🏈 Madden 27 Rookie Ratings Projections: Predicting Mendoza, Love, Tate's Overalls

One of the most anticipated aspects of the new Madden release each summer is the addition of the latest rookie class to the video game for the first time. 

Last year, the rookie with the highest overall in Madden was Travis Hunter (84 overall), and this year, my Madden 27 rookie ratings projections anticipate that Jeremiyah Love will earn the same rating to lead the way as one of six NFL rookies rated 80 or higher.

Using a combination of EA Sports' ratings for last year's rookie class, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds, pre-draft rankings, and draft landing spots, I projected this year's Madden 27 rookie ratings. 

🎮 Projected top 10 Madden ratings for NFL rookies

• Last year's rookie class saw four players earn an overall of 80 or better to start, with the updated Madden ratings at the end of the season consisting of 20 rookies who were rated 80-plus
• I'm anticipating that this year, EA Sports will be slightly more generous to start with ratings for the top rookies, especially with how freaky some of the athletes in this class are
• Love is considered one of the best running back prospects in recent memory with his big-play ability, and he's the first running back drafted top three since Saquon Barkley in 2018 (Ashton Jeanty went No. 6 last year and was an 83 overall initially)
• It might be a bit of a swing to project Sonny Styles as the second-highest rated rookie, but the No. 7 overall pick is one of the freakiest linebackers to come into the NFL with his size (6-foot-5, 244 pounds with a 43 1/2" vertical and 4.46 40-yard dash)
• Although Caleb Downs slipped to the 11th overall pick, he was a top-five player on the consensus big board and considered one of the top safety prospects of the last decade due to his football IQ and physicality - in the final ratings for Madden 26, Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori led all rookies with an 85 overall
• There was plenty of debate over who the New York Jets would take between David Bailey and Arvell Reese at No. 2 in the 2026 NFL Draft, and both freakish athletes should land somewhere between 79 and 81 after Abdul Carter earned an 81 overall initially last year
• After Tetairoa McMillan was selected 8th overall last year and won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, he ended the season as an 83 overall, so expect Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson to be a few points behind him to start
• Mansoor Delane and Spencer Fano were both selected in the top 10, were the top players at their positions in the class, and are projected to start immediately, so it's hard to imagine either being given a rating lower than 78 to start
• Rueben Bain Jr. is a bit of a wildcard here after he slipped to the 15th overall pick due to his arm length, despite being a dominant force in the College Football Playoff for Miami and ranking in the top 10 on the consensus big board

🔥 Who will be the highest-rated offensive rookies in Madden NFL 27?

Don't miss my NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year power rankings.

• Francis Mauigoa, Vega Ioane, and Kadyn Proctor are all expected to be plug-and-play starters as rookies at guard and all three were top 14 picks, so anything below a 76 for any of them would be surprising
• With his explosiveness - 99th percentile vertical jump (43 1/2") and 98th percentile 40-yard dash (4.39) - Kenyon Sadiq should earn between a 77 and 79 overall, putting his rating on par with the initial ratings of past top 20 picks at tight end like Brock Bowers, Colston Loveland, and Tyler Warren
• Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion, and Omar Cooper Jr. were all selected between picks No. 20 and No. 30 and will likely start with ratings between 76 and 78 - that would put them right around where last year's 23rd overall pick, Matthew Golden (78 overall), finished
• If you're wondering where No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza is, it's rare for rookie QBs to be rated any higher than 75 overall, and I'm projecting him to open as a 73 overall, slightly higher than Cam Ward last year (72) and just behind Drake Maye's rookie rating of 74

🛡️ Who will be the highest-rated defensive rookies in Madden NFL 27?

Don't miss my NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year power rankings.

• Downs was the first safety off the board, but Dillon Thieneman was considered one of the steals of the first round when he fell to the 25th pick - his range and versatility could help him be the highest-rated rookie taken outside the top 20
• Although the love for Chris Johnson came late, the San Diego State product was the only Group of Six player drafted in the first-round, and his crisp footwork and route recognition make him one of the highest floor rookie defenders in the class, which is why I can't see him being rated lower than 75
• Both Akheem Mesidor and Malachi Lawrence are twitchy pass rushers with violent hands, but both should be rated at least two points lower than Bain, if not more
• It was a weak draft for interior defensive linemen, and while both Caleb Banks and Peter Woods ended up in the first round, they were two of the most polarizing prospects, and I'd be shocked if either is rated better than a 75 overall

📈 Who will be the highest-rated rookies at each position in Madden NFL 27?

• There shouldn't be much debate over which players will be the highest rated at each position ... the biggest argument will likely be at linebacker (Styles vs. Reese), guard (Mauigoa vs. Ioane), and defensive tackle (Banks vs. Woods), but beyond that, it seems clear who will earn the top rating
• QB is certainly no debate ... last year Ward was a 72 overall as the No. 1 pick while Jaxson Dart was a 68 overall initially as the second QB off the board, so expect Ty Simpson to be three to four points lower than Mendoza
• At running back, Love could be rated double-digit points higher than Jadarian Price, who was his backup at Notre Dame before being selected No. 32 by the defending Super Bowl champions
• Wide receiver is loaded this year with eight wide receivers selected in the top 50, but the more interesting conversation might be how big a gap there is between Sadiq and the second tight end off the board, Eli Stowers, whom I have projected to be a 74 overall
• Though he didn't play center at Georgia Tech, Keylan Rutledge is expected to start at center for the Houston Texans, and that means he's almost guaranteed to be the highest-rated rookie at the position, though Logan Jones shouldn't be too far behind
• Fullbacks still matter, but only one was drafted, so expect Max Bredeson to easily be the highest-rated one in the rookie class
• When it comes to defense in this rookie class, there's plenty of talent, and that's why six of the eight players I'm projecting to earn a 79 overall or better are from that side of the ball, and why it's pretty clear-cut who will be the top at each position
• This isn't a great rookie class for specialists, with just two punters (Ryan Eckley, Tommy Doman), one kicker (Trey Smack), and zero long snappers drafted, but Smack and Eckley's leg strength should earn them the top spots at their positions

📊 Projected Madden ratings for first-round rookies

💎 Projected Madden ratings for high-profile non-first-round rookies