age. He’s almost 30 so whoever selects the Rams will only get the most dominant Defensive End for a couple seasons. Danielle is still young (25) and has unbelievable speed for a DE (88 last cycle). He was an 89 overall at cycle’s end so he should be about the same to start next Madden. The Vikings owner will be very pleased with Hunter for most of the cycle.
Prediction: 91 Overall. SuperStar Development
3. Joey Bosa – These next three could be tossed around and a hat and selected at random. They are all very young and talented. The only real difference being Joey is slightly older (24). Joey ended last cycle as a 91 Overall and 97 finesse moves! He was already an auto-shed player this cycle so whoever gets the Chargers hopefully wont trade him away for nothing.
Prediction: 93 Overall. X-Factor Development
2. Nick Bosa – Nick Bosa took the NFL by storm last year on his way to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He’s young (22) and should be very good to start the cycle meaning the 49ers owner won’t need to develop him much. How does Nick not get more flack for trading him?
Prediction: 91 Overall. X-Factor Development
1. Myles Garrett – I could’ve put Nick here just because of age but Myles Garrett is still just 24 and was easily the most dominant XCFL defender this past cycle. His combination of everything from size to speed to both power and finesse moves, made him unblockable. He has everything you look for in a Defensive End and will do similar things to opposing XCFL Defensive Coordinators for nearly the entirety of the M21 cycle.
Prediction: 96 Overall. X-Factor Development
My Guesses Last Year:
5. Demarcus Lawrence
4. Nick Bosa
3. Joey Bosa
2. Myles Garrett
1. Aaron Donald
SPOT ON!!!
Now that the Draft is over, I’ll take a deep dive for each position and who I think are the top 5 guys you need to know that can help you make your Madden 21 team selection. Much like I did last year, the rankings will take age, what I think their development will be, and attributes to come to my conclusion who the top 5 guys at that position are. I will also include who I thought were the top 5 going into Madden 20 so my guesses have accountability. We continue below with the Madden 21 TE’s:
Top 5 TE’s
5. Albert Okwuegbunam – Whoever ends up with the Broncos is going to have gold in the Tight End room. Albert O is not the greatest TE in real life but he ran 4.49 and is gigantic (6’6). He’ll start out as a low overall but in the right hands (trade him to the Redskins) he will become an absolute stud in no time.
Prediction: 68 Overall, Normal Development
4. TJ Hockenson – Last year I think I valued speed too much for this list of top TE’s (Lol at my Burton choice). Weird to say that you can possibly value speed too much but it’s not quite as much a factor for this position. Hockenson was a stud in the XCFL this past cycle and should be again this next one.
Prediction: 82 Overall, SuperStar Development
3. Evan Engram – Even though Evan Engram couldn’t block a nose bleed in real life football and is really just a wide out, he’s listed as a TE and that means you can cheese that 90+ speed against linebackers all day in Madden. He’ll be just 23 years old making him cheddar for the entire cycle again. Will we see him move teams again like we did this past cycle (Thank you AirV!)
Prediction: 86 Overall, Star Development
2. Noah Fant – Fant was somewhat of a disappointment in real life but that doesn’t quite matter for Madden. It really only means that he won’t start out as high in overall but whoever gets the Broncos (See #5 on the list) will have an unbelieve chance at developing the 89 speed Fant into an XCFL stud for the entire cycle..
Prediction: 79 Overall, Star Development
1. Geore Kittle – I put Kittle at #1 because he should start out as a 90+, he’s still relatively young (26) so whoever drafts the 49ers should have his talents for a majority of the cycle and he should get awesome abilities because he undoubtedly will be an X-Factor TE. Kittle also had a very good run blocking rating (who cares?) and that certainly helps his position on this list.
Prediction: 96 Overall, X-Factor Development
My guesses for Madden 20:
Top 5 TE’s
5. Trey Burton
4. George Kittle
3. Hunter Henry
2. Noah Fant
1. Evan Engram
JEEZ THESE WERE BAD GUESSES!!!
