Madden 23: How did EA rank the Texans wide receivers?

Madden 23: How did EA rank the Houston Texans wide receivers?latestl

The EA Sports Madden franchise is one of the beloved video games that sports Houston Texans fans and all NFL fans look forward to every year, but Madden does receive some criticism each year, and for good reason.

One out of the many critiques Madden receives is the ratings. Every year at launch, fans see some eye-opening ratings that eventually get adjusted in time. Still, there are always some that make no sense at all, and you question just how knowledgeable the Madden developers are, or think maybe they don’t even follow the NFL.

The ratings for wide receivers are now out for the 2023 game, and just how accurate is the Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks’ rating?

Cooks is always one of the most underrated receivers in the league. He continues to be forgotten, even though he is one of the few receivers with over 1,000 receiving yards in six out of his eight seasons in the NFL, including the past two years with the Texans.

Cooks was once just the “speedy receiver” that gets downfield, but he is now a true veteran who will always produce as a top receiver. Cooks was rated as the 19th best receiver in Madden 23 with an 87 overall (out of 100).

Is Cooks the 19th best receiver in the league, maybe? I think he will cement himself as a Top 15 receiver this season, but I can see why he is at 19 or later in other people’s opinions.

Cooks had his 2021 season with a mixture of quarterbacks (Tyrod Taylor and Davis Mills), but this year he has Mills from the start of the ’22 season, and the second-year quarterback will unleash Cooks’ potential. Last season, Cooks caught 90 passes for 1,037 yards with six touchdowns.

Is the Madden 23 rating of 87 overall good for Texans WR Brandin Cooks?

Even though the ratings get bashed by fans and players — as they should — I believe an 87 for Cooks is accurate. His rating could increase as the season continues, but Mills hasn’t shown his connection with Cooks long enough, but this year will be different.

The issue with the Madden ratings is players rated around Cooks, for example, Adam Thielen of the Vikings is a great receiver, and I would say he’s close to Cooks on the field, but Madden 23 should not rank him ahead of Cooks.

The issue that has everyone up in arms is the Ja’Marr Chase rating, who plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. Cooks is great, and his rating is well deserved, but having Chase with the same rating as Cooks is ridiculous. Chase is a Top 10 wide receiver, or even a debatable Top 3-5 receiver in the NFL.

The rest of the Texans’ receivers are difficult to rank, but Madden 23 ranks them: Philip Dorsett (74), Chris Conely (73), John Metchie III (73), and Nico Collins (72). These ratings are subject, as Collins should be ranked above the rest of Houston’s receivers for this season, but that should change in time.

Madden 23 may not have the most accurate ratings, but they did well with Cooks. The only issue is his speed is a 93, and that should be bumped up, but other than that, an 87 is a solid ranking for Cooks.