New York Jets: Zach Wilson, Elijah Moore receive initial Madden ratings

If EA Sports’ virtual affairs are anything to go by, the New York Jets are getting an upgrade at quarterback.

Zach Wilson was one of the big winners of the Madden NFL 22‘s original rating reveals, as his debut rating of 75 ranks second amongst incoming professional quarterbacks.

The second overall pick of the 2021 draft sits only behind top choice Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars and is tied for the fourth-highest rookie overall with receivers Ja’Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith. Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts tops the list at 81.

Initial player ratings for the 35th edition of EA Sports’ long-running football simulator named after Hall of Fame head coach/commentator John Madden are slowly trickling in as NFL teams open their training camps. The reveals are coming through ESPN programming such as SportsCenter, Get Up!, First Take, and NFL Live, as well as EA’s official accounts. ESPN has dubbed the event Madden Ratings Week and a full schedule of unveilings can be found here.

Members of the “99 Club”, those who attain the highest possible rating in a Madden game, will also be unveiled throughout the week. Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams is the first such honoree.

Wilson’s reveal came on Sunday during the Kickoff Special hosted by Laura Rutledge and Mina Kimes on Sunday afternoon, which unveiled the rankings for top rookies, as well as veterans in transition. In addition to his overall number of 75, Wilson gains ratings of 94 in throw power (nine points ahead of his New England counterpart Mac Jones), 83 in speed, 79 in passing under pressure, and 70 in awareness.

Of note, Wilson ranks ahead of newly minted Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold, his predecessor in the Jets’ franchise quarterback role.

Elijah Moore’s partial reaction to his original Madden rating was shared on the franchise’s official Twitter account. Though Moore’s overall rating of 73 was not revealed in the video, in which he co-stars with several of his fellow freshmen, it did catch his reaction to the change of direction subsection. Moore gets a little ahead of himself…he believes he should he receive a 100…but he still earns a respectable 93. Moore, however, isn’t pleased with his grade.

“Who is above me?” Moore asks. “Because 93 is kind of low. I really don’t know anything I can do.”

Madden NFL 22 will feature two athletes on its cover (Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes) for the first time since the edition that was released for the 2009-10 season (Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu). It will be released on August 20 and is available for pre-order on EA’s official site.

Will you be leading Wilson and the Jets to Super Bowl glory in Madden NFL 22’s franchise mode? Follow @GeoffJMags and continue the conversation.