Oakland Raiders: Which players did Madden overrate and underrate?

Underrated: S Johnathan Abram

But just as Madden tends to overrate veterans, they also tend to give rookies the shaft opting for a more “wait-and-see” approach. And on the surface, there’s nothing inherently wrong with having rookies prove themselves first before seeing their ratings increase.

However, it’s only suitable in principle as in practice, it’s just a mess. Case in point — Raiders rookie safety Johnathan Abram.

Abram was selected with the 27th overall pick in the first round this year and is expected to immediately step in and take on a starting role this season. Yet, Madden has rated him at just a 69 overall, one of the lowest-rated first-round picks.

In fact, just three first-round rookies will begin the year with lower ratings — that being New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, Houston Texans offensive tackle Tytus Howard, and Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Kaleb McGary.

There’s really no reason that Abram should be rated so poorly given that he was never viewed as a project player or someone who needed incredible development. Instead, the Mississippi State product was expected to have a Week 1 impact wherever he went.

Compare his 69 overall rating with fellow safety Karl Joseph‘s 78 overall and it looks even worse.

Abram will likely see his rating climb throughout the season, but for now, his rating remains one of the worst in the game