It's that time of year when NFL fans get mad online because the makers of Madden did not give their favorite player the proper rating in their latest version of the game. While that's often a case of simple homerism, sometimes EA Sports gets something so wrong that it gets under the skin of any rational observer.
This year it seems like their great error was overlooking the remarkable tandem on the back end of the Seattle Seahawks' defense. Specificaly, we're talking about Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, two of the game's top rising stars at one of its most important positions.
Despite both of them having made a Pro Bowl team during their short time in the NFL, neither one of them are apparently good enough to make Madden's top 10 this year. Or top 15, either. Here's a look at the top-18 rated cornerbacks in this year's game, per Ari Meirov at the 33rd team.
1) Sauce Gardner: 97
2) Jalen Ramsey: 96
3) Patrick Surtain: 95
4) Jaire Alexander: 93
5) L’Jarius Snead: 92
6) Charvarius Ward: 91
7) Marlon Humphrey: 91
8) Denzel Ward: 90
9) Marshon Lattimore: 90
10) Trent McDuffie: 90
11) AJ Terrell: 89
12) Darius Slay: 89
13) Jaylon Johnson: 89
14) Trevon Diggs: 89
15) DaRon Bland: 88
16) Derek Stingley: 88
17) Tre’Davious White: 88
18) Kendall Fuller: 87
It is only a game. That said, this latest disrespect for Seattle is annoying enough to warrant a come-on-man.
Witherspoon was the fifth overall pick in the draft last year and hit the league like a comet. Even in his first handful of games, it was immediately clear that Spoon is already the best pass-rusher from the slot in the league, his coverage was more than solid (87.9 rating and 58.3% completion rate allowed) and his run defense grade was second on the team behind only Bobby Wagner. Moreover, he was a hard hitter and tone-setter for a defense that was otherwise lacking any real teeth.
As for Woolen, he may have had a rough second year tackling in 2023 but his coverage was still strong, especially in man-to-man situations. Woolen's ball skills are also exceptional, having totaled eight interceptions and 27 pass breakups in just two years. Bottom line, there's more than one corner on that list above that hasn't produced anything like Woolen or impressed near the level of Witherspoon.
Just one more item for the Seahawks' 2024 bulletin board, which should be pretty extensive at this point.