Now that the Draft is over, I’ll take a deep dive for each position and who I think are the top 5 guys you need to know that can help you make your Madden 21 team selection. Much like I did last year, the rankings will take age, what I think their development will be, and attributes to come to my conclusion who the top 5 guys at that position are. I will also include who I thought were the top 5 going into Madden 20 so my guesses have accountability. We continue below with the Madden 21 WR’s:
Top 5 WR’s
5. Amari Cooper – I’ll start by prefacing this top 5 by saying that most of the stud wide outs in the NFL are not very young anymore. Cooper is 26 which is right in the middle of his Madden prime. However, he should be a 90+ with good speed and you will have his talents for at least 5 seasons of the cycle which is still pretty solid.
Prediction: 92 Overall, SuperStar Development
4. Michael Thomas – Like Cooper, Thomas is another top wide out that is 26 and in the middle of his prime. Although his speed will not be great (89 this past madden) he undoubtably will be close to max in all the catching categories and will have great abilities (if they add them again) making him a very good Madden player well into his 30’s.
Prediction: 98 Overall, X-Factor Development
3. DK Metcalf – Metcalf is simply tall and fast. Pretty much the only factors that matter for a Madden wide out. He was a star this Madden (however never quite got to his full potential) and will only be more of a factor if he goes to an owner that can hone his skill set. At just 22 years old, Metcalf has to be high on this list.
Prediction: 81 Overall, Star Development
2. Henry Ruggs III – Ruggs will be Hollywood Brown like with his 4.29 speed and clearly the top wideout in this draft class because of that dynamite speed. He’ll be young (21) so (Doss?) will get his services for the entire cycle. I think you could even make the argument that he could be higher on this list if we don’t use abilities again. I think Madden will make them more balanced so he’s #2 on my list.
Prediction: 76 Overall, Star Development
1. Marquise Brown – I think Brown is the clear cut #1 here. He will have that high 90’s speed and will be just 22 years old. He had a pretty solid rookie season in the NFL so he’ll start in the low 80’s and will have an even easier road to developing into a nightmare for XCFL defensive coordinators.
Prediction: 83 Overall, SuperStar Development
My guesses for Madden 20:
5. DK Metcalf
4. Marquise Brown
3. Julio Jones
2. Stefan Diggs
1. Odell Beckham Jr.
Now that the Draft is over, I’ll take a deep dive for each position and who I think are the top 5 guys you need to know that can help you make your Madden 21 team selection. Much like I did last year, the rankings will take age, what I think their development will be, and attributes to come to my conclusion who the top 5 guys at that position are. I will also include who I thought were the top 5 going into Madden 20 so my guesses have accountability. We continue below with the Madden 21 RB’s:
Top 5 RB’s:
5. Alvin Kamara – Kamara had somewhat of a down year in real life but is still a dominant player at just age 24. His abilities in M20 were better for pass catching but he will still have good speed and running back ratings for his age
Prediction: 90 Overall, SuperStar Development
4. Nick Chubb – Chubb was a stud in real life this past season and in M20. He had a unique combination of size, speed and power that many running backs didn’t possess. At just 24, you won’t need to develop him much at all like this past year and he enters this top 5 list for the first time.
Prediction: 89 Overall, SuperStar Development
3. Ezekial Elliot – It’s hard to believe Zeke is still only 24 years old. He has seemingly been in the NFL forever. Knowing how young he still is and his almost guaranteed 90+ ranking puts him at #3 on this list.
Prediction: 94 Overall, X-Factor Development
2. Christian McCaffrey – McCaffrey is only 23 years old and ended the Madden 20 cycle as a 99 overall. He would’ve been #1 on this list however I think his skill set (and attributes) is much better for a pass first offense. Regardless he’s young and VERY good.
Prediction: 97 Overall, X-Factor Development
1. Saquan Barkley – This one wasn’t nearly as tough as the QB rankings. Saquan is the clear cut #1 because of his age and combination of athleticism and power. He was a dominant madden 20 player and that will only be better in M21
Prediction: 91 Overall, X-Factor Development
My guesses for Madden 20:
5. Derrius Guice
4. Alvin Kamara
3. Saquan Barkley
2. Todd Gurley
1. Ezekial Elliot
Now that the Draft is over, I’ll take a deep dive for each position and who I think are the top 5 guys you need to know that can help you make your Madden 21 team selection. Much like I did last year, the rankings will take age, what I think their development will be, and attributes to come to my conclusion who the top 5 guys at that position are. I will also include who I thought were the top 5 going into Madden 20 so my guesses have accountability. We start below with the Madden 21 QB’s:
Top 5 QB’s:
5. Jordan Love – This was the toughest choice for this top 5. The other guys are clear cut top young QB’s in the NFL. I could’ve chose a number of different guys at this spot including Baker Mayfield, Daniel Jones and Deshaun Watson but went with Love because he will only be 21 and should have high throw power and decent athletic ability. I also believe he will get the star development tag which will make the Packer’s owner’s decision easier to move on from Aaron Rodgers.
Prediction: 72 Overall, Star Development
4. Kyler Murray – Kyler Murray has athleticism much like Lamar Jackson just won’t come with as high throw power as Jackson. His development also won’t be as high but he will still be a young stud that make the Cardinals that much more appealing.
Prediction: 84 Overall, SuperStar Development
3. Joe Burrow – Although Joe Burrow is already 23 years old, I believe he will get the coveted Superstar development. His #1 selection is this year’s draft allows him to be a sure fire high 70’s overall QB his rookie season.
Prediction: 77 Overall, SuperStar Development
2. Lamar Jackson - Michael Vick athletic ability to go along with high throw power. Should be a dominant force in Madden 21 after his MVP season and the cover guy selection.
Prediction: 96 Overall, X-Factor Development
1. Patrick Mahomes – This was a tough having to decide the two cover guys but I went with Mahomes again in the #1 spot. He will still be ridiculously young (24 years old) and will have the highest throw power in the game which we all I know is the most important attribute for a QB in madden.
Prediction: 98 Overall, X-Factor Development
My guesses for Madden 20:
5. Lamar Jackson
4. Kyler Murray
3. Baker Mayfield
2. Jared Goff
1.Patrick Mahomes
By the Numbers: Does the XCFL over value the 2nd round pick?
After an interesting back and forth with an XCFL member on trade offers, it got me thinking about the value of 2nd round picks in the XCFL. I will use this past draft primarily but also prior drafts to come to a conclusion on just how valuable they are.
This past draft had :
3 SuperStars – 73, 69, 74
4 Stars – 76, 69 67, 73
25 Normals – 66, 67, 67, 64, 69, 70, 69, 70, 68, 69, 67, 68, 68, 65, 63, 66, 70, 69, 69, 73, 73, 67, 65, 71, 63
Using these numbers when drafting in the 2nd round you have :
a 9% chance of drafting a SuperStar
a 13% chance at drafting a Star
a 78% chance at drafting a Normal
You have a chance at drafting :
A 31% chance at drafting a player in the 70’s
A 47% chance at drafting a player 67-69
A 22% chance at drafting a player 66 and below
So far this cycle we have drafted 288 players in the 2nd round. We have 10 that are 90 Overall + (3% chance which goes hand in hand with the numbers above).
Reggie Bird 93 Overall SuperStar (2nd round 9th pick)
Wesley Routt 93 Overall SuperStar (2nd round 3rd pick)
Kobi Conner 92 Overall X-Factor (2nd round 1st pick)
Bradley Russo 92 Overall X-Factor (2nd round 25th pick)
Ken Ellsworth 91 Overall X-Factor (2nd round 1st pick)
DeMarco Frazier 91 Overall Star (2nd round 31st pick)
Jean Dillon 91 Overall X-Factor (2nd round 10th pick)
Cassidy Sylvester 91 Overall X-Factor (2nd round 25th pick)
Tevin Lamb 90 Overall SuperStar (2nd round 27th pick)
Kris Tatum 90 Overall X-Factor (2nd round 26th pick)
Using all this information I have come to the conclusion that while you have a chance at getting an elite player (3%) you are far more likely to get a normal development (80%) player between 67-69 (47%). Also 2nd round picks in the top 10 of the round were almost 50% more likely to land you that stud you were hoping to get. All in all, unless you have an early pick in the 2nd round, consider yourself almost guaranteed to get a depth player you’re going to have to develop quite a bit even just to crack your starting lineup.