Madden 18 ratings: Julio Jones doesn't need a dive team to be top WR

The Atlanta Falcons’ star wideout will lead the way for wide receivers in Madden this year when the game launches next month.

The Madden ratings just keep on rolling in, as the top-rated rookies, quarterbacks and running backs have already been unveiled. But EA Sports didn’t want to keep anyone hanging just before the weekend, and so the top five wide receivers for Madden NFL 18 were revealed on Friday.

Though there aren’t many surprised about who is on this list, it’s more of the order that may get people talking and speculating. The current NFL has an insane amount of depth at the position, and getting to a top five can be tough without leaving a few out. EA’s honorable mentions for this list included De’Andre Hopkins (91 overall), Jordy Nelson (90 overall) and Larry Fitzgerald (90 overall), which tells you that we’re about to enter some truly elite company.

Here are the top five wideouts, according to the Madden ratings:

#5: Dez Bryant – Dallas Cowboys (91 OVR)

With an 89 Speed rating, he is the slowest of the bunch here; but that doesn’t mean he isn’t useful. A 98 Jump puts him at the top of the list among wideouts, along with high-90 catch ratings that make him a sure target to throw to even in heavy traffic. With the Cowboys starting to turn a page into a new era behind quarterback Dak Prescott and standout halfback Ezekiel Elliot, Bryant may be as good as he’s even been in both the virtual and real-life gridiron.

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#4: Odell Beckham Jr – New York Giants (93 OVR)

The Madden NFL16 cover boy once again finds himself in the upper echelon of receivers this year. With 94’s in Speed, Awareness, and Acceleration, it’s hard to argue that OBJ isn’t a valuable asset to any team in the game. The young gun also gets a 99 Spectacular Catch rating paired with 97 Agility, which can make him tough to cover even for the best of secondaries. One of his big downsides is a lack of Strength, coming in at a 49. That’ll make it tough to shake off defenders trying to drag him down, but if he’s in the open field or in one-on-one coverage; there’s not many that are better.

#3: A.J. Green – Cincinnati Bengals (94 OVR)

The tallest wideout on this list at 6’4″, Green is still certainly in the conversation for a top-five spot in his position. His height makes him an easy target to lob to if the situation warrants it, along with a 97 Jump rating that pairs nicely with it. He can also be pretty hard to catch and keep up with thanks to a 91 Speed, 90 Acceleration and 94 Agility; so Green could be getting open more times that defenses would like. Even his 72 Strength is pretty impressive, leaving the former Georgia Bulldog with some solid numbers on launch day.

#2: Antonio Brown – Pittsburgh Steelers (97 OVR)

This definitely wouldn’t be a conversation without the Steelers’ all-pro, all-twerking touchdown machine. He topped the pre-release wideout list last year, and for a good reason; but somehow he was eclipsed by the very same guy that was in the second spot last year. At any rate, Brown will be one of the very best players in Madden period, with a 98 in both Awareness and Agility so that he can scope out defenses before shaking them off when the ball snaps. 98 seems to be a good number for him though, as EA decided to give him that same amount to his Catch rating and Ball Carrier Vision to make things even more interesting. Despite being on the lower end with a 92 Speed and 93 Acceleration, a 97 Juke and 93 Kick Return should more than make up for it.

#1: Julio Jones – Atlanta Falcons (98 OVR)

Jones may need a dive team to help find a $150k earring, but when it comes to Madden, he’s a one-man army. The All-Pro wideout has been wowing folks since his college days at Alabama, and he’s set for another monster year with the Falcons. His 99 Awareness is the highest among players on this list, along with a 98 Catch, 94 Speed and 95 Agility to make him even an even more dangerous, yet sure target for any quarterback.

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The latter pairs nicely with a 91 Juke and 84 Spin Move to make Jones even harder to stop in one-on-one situations, and even a 78 Strength could shrug off defenders trying to drag him to the turf. Jones will be a complete package this year for Madden-heads and is a must-get in any sort of team-building mode.

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Madden 18 ratings: Julio Jones doesn’t need a dive team to be top WR

By Michael Owens | Jul 28, 2017