Although technology has advanced nicely in the last few decades, there are still moments when gamers can tell the difference between the real game on the field and the action in a video game. Nowhere is it more glaring than when comparing Madden NFL 23 to the actual NFL.
While the real game of football tends to be quarterback-centric, Madden NFL 23 is all about the running backs. The pro players win tournaments with special teams players at quarterback but invest in big-time running talent. Unless that equation changes, that means these players will be the most important pieces to winning in the video game.
Updated on February 20th, 2023 by Hodey Johns: The regular season, playoffs, and Super Bowl have concluded. With that all in the books, gamers will be bracing for a long offseason. Ratings adjusters have been working overtime, week-to-week, shifting players based on their performance in the previous weeks. Now, with the last performance in the books, players can pick up and drop players knowing what their stats will be. The ratings adjusters do, sometimes, inexplicably make small changes to player statistics during the offseason. However, this list will likely remain intact and the player statistics won't change substantially enough to merit a significant alteration.
13 Austin Ekeler - 88 OVR
Among the league's most heavily-used running backs, how many can say that they never fumbled the ball last year? That would be just one, Austin Ekeler, who kept the ball secure and provided an excellent ground game to balance out Justin Herbert and the passing game.
This year, Ekeler has had to drop most of his running duties and play receiver instead due to injuries. Incredibly, Ekeler finished the year fifth in receptions among all players. The Chargers are hoping to give Ekeler more opportunities to run the ball, yet it's good to know that he's versatile enough to be a threat at either position.
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11 Joe Mixon - 89 OVR
Every football season, the rumor mill gets pumping about who the next big thing will be. Mixon was considered to be on the rise, finishing third in yardage and fourth in touchdowns despite a woeful offensive line. Now that the Bengals got some Pro Bowl talent up front, Mixon was supposed to explode.
But the offensive line struggled to start the season. Even after they gelled, Mixon's season was miserable. He had one game with 5 touchdowns, a Bengals record, but managed only 7 total touchdowns on the season. It's unclear what happened, but the Bengals passing attack is clearly the priority as Mixon has been delegated to more of a supporting role.
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9 Jonathan Taylor - 90 OVR
The fact that Jonathan Taylor wasn't rated as a top-three running back to start the year was, frankly, insulting. Not only did Taylor lead the league in every metric for running backs last year, but he also dominated most categories. Somebody fell asleep in the ratings department, he carried a mediocre Indianapolis Colts team singlehandedly.
If players are hoping to improve their franchise experience, they might have thought to draft the underrated Taylor and watch his stock soar. Unfortunately, 2022 was brutal for Taylor, who was held to under 900 yards and 4 touchdowns. As much as he was underrated to start the year, Taylor's last season probably merits his exclusion from this list going into next season. Colts fans will hope for a strong return to glory.
8 Aaron Jones - 90 OVR
Over the last two seasons, Green Bay went from a predominantly passing team to a nearly exclusively passing team. That makes sense with Aaron Rodgers racking up MVP awards. This last season, the passing game struggled, but Jones still managed to rush for over 1,100 yards.
Jones has seen his production fall off as he's been splitting carries with A.J. Dillon but the Packers don't underestimate what Jones brings to the table besides just statistics. With all the cuts they'll have to make, the team and Jones renegotiated a contract to keep their beloved halfback in Green Bay for a few more seasons.
7 Dalvin Cook - 92 OVR
For the last several seasons, the talk has been about when the passing game in Minnesota will explode. The Vikings spent money to make their quarterback and wide receivers as flashy as the box art. Somehow, Dalvin Cook, the running back, stole the show.
Cook has consistently been a top running back and this year is no different. His elite ability has helped the receivers get quality situations more often. The Vikings had an amazing year before getting bounced too early in the playoffs, but when Cook and Cousins are both on fire, the Vikings may have the best offense in football.
6 Saquon Barkley - 93 OVR
Believe it or not, Saquon Barkley was not on this top-ten list when the season began. Despite everyone recognizing him as a superior talent, he was often looked over in favor of running backs that played on more successful teams.
With the Giants finally figuring it all out this year, Barkley is now finally recognized as one of the league's best. It would be wrong to call it a comeback; he's always been great. Now that the Giants are making (and winning) playoff games, maybe Barkley will return to getting the respect he deserves.
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4 Derrick Henry - 94 OVR
When comparing last year's installment with this year's Madden game, it should be clear that the ratings adjusters are big on Derrick Henry. They've had him as the top dog for a while now and the Tennessee Titans are well aware of his importance.
This year, teams have stacked the box against him and it's not working. Henry led the league in both touches and touchdowns. The Titans, as a team, have slipped and their division went to the Jaguars, but if they get some help for Henry, they'll be back on top easily.
3 Josh Jacobs - 95 OVR
Every year, Josh Jacobs gets overlooked and, every year, he ends up finding his way onto the top-ten list because he performs game-in and game-out. The Raiders had an atrocious year, causing them to part ways with quarterback Derek Carr, but they are making an effort to keep Jacobs in the building.
Jacobs wasn't on this list to start this year, was 89 OVR at midseason, and ended at 95 OVR. While that climb is steep, it probably should have been steeper; Jacobs led the league in rushing yards and tied for third in touchdowns.
2 Christian McCaffrey - 96 OVR
When gamers try to predict how players will be rated, those who struggle with injuries are the most difficult to nail down. It turns out those who felt McCaffrey still had some gas in the tank were right. After a trade to the 49ers, McCaffrey tossed a receiving, rushing, and throwing touchdown in a single game.
The ratings adjusters were high on McCaffrey going into the season and it's hard to say if they'd have kept him high if he stayed with the Panthers. But the 49ers almost got to the Super Bowl with a 4th-string quarterback and McCaffrey's contributions are no small part of that equation.
1 Nick Chubb - 97 OVR
The Cleveland Browns were something of a trainwreck last year. Their record wasn't the worst, but considering they entered the season as a top-dog bet to win the Super Bowl, their below-average season feels almost abysmal. DeShaun Watson showed up and underwhelmed, but Nick Chubb shouldered the load, making the Browns a respectable team in terms of record.
Nick Chubb might not get the respect he deserves from the league's analysts, but the ratings adjusters had Chubb start the year on top of this list and he ends the year on top of this list. Chubb led the league with 13 runs over 20 years, an astounding fact considering he was, for a bulk of the year, his team's lone weapon on offense.
Madden NFL 23 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.