Image via Complex Original
The Hit Stick was cool, and the Playmaker controls for presnap reads were nice. The ability to guide your lead blockers made the running game more enjoyable, and this year’s new camera angles and broadcast-style presentation can’t hurt either.
But make no mistake: EA Sports’ Madden franchise has always been about the players. From superstar Adrian Peterson to little-known punter Zoltan Mesko, Madden devs have always poured loads of time and energy into getting the superstars right, and after 23 years in the biz, it’s paid off in a serious way. Fans clamor to know the top-rated guys each year, and even the players themselves beg to find out their ratings.
With that in mind, Complex would like to bring you our 50 favorite players in the history of the franchise. (And no, folks, Madden 12 coverboy Peyton Hillis didn’t make our list.)
50. Taylor Mays
Most Dominant Year: 2011
That's right. Taylor Mays, a 6-3 second-year safety who may not even start for the San Francisco 49ers earns a spot on this list. No, we're not crazy, but we have played plenty online. And while Mays is hardly the second coming of Mike Singletary, he's boasts a 95 speed rating and a 92 hit power rating. That's terrifying talent in the hands of a smart user, making him one of the best defenders in the game (check that: history of the game) for usering on defense.
49. Devin Hester
Most Dominant Year: 2008
Aside from a few dynamic punt returns, Hester's never made much of an impact in the real NFL, and he's struggled to make an impact as a receiver. But boy, can he jet in the video game. Four years ago, he even redefined Madden, earning a 100 speed rating, the highest in series history, and that made him tremendously useful in Madden 08. That extra tick of speed made him a tough one-on-one cover, occasionally forcing opposing teams to roll a safety his way.
48. Vince Young
Most Dominant Year: 2008
Yes, everyone. That Vince Young. Sure, he walked out on his team last season, and he's never close the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. But the Madden gods have always loved VY's speed, and he's typically one of the game's fastest signal-callers. In the right hands, that makes for a devastatingly dangerous online QB. Young would rank even higher on this list if he'd played in Madden before 2005, when EA did its best to remove some of the running QB advantage.
47. Rich Gannon
Most Dominant Year: 2004
Gannon was far from a superstar in tours of duty with the Vikings, Bucs and Chiefs, but something clicked when he landed in Jon Gruden's offense with the Raiders. In 2002, he led Oakland to the Super Bowl title and led the league in completions, attempts and passing yards. His reward? An NFL MVP, and a hefty 97 rating in Madden 2004. The rating came with some solid speed, too, and just in case you haven't picked up on it, we love QBs who can run. Unfortunately for Gannon, his career crumbled after that; he suffered a shoulder injury in early 2003 and a neck injury in 2004.
46. Nnamdi Asomugha
Most Dominant Year: 2010
No, we can't say his name either, but we can tell you this: The Human Tongue-twister is one of the game's finest lockdown cornerbacks. He's also pretty anonymous, because he hardly intercepts the ball, and he spends most games simply erasing one opposing receiver. Asomugha does pretty much the same thing on the pixelated gridiron, although he doesn't help as much online; most knowledgeable gamers aim for slot receivers and ignore No. 1 and 2 targets. Then again, Asomugha makes you do that, anyway, and he was the top-rated defensive player in Madden 10.
45. Darrelle Revis
Most Dominant Year: 2011
Best man cover corner in the NFL. Takes away a full side of the field. Supreme technician. You'd think Revis would be higher on this list, right? Yeah, but like Asomugha, he suffers from the fact that smart gamers rarely throw to their outside receivers. He's still a heckuva player, though, and here's an idea: Play him at strong safety so he can cover those tricky slot wideouts.
44. Steve McNair
Most Dominant Year: 2001
Have you figured out our love for running QBs yet? No button combination of Franchise addition or graphical improvement has revolutionized Madden as much as the scrambling QB, and it all started with McNair in 2001. The Titans signal-caller could roll out and draw the defense, and thanks to a few unrealistic design decisions, he could throw incredibly accurately on the run. He was as fast as a tailback, with the arm of a Pro Bowler.
43. Deion Sanders
Most Dominant Year: 1995
Prime Time is a relic from the 16-bit era, back when the game was all passing windows and arcade sound bites, and the Sega Genesis was en vogue. But man, was Deion good. Mid-1990s screen views limited how often you actually controlled defensive players, often forcing you to play a pass-rusher and rarely letting you roam the secondary. That made Sanders that much more valuable. We never saw his player rating, but he picked off enough balls for us to know he had a pretty good Catch rating.
42. Jerry Rice
Most Dominant Year: 1993
Ready for another relic? Hope so, because we have a few more on our list. The NFL's all-time leading receiver earns a top-50 spot because he's the finest receiver in the passing-windows era. We can still remember playing as the 49ers in Madden 93. Couldn't find an open receiver? We just hit the A-button on our oddly-shaped Sega Genesis controller. Why? Because that was usually Rice's passing window.
41. Derrick Brooks
Most Dominant Year: 2003
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer is one of a handful of linebackers who proved lethal in users' hands. He was one of the game's dominant 'backers from 1995-2008, and always a highly-rated figure in Madden. Most importantly, he was fast, getting from sideline to sideline and racking up tackles.
40. Charles Woodson
Most Dominant Year: 2008
For a Madden corner, Woodson isn't particularly fast, and he's not terribly strong. But EA's always granted him high Catch and Awareness ratings, and that's always made him one of the best cover corners in the game. And if you're someone who loves confusing opponents and playing actual Cover-2 zones, you love Woodson, because he's one of the best zone CBs in the game.
39. DeSean Jackson
Most Dominant Year: 2011
Remember Devin Hester, No. 49 on our list? Think of the Eagles' D-Jax as a souped-up version of Hester, a blink-and-he's-gone speedster with actual hands and route-running ability. Oh, and he can return punts, too. Jackson's overall rating has risen steadily since he entered the league, making him a more dangerous Madden receiver every season. And did we mention that he plays with Michael Vick? Yup, that makes him even more lethal.
38. Eddie George
Most Dominant Year: 2001
Three yards and a cloud of dust is bad. Five yards and half a first down? Not so bad. And that's what 2001 coverboy Eddie George routinely delivered. In his heyday, the Titans star was a bowling ball of a tailback, and EA replicated him to a tee in the video game. This was years before Madden introduced gang tackling, too, so that meant one man had to bring down 240 pixelated pounds all by himself, hardly an easy task. Our lone regret is that George retired in 2004; we would have loved to see him bowl over two and three defenders in this new era of group tackles.
37. Peyton Manning
Most Dominant Year: 2006
The Colts QB doesn't have that one standout characteristic that makes him a video game force, which is just fine, because he's still ultra-consistent and ultra-skilled. Manning can make all the throws, and he brings high Awareness ratings every year. Oddly, he's never been on the cover of the game, despite being one of the most well-known faces of the NFL. Then again, maybe he's just trying to avoid that curse.
36. Brian Urlacher
Most Dominant Year: 2003
The 33-year-old Bears linebacker may be slowing down a bit these days, but he's still a solid middle linebacker, and he can play for our team any day. In his heyday, Urlacher regularly garnered high-80s Speed ratings, and he rivaled Ray Lewis for top middle linebacker honors. He fit the mold of a Madden player, too, flying to the ball and regularly making big plays.
35. Marvin Harrison
Most Dominant Year: 2003
Much like his Colts teammate Peyton Manning, Harrison never really had that one overwhelming characteristic. He wasn't the biggest wideout, and he was never the fastest. But he always ran crisp routes, and he never ever dropped passes he should catch. That made him a reliable target until his retirement in 2008. And nobody ever minded having him on their Madden teams, either.
34. Daunte Culpepper
Most Dominant Year: 2006
Once upon a time, the Vikings QB was one of the best signal-callers in the game, a 6-4, 260-pound bundle of size, speed, strength and passing ability. Then, he landed on the cover of Madden 2002, and it's all been downhill since then. He was actually a devastating player in that game, an almost untackle-able force in the open field with a dangerous arm to boot. But in reality, he suffered a rash of injuries after making the cover, and by last year, his NFL career was no more.
33. Kurt Warner
Most Dominant Year: 2001
When Rams coach Dick Vermeil uncovered Warner in 1998, he had little clue that he'd discovered one of football's most accurate QBs. The unknown Warner proved a perfect fit for St. Louis' timing-based offense, guiding the Rams to a pair of Super Bowls, and he wound up emerging as perhaps the most dangerous QB of the PlayStation 2 era. He was even more dangerous because of the trio of jet-quick receivers he worked with – Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Az-Zahir Hakim. If you threw the ball with Warner on time, any of those guys could turn upfield and easily score.
32. Ben Roethlisberger
Most Dominant Year: 2008
Another big, strong, fast QB. Are you catching on that we love those? Roethlisberger stands 6-5 and weighs a country-strong 241 pounds. He's not the fastest guy in the world, but he's just fast enough to escape the pocket when a pass-rusher bears down on you. Big Ben has a terrifically strong arm, too, although his accuracy has been shaky in past years.
31. Ty Law
Most Dominant Year: 2003
Typically, it's tough to fall in love with any Madden defensive back who can't crack a 90 Speed rating, but in the case of Law's 87, we'll make an exception. Law hasn't played a down since 2009, but back in the day, he was a corner you had to have. His in-game performances belied those silly ratings, mostly because he was heady enough to always be in position to make plays. He intercepted plenty of passes for us, and was a solid all-around corner.
30. Asante Samuel
Most Dominant Year: 2007
Like Law, the Eagles' Samuel doesn't blow away radar guns when he takes the track, although he does clock in with a 90 Speed rating in 2011. Another thing Asante has in common with Law? Tremendous ball awareness. Philly's go-to corner (at least before Asomugha arrived this year) has 42 career picks in nine seasons, and that's always been reflected in his Madden ratings. And think about this, folks: This year's Eagles currently have Asomugha manning one corner spot and Samuel holding down the other. Yes, we're pretty sure everyone's choosing them in Franchise mode.
29. Philip Rivers
Most Dominant Year: 2010
Sure, we love mobile QBs, but we can fall in love with a classic pocket passer, too. Especially one who's as unfailingly accurate as Rivers, who earned a 96 Overall accuracy, 96 Short accuracy and 95 Intermediate accuracy this year. He's terrifically strong, too, and over the years, we've watched him shrug off a boatload of virtual tackles, then make a terrific throw to one of his nameless wide receivers. That's good enough for us.
28. Maurice Jones-Drew
Most Dominant Year: 2010
Even if MJD wasn't a Pro Bowl-caliber tailback, the Jacksonville Jaguars runner would make this list for one reason: He actually PLAYS the video game when he has time. Yes, Jones-Drew is a hardcore Madden gamer, folks. But he's also a deathly effective tailback, too, regularly ranking among the fastest runners in the game and featuring surprising strength for a 5-7 running back. Oh, and did we mention that he can catch the ball?
27. Aaron Rodgers
Most Dominant Year: 2011
With Brett Favre out of the picture in Green Bay, Rodgers has gradually emerged to become one of the league's preeminent signal-callers. EA devs have always respected him and given him solid ratings, but 2011 could be Rodgers' virtual coming-out party. Rodgers has a 98 Overall rating, he can make every pass, and oh, he can run a bit, too (79 Speed). Who needs Brett Favre? Not gamers, who can get buy just fine with Aaron.
26. Andre Johnson
Most Dominant Year: 2010
Meet the strongest wideout in the game. The Texans' Johnson is plenty fast (with a 94 Speed rating in this year's game), but he's also tight end strong, which keeps safeties and corners from locking him down effectively. He won't make the acrobatic catch like Randy Moss or a Golden-Age Terrell Owens, but AJ has always gotten the job done.
25. Jared Allen
Most Dominant Year: 2008
The Vikings defensive end coming off the edge has given plenty of real-life QBs nightmares, and he's a headache for virtual signal-callers, too. Allen has never been a tremendous video game athlete, but he more than compensates with a high-90s Power Moves rating and an 86 Acceleration rating. In other words, if he gets a step on an offensive tackle, he's motoring toward the QB. If you lined him up just outside the offensive tackle, you could often get an easy sack out of the shotgun.
24. DeMarcus Ware
Most Dominant Year: 2010
The Cowboys pass-rusher just may be the finest QB-harassing linebacker in the game. Ware burst onto the scene in 2005 and has recorded double-digit sack totals every year except his rookie campaign. He's scary-fast in Madden, and also incredibly versatile. If you shift him to defensive end, his Overall rating actually bumps up to a 99. Why didn't the Cowboys think of that?
23. Brett Favre
Most Dominant Year: 2000
If it seems as if Favre has been around forever, it's most likely because he has. The legendary QB broke into the league in 1991 and retired (we think) before this season. That's 20 years of service, and he's the only QB in the history of the game to land on the Madden cover (he made it in '09) in one uniform then get switched to another. Favre was on the cover as a Packer, but after signing with the Jets, EA started releasing a second box with Favre as a Jet. Favre has never been the game's top-ranked QB, but he always brings a cannon arm.
22. Donovan McNabb
Most Dominant Year: 2006
These days, the 34-year-old quarterback is rapidly sliding into journeyman status, getting ready to play for his third team in three years. But back in 2005, he was a certifiable star for the Philadelphia Eagles, having teamed with a certain Terrell Owens to catapult Philly to the Super Bowl and landed on the Madden 06 cover. McNabb didn't quite have the wheels of some quarterbacks, but he did boast a dangerous enough Speed rating, which, combined with his strength, allowed him to shake off would-be tacklers.
21. Emmitt Smith
Most Dominant Year: 1995
This Cowboys Hall of Famer is the second-fastest running back from the 16-bit era (we'll let you try to guess the first one). In reality, Smith was a straight-ahead runner who took advantage of one of football's finest offensive lines to roar into NFL history books. But video games were much simpler in the 90s, and Madden made Smith the class of its tailbacks. He was noticeably faster than every other runner in Madden 94, a big reason why the Cowboys were the most exciting team in that game.
20. Champ Bailey
Most Dominant Year: 2003
Few cornerbacks have been this good for this long. The Broncos' Bailey has straddled two eras; he broke into the league when everyone was gaming on the PlayStation 2, ranking as one of the fastest corners in the game, a player capable of helping your return units, too. These days, he's a 33-year-old vet, so the Speed rating has gone down. He gets by on guile these days, but heightened Awareness ratings explain why he still ranks among the game's top cover corners.
19. Troy Polamalu
Most Dominant Year: 2010
The Steelers safety shared the cover with Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald in Madden 10, the first time a pair of players landed on the cover. But even before that, the wild-haired Samoan had ranked as one of the game's finest players. Polamalu was always a strong fast hitter, capable of jarring the ball from opposing ballcarriers, and he had solid enough hands to get a few interceptions, too. Gamers love controlling him and roving the passing lanes for interceptions and big hits.
18. Larry Fitzgerald
Most Dominant Year: 2010
Poor Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals wideout may be the only highly regarded receiving target with a Speed rating below a 90. The past few years, he's clocked in with a not-so-robust 89 Speed rating. Still, the 6-3 Fitz more than compensates with his near-flawless hands and close-to-perfect route-running. You have to know how to run offense to get the most out of Fitzgerald, though, because he's one of the few top-shelf wideouts who can't always take it the distance.
17. Drew Brees
Most Dominant Year: 2011
The former second-round pick of the Chargers was good in San Diego, but he really came into his own when he joined the Saints and led them to the Super Bowl title in 2009. Madden had started letting fans select their coverboys by then, and naturally, Brees, the most iconic player from the Super Bowl champ, won the honor. As a passer, he's tremendously accurate, and he's a solid scrambler, too.
16. Steve Young
Most Dominant Year: 1996
Meet the best QB in the 16-bit era. The 49ers southpaw followed Joe Montana and eventually eclipsed him, mostly because of his scrambling ability. Young played in an era when game developers didn't rate players, but one thing was evident when you played with him: This QB could run. He was efficient at rolling out to avoid pressure, buying you more time to make longer throws with those passing windows.
15. Julius Peppers
Most Dominant Year: 2009
The most fearsome defensive end in the game. Peppers was brilliant with the Panthers, and he's continued to be dangerous with the Chicago Bears, thanks to high-80s ratings in both Speed and Strength. He's faster than every offensive tackle in the game – perhaps the history of the game – so if gamers jump the snap count, he's all but guaranteed to get pressure on the opposing QB.
14. Antonio Gates
Most Dominant Year: 2009
It's easy to forget the tight end in Madden, but not when you have Antonio Gates. The perennial Pro Bowler from the San Diego Chargers has size and speed, and the most reliable hands at the position. He's one of the few tight ends that you'd rather play over a wide receiver.
13. Adrian Peterson
Most Dominant Year: 2011
The Vikings' fifth-year back has rushed for at least 1,200 yards and 10 TDs in each of his first four NFL seasons, and these days, he's the second-best back in the game this side of Titans runner Chris Johnson. With an 84 Strength rating and a 97 Speed rating, he can outrun defensive backs, but bull over linebackers. It's a devastating combination that begs gamers to run the ball more, even if they really really want to throw it.
12. Tom Brady
Most Dominant Year: 2008
The Pats QB is as accurate as they come, and with Madden's recent emphasis on tighter defensive zones, that's made him an extra-useful QB. Brady can complete passes in all three areas – short, intermediate and deep – and he throws each one well. About the only thing he can't do is throw on the run, but he's still one of the finest QBs in the history of the game.
11. Ed Reed
Most Dominant Year: 2011
Playing as the safety is a tricky proposition, but if you know how to do it, you can reap major benefits – especially if you're controlling Reed. The Ravens safety broke into the league years ago and instantly developed a reputation as a ball-hawking interception machine. Naturally, he's been blessed with great pixelated hands, too, so if a pass winds up in his area, and you time it right, it's a near-guaranteed interception. Reed's always had a solid Speed rating, too (usually around 93), so he can cover a lot of ground, too.
10. LaDainian Tomlinson
Most Dominant Year: 2007
Long before LT was a platooning Jets tailback, he was a TD machine for the San Diego Chargers. And that's what he did best about five or six years ago in Madden. He earned a perfect 99 Overall rating as recently as three years ago, and back then, he was one of a handful of tailbacks that opponents couldn't solve, fast enough to dash anywhere on the field, and useful enough in the passing game to “accidentally” take a swing pass to the end zone.
9. Ray Lewis
Most Dominant Year: 2005
In 2005, the series introduced the Hit Stick, a right stick flick that was meant to jar opposing ballcarriers so hard that they fumbled the ball. You know who was the most dangerous Hit Stick tackler? Yup, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. Lewis had already established himself as a fearsome force in the league, and he landed on the game's cover. He was just fast enough to make an impact if you played with him, too, and his Hit Stick antics caused many a ballcarrier to helplessly lose the ball.
