If you've ever played Madden, you know their ratings can be pretty harsh on rookies. But we got our hands on their ratings for "Madden NFL 20" and they at least gave some respect to the three Broncos draft picks for whom we have ratings at this time. Here's a quick breakdown of their top skill ratings in Madden's preseason estimates — if you're a fan of the series, you know that ratings can and will fluctuate as the player proves their talent on the field throughout the year. You can just look to Phillip Lindsay's Madden trajectory for proof of that: He started the season with a 69 overall rating and ended it with an 84. Surely, the Broncos will have more rookies to make climbs like that this year, right?
Noah Fant
After Fant's 4.5-second 40-yard dash at the Combine in March, it comes as no surprise that his highest-rated skills are his athletic traits: jumping (93), acceleration (91), speed (89) and agility (89). Fant's jumping rating is tied with Justin Simmons and Shamarko Thomas for best on the Broncos' roster. Fant's and Simmons' vertical jumps at the Combine (39.5 inches and 40, respectively) ranked top among their position groups, and Thomas was tied for best in 2013.
Dalton Risner
It seems that the physical skills may be the easiest for Madden's raters to evaluate, because again, those are where Risner's top attributes lie. His toughness (90) and injury (85) ratings speak well to his reliability during his college years, when he started all 50 games that he played, including 38 at right tackle and 12 at center. But we hope his blocking skills, including a current 81 impact blocking rating, will rise once the season starts and he can show his game is about more than just strength (which is rated 85).
Drew Lock
Aside from some pretty solid stamina, injury and toughness ratings (94, 94 and 93, respectively), Lock's strongest skills in Madden as a quarterback at this time are in his arm strength. His 87 throw-power rating is a great starting point, and that toughness helps his throw-under-pressure rating of 81. Combined, it makes him a dangerous passer on long throws — which is also supported by his deep throw-accuracy rating of 80. With the Broncos' expectations for him to develop in coming years, this should be an outstanding starting point in Madden.
