Baltimore Ravens: Madden 19 got Lamar Jackson’s rating all wrong

Madden 19 is rumored to have Baltimore Ravens first-round pick Lamar Jackson with a 67 overall rating, which is downright disrespectful.

During the 2018 NFL Draft, Lamar Jackson was one of the most polarizing players. Jackson raised some eyebrows when he opted not to run the 40-yard dash at the Combine or his Pro Day. In fact, it was a Los Angeles Chargers scout who made Jackson rethink running the 40 as they asked him about playing wide receiver.

The decision was Jackson’s way to further remove himself from the receiver conversation — and it worked. Jackson went on to become the the fifth quarterback taken in the first-round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The Baltimore Ravens traded back into the first round and made Jackson the pick at No. 32, the assumed successor to Joe Flacco. 

Since becoming a Raven, Jackson has surprised many of his teammates — including linebacker C.J. Mosley. When asked about Jackson, Mosley had this to say, via CBS Sports:

"“Once he gets out of the pocket, it’s like watching a young Michael Vick… It’s amazing to watch. When you’re defending him, you just have to act like you’re tagging off — you don’t want to be on the highlight reel."

Additionally, Jason La Canfora predicted that Lamar Jackson would play for the Ravens Week 1. 

"“Lamar Jackson is going to be on the field Week 1… Maybe it’s three plays, maybe it’s eight plays. He’s going to be on the field Week 5, and maybe it’s 10 plays and maybe it’s 15 plays, depending on how the offense goes.”"

With so much hype and expectations, why would Madden 19 rate him so low, giving him an overall rating of 67? Furthermore, how does a quarterback picked in the first round receive a rating less than 72?

There’s no other first round prospect that is expected to be ranked lower than a 70 in Madden 19. And as one of the top quarterbacks taken in the draft, Jackson should warrant a better rating on merit alone. However, that doesn’t appear to be enough.

As an incoming prospect NFL Draft, analysts like Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein raved about Jackson’s arm talent. Like any other prospect, there were questions about him from his size to his decision-making. Jackson dispelled the size rumors weighing in at 216 pounds with room to grow given his 6-2 frame. 

As far as the questions about his accuracy, Jackson showed improvement as a passer every year he was in college. This was all while playing under former NFL head coach, Bobby Petrino, in a system that implements Pro-style concepts. Comparably, fellow first-rounder Josh Allen had back-to-back seasons of completing 56 percent of his passes. And he will no doubt be several points higher in terms of his rating on Madden 19.

Last season, at the launch of Madden 18, there were three quarterbacks taken after the first round who all received ratings over 70. DeShone Kizer was known for being a pocket passer with a strong arm. While at Notre Dame he completed 58.7 percent of passes for 2,925 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Kizer’s rating was a 75. 

Then there’s former Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard, who was taken in third round by the San Francisco 49ers, higher than he was projected to go. In college, Beathard completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,926 yards 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions — Madden 18 rated him at 72.

Next: NFL 2018: 20 QBs with best chance at 5,000 yards

Finally, we have former Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobb,s who was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round. Similarly to Jackson, he was known for his legs. In college he completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,946 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His Madden rating at the launch was also a 72.

Madden 19 rating Lamar Jackson anything less than a 72 is a mistake by the creators. With all of Jackson’s college success and the numerous scouting reports and analysis, he’s got more people to prove wrong now, specifically those at EA Sports.