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When the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft wrapped up, everyone said the Baltimore Ravens found a steal with the selection of running back J.K. Dobbins. EA Sports recently released their “Madden 21” ratings for the rookie running backs and proved that theory correct once again, making Dobbins the highest-rated running back taken in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Dobbins earned a 75 overall grade, which tops all rookie running backs, including the four selected before the Ravens grabbed Dobbins. Here are the “Madden 21” ratings for the first five running backs taken in the 2020 NFL Draft:
- Baltimore Ravens (No. 55) – J.K. Dobbins: 75 overall
- Kansas City Chiefs (No. 32) – Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 74 overall
- Detroit Lions (No. 35) – D’Andre Swift: 74 overall
- Indianapolis Colts (No. 41) – Jonathan Taylor: 73 overall
- Los Angeles Rams (No. 52) – Cam Akers: 73 overall
EA Sports has slowly been trickling out their player ratings for “Madden 21” before the game’s release date of Aug. 25. While they snubbed quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is this year’s cover athlete for the video game franchise, it’s nice to see them give some love to Dobbins.
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Many draft experts considered Dobbins to be one of the best running backs in this year’s class, earning him a first-round grade by several pundits. The fact the Ravens were not only had him available deep in the second round but after several other running backs were selected ahead of him helps reinforce the idea that Baltimore is one of the best drafting teams in the league.
In the aftermath of the draft, general manager Eric DeCosta noted the team had more pressing needs at other positions but simply couldn’t pass up the value Dobbins represented in the second round, taking him even though they had three other solid running backs on the roster already.
“This was a guy that’s, in my opinion, one of the best in college football this year,” DeCosta said following the second day of the 2020 NFL Draft. “We thought he was going to be a first-round pick.”
Though Dobbins might not get the starting nod immediately thanks to Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill already being on the roster, he looks to be the future of the franchise at running back. With the highest initial grade of the rookie running backs in “Madden 21,” Baltimore was proved to be right to take Dobbins. Hopefully next year we see Dobbins’ “Madden 21” rating skyrocket as the Ravens’ offense becomes unstoppable.
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