While the ratings from EA’s Madden 20 video game shouldn’t be taken as gospel, they do help provide some context for where players will end up on the depth chart.
The Detroit Lions recently signed eight new players at the start of this year’s free agency period. Using their ratings from Madden, we can have a slightly clearer picture on the state of the team’s roster.
Quarterback Chase Daniel was brought in to be a veteran backup option to compete with David Blough, an undrafted rookie in the 2019 season. Daniel is expected to back up Matthew Stafford in 2020, and the game appears to agree. The veteran’s 63 overall rating puts him eight points ahead of Blough.
The Lions brought in former Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen Halapoulivaati Vaitai to replace Rick Wagner at right tackle. Vaitai seems to be locked in at that position right now, but Madden has him and the Lions’ 2018 fifth-round pick both at a 66 overall rating. That rating would make whoever gets the first-team gig to be the lowest-graded lineman of Detroit’s starters. Looking more into their scores, the game has Crosby rated as both a better run and pass blocker, but Vaitai makes up for it with his agility scores.
To help with their defensive line woes, Danny Shelton and Nick Williams were brought in and expectations are for them to immediately contribute from the interior. Shelton is the Lions highest-rated defensive tackle with an 82 overall grade. Unfortunately, Detroit is lacking serious depth at the position, and Williams’ 68 overall ranking makes his the third-highest behind Da’Shawn Hand. Shelton will be an immediate replacement for Damon Harrison, while Williams will take over the roles once held by Mike Daniels and A’Shawn Robinson.
One of the team’s biggest signings of free agency was linebacker Jamie Collins, who had played under head coach Matt Patricia in New England. Collins comes to Detroit as their highest-ranked linebacker in Madden 20 – eight points higher than the next player on the roster. He can be immediately penciled in as the starting outside linebacker, playing a similