Garrett Wilson has had an unfair start to his NFL career.
Despite being the only New York Jets wide receiver to record over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, Wilson’s stardom hasn’t hit NFL circles yet due to the lack of stability the team has had at quarterback.
Perhaps that is why the former Offensive Rookie of the Year has a surprisingly low Madden NFL 25 rating.
Garrett Wilson Ranked as 25th-Best WR in Madden NFL 25
In a surprising twist, EA has unveiled the rankings of all wide receivers — in addition to safeties — for the upcoming Madden NFL 25 video game on Monday. Wilson, despite being considered an “honorable mention” among NFL circles in ESPN’s latest poll of the league’s top receivers (as voted on by executives, coaches, and scouts) is just the 25th-best player at receiver.
Kicking off #Madden25 Ratings Week with the Top 10 Wide Receivers! 👑
See all WR Ratings ➡️ https://t.co/DGMKCwibBw pic.twitter.com/zK5DJKLLeT
— Madden NFL 25 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 29, 2024
Wilson’s 85 overall sits him as the 25th-best for receivers behind the likes of Chris Olave, Keenan Allen, DeAndre Hopkins, and fellow Jets wide receiver Mike Williams.
Yes, Williams, a player who suffered a torn ACL last season after recording under 1,000 yards in 2022 is rated higher (87) than New York’s top overall pass catcher.
Other non-receivers are also ranked above Wilson including new Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard despite a down-year in 2023, Baltimore Ravens safety Marcus Williams despite missing six games, and the same ranking as second-year safety Brian Branch.
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It is also worth noting that, according to Dexalytics, Madden usually comes out with player rankings after a study on veteran players which attributes scores to NFL game film and scouting reports.
Did EA Sports get their Madden rating and film study right with New York’s top wideout? Of course not.
Let’s go in-depth on the reasons why.
Why Wilson’s Rating Should Be Higher
It’s not hyperbole to say Wilson’s rating is one of the more laughable decisions EA made for the latest Madden game. In 2023, the former Ohio State product recorded 95 catches for 1,042 yards and three touchdowns.
Those numbers were heavily impacted by the fact that Wilson’s expected starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, was lost for the season before even completing a pass. Instead, Wilson was catching passes for the likes of failed second-overall pick Zach Wilson, journeyman Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian.
Hardly the type of dynamic passer that receivers like Deebo Samuel Sr., Tyler Lockett, and Jaylen Waddle had throwing him the football.
It’s important to note that, despite being the lone receiving option on the Jets, Wilson finished with more yards than the likes of Waddle, Samuel, Cooper Kupp, and Terry McLaurin all had during their 2023 seasons.
All of those players listed had higher rankings than New York’s receiving threat. Some of them also had other top receivers playing with them, meaning that they wouldn’t be the chief target to stop on Sundays when opponents played them.
The fact that Wilson was ranked just as the 25th receiver to this point is a staggering omission by EA and shows that they’re underrating his performance on such a bad unit last season.
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While Jets fans do have an obvious gripe with the latest Madden ratings, there should be some solace that Wilson’s rating should shoot up considerably once he starts playing and dominating with Rodgers back at quarterback.
Then fans will be able to look back at his initial rating and just laugh.