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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 November 20th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: With the regular season about halfway over, it’s now time to have a new look at these players. As usual, there are some ratings that proved to be frighteningly accurate and others that have left gamers scratching their heads. There is no single rule of thumb regarding the way players dramatically exceed or fail to live up to expectations. The Madden franchise has generally not made changes due to injury, so that’s off of the table. Still, the year has a way of showing other sides of the previous estimations, giving ratings adjusters new estimations. This is where the players stand now at this point in the season.
10 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, he’s in the top ten of receptions after making this change. He should still be used primarily as a running back, but when the wide receivers get healthy, they’ll have to remember that bringing Ekeler out wide isn’t a bad idea.
9 Josh Jacobs - 89 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. This year, despite being on a pathetic Raiders team that finds ways to lose games, Jacobs is having a monster year.
Statistically, Jacobs should be ranked even higher than this. The team’s losses have been by narrow margins and blown leads. If they can pull out wins instead of losses, Jacobs may finally get the elite recognition he’s earned.
8 Joe Mixon - 90 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.
The only thing that exploded was the offensive line itself, which somehow increased in talent and yet has looked worse than last year’s horrendous group. They may just be figuring things out; Mixon did score five touchdowns in a single game. If this is a new trend, Mixon’s stock should be on the rise again. It never fell because of his own shortcomings to begin with.
7 Aaron Jones - 91 OVR
Over the last two seasons, Green Bay has gone from a predominantly passing team to a nearly exclusively passing team. That makes sense with Aaron Rodgers racking up MVP awards. But they haven’t forgotten about their Pro Bowl running back in the middle of everything.
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Aaron Jones caught more touchdowns than he ran for last season. This year, Jones has seen his production fall off as he’s been splitting carries with A.J. Dillon. Despite this, he’s actually gained two points in rating, likely because when he does touch the ball, it always seems to be a positive outcome.
6 Jonathan Taylor - 92 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.
Look no further than rushing yards, where he led the league by a jaw-dropping 552 yards. If players are hoping to improve their franchise experience, they should start by making Taylor their featured running back. He’s not being well-utilized on a team that has lost its identity and deserves to be a star in Indianapolis or elsewhere.
5 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. It’s just that now the team around him is on the radar and he’s at the center of the winning formula.
4 Dalvin Cook - 94 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.
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Cook has consistently been a top-five running back and this year is no different. His elite ability has helped the received get quality situations more often. The Vikings are having an amazing year, with Cook playing a major role in that development.
3 Christian McCaffrey - 95 OVR
When gamers try to predict how players will be rated, those who struggle with injuries are the most difficult to nail down. Will the ratings adjusters take them down due to never being on the field? Or will they cut them some slack and hope that the player returns to form?
In the case of Christian McCaffrey, they left him high. After a trade to the 49ers, McCaffrey is full-blown incredible, receiving, rushing, and throwing a touchdown for his new squad in a single game. It’s scary to think that his rating could get even higher.
2 Derrick Henry - 96 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. When he isn’t plowing over them, he’s doing flea flickers and throwing touchdown passes himself. Henry is a force to be reckoned with.
1 Nick Chubb - 98 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.
That made the bright spots, what few there were, all the brighter. Nick Chubb was second in the league when it came to rushing yards and proved that he could be the single back for the Browns. He’s only been better as the star this year. If the passing game gets going, Chubb may get even more lethal.
Madden NFL 23 releases on August 15th, 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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