It is that time of year again for the Madden video game franchise to start revealing its ratings for each player, and for the second year in a row, Terry McLaurin is among the best at his position.
McLaurin was given a 92 overall rating, which is the eighth best among receivers, according to a graphic on the Madden 24 Twitter account, an improvement over the 91 he was given last year. McLaurin, who earned a Pro Bowl selection for the first time during the 2022 season, also received top ratings in speed (94) and catch ability (97). McLaurin's rating is the best among all NFC East receivers.
Here's a better look at how McLaurin's ratings shaped out:
- Overall: 92
- Speed: 94
- Acceleration: 93
- Catching: 97
- Agility: 88
- Awareness: 89
- Short route running: 89
- Medium route running: 90
- Deep route running: 90
The latest rating is the continuation of an upward trend for McLaurin since he was drafted in the third round back in 2019. His rating has improved every season, starting with the 70 he received in Madden 20.
The reason for that is simple: McLaurin has been one of the most consistently productive wideouts over the last four seasons. He set a new career high in 2022 with 1,191 yards on 77 receptions, despite getting 10 fewer targets than he did in 2021.
McLaurin wrapped up the year 10th in total receiving yards despite being 22nd in targets and tied for 25th in receptions. In terms of his fellow NFC East wideouts, McLaurin ranked fourth behind Brown, CeeDee Lamb and DeVonta Smith.
Compared to the other receivers drafted in 2019, including Brown, Deebo Samuel, Darius Slayton and Marquise Brown, McLaurin has surpassed almost all of them in nearly every category. He ranks second with 4,281 yards and third in receptions with 299 among that group of receivers, and according to Pro Football Focus, Mclaurin ranks second in career offensive grades (79.9) and career receiving grade (83.0).
In terms of contested catches, there are few, if any, receivers who are better than McLaurin, and that shows in his Madden ratings. Because of catches like the one he made over Stephon Gilmore in Washington's game against the Indianapolis Colts, McLaurin's spectacular catch rating is a 95, while his catch in traffic rating is 94.
McLaurin has always been praised for his route running, and that is reflected in his Madden ratings as well. His ratings in different routes are shown above, but another area in which McLaurin stands out is in his change of direction, which is at an 89.
McLaurin was able to earn all these high ratings all while working with three different starting quarterbacks once again. Now, it looks like Sam Howell will be given a chance to be the permanent starter for 2023. Howell, while only a second-year player, does have several appealing qualities, like his arm strength, that could help McLaurin improve his numbers even further. So far, McLaurin has been impressed with what he has seen.
"He's very confident in his ability, and he's not afraid to give guys the opportunity to make plays," McLaurin said. "You can really tell he has a good grasp of playing football, especially for a young guy coming in with a pretty challenging offense."
The Madden ratings for the rest of the Commanders' roster will be released with the rest of the league later this week. Madden 24 will be released Aug. 15.
