EA Sports dropped the Madden 27 rookie ratings this week, and the list already has people talking. The top of the board is a tie between two players who weren’t even the first overall pick. In fact, that guy — quarterback Fernando Mendoza — doesn’t even show up in the top 10.
Jeremiyah Love and Caleb Downs both landed at 82 overall, making them the highest-rated rookies in this year’s game. Love, the running back out of Notre Dame, went third overall to the Arizona Cardinals in the 2026 NFL Draft. He put up nearly 2,500 rushing yards over the last two college seasons with 40 total touchdowns. He’ll line up next to Trey McBride, who’s a 99 overall in Madden 27. That offense in Arizona could be fun to run with on the virtual field.
Downs went 11th overall to the Dallas Cowboys. He’s a strong safety who won a National Championship and the Jim Thorpe Award at Ohio State. Dallas had one of the worst defenses in the league last year, and the front office clearly wanted to fix that in a hurry. Downs and rookie teammate Malachi Lawrence (78 overall) will try to turn things around in Dallas.
David Bailey, the second overall pick, sits at 81 overall. The edge rusher out of Boston College put up 14.5 sacks in his final college season, and the Jets grabbed him to punish AFC East quarterbacks. Bailey is the only player in the top three who didn’t tie for the highest rating, but 81 is nothing to shrug at.
The rest of the top 10
Rueben Bain Jr. checks in at 80 overall. The former Miami Hurricane had 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in 2025. He’s heading to Tampa Bay, where the Buccaneers defense already has some bite. Bain gives them another pass rusher who can get after it on third down.
After that, the ratings bunch up fast. Arvell Reese (79 overall) is a WILL linebacker for the Giants. Mansoor Delane (79) goes to Kansas City as a cornerback. Akheem Mesidor (79) will rush the passer for the Chargers. Spencer Fano (79) is the left tackle taken by Cleveland. Malachi Lawrence (78) is the second Dallas rookie on the list. Francis Mauigoa (78) is a guard headed to the Giants.
Notably absent: Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick. Despite leading Indiana to a 16-0 season and winning the National Championship, he starts Madden 27 with just a 74 overall rating. That feels low for a guy who just ran the table in college, but EA clearly has its doubts about how his game translates. Or maybe they just think the rookie class is that deep. Either way, it’s a talking point.
These ratings are not locked in for good. EA releases roster updates every week during the NFL season, and player ratings go up or down based on real performance. If Love and Downs play well in September, they’ll climb. If Mendoza lights it up, he’ll catch up fast. And if someone on this list gets benched? The whole board shifts.
The game drops in August. We’ll see who lives up to the number.
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