8. Terrell Owens
Most Dominant Year: 2006
T.O. had a major case of the dropsies early in his career, but by Madden 06, he was pretty surehanded. That explains why he was so devastating in that game. The series introduced Precision Passing then, so tossing jump balls to tall receivers was en vogue. And nobody grabbed the jump ball like T.O. (Ok, there might have been one guy . . .) Owens also had tight end strength and solid speed, making him an all-around threat.
7. Antonio Cromartie
Most Dominant Year: 2008
In real life, Antonio Cromartie is Darrelle Revis' understudy, but in Madden, he's the class of the corners. The Jets cover man stands a rangy 6-3, which leads to a lot of pass interference calls in reality. In Madden, though, he's the perfect height to stay with big wideouts like Terrell Owens. In 2008, EA gave Cromartie a 97 Speed rating and, realizing his penchant for flashy interceptions, they gave him a high Spectacular Catch rating. The result was the finest ball-hawking CB in the history of the game. He's not rated quite that high these days, but he's still among the game's best defenders.
6. Marshall Faulk
Most Dominant Year: 2003
The 2003 coverboy was the finest tailback of the PlayStation 2 era, simply because he could do it all. They didn't come any more versatile than Faulk, who topped 1,300 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in 1999. He was strong enough to run it up the gut, fast enough to get to the edge, and he was a QB's best friend as an outlet receiver, with better hands than the likes of Marvin Harrison. If you had Faulk on your team, you were already off to a good start.
5. Patrick Willis
Most Dominant Year: 2011
We know what you're thinking. This should be Ray Lewis, right? Wrong, because at least in Madden, 49ers linebacker Willis is a far superior player. A year ago, he was a middle linebacker with a 90 Speed rating, 96 Acceleration, 99 Stamina and 99 Tackle. That made him fast enough to stay with some receivers and corners, good enough to tackle the biggest, baddest tailbacks. Oh, and he had enough endurance to contend in the Boston Marathon. Willis is the kind of player you think about creating. But you never create him, because he provides an unfair advantage for seasoned gamers.
4. Randy Moss
Most Dominant Year: 2008
The finest receiver in the history of the game. Ok, ok, the freshly retired Moss is too mercurial to be the best in the real game, but when it comes to video game football, he's the best there is. Terrell Owens was big, and DeSean Jackson was fast, but Moss was both. He stood 6-4, making him tall enough to take advantage of Precision Passing, and his Speed rating was always in the high 90s, meaning he could burn just about any corner. Oh, and did we mention that he could jump? This was the receiver you wanted to build your team around.
3. Barry Sanders
Most Dominant Year: 1999
Throwing the ball has always been a heckuva lot more fun than running it in Madden, but just before he retired, Barry Sanders changed that. The Detroit Lions' Hall of Fame tailback was always scary shifty and ridiculously fast, and Madden 1999 duplicated those abilities flawlessly, showing for the first time just how dangerous a super-speedy rusher could be. It's a shame he retired just before the PlayStation 2 era, because he robbed gamers of a chance to run really run roughshod when the Madden series hit its stride. But this is still the guy who paved the way for the likes of Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson.
2. Chris Johnson
Most Dominant Year: 2011
A 99 Speed rating. A 99 Acceleration rating. The Titans running back is entering just his fourth year in the league, but he's already established himself as the league's nastiest home run threat. That's been reflected in his ratings the past three years. If there's one rusher you don't want to face online, it's CJ2K, who's capable of taking a handoff, scooting up the middle, and wrecking your picture-perfect win. Then again, if he's on your team, it's not so bad at all.
1. Michael Vick
Most Dominant Year: 2004
And it's not even close. Sure, the rest of the guys on this list are great, but not a single one forced developers to revamp the game the way Vick did. Before Vick landed on the cover in Madden 2004, defense was a three-button affair. But after the Falcons QB dominated the online gridiron, forcing EA to make changes, introducing the Hit Stick and slapping a defensive player, LB Ray Lewis, on the cover of Madden 2005. And yet, very little has changed seven years later. Vick is now with the Eagles, and he's again the game's most dangerous QB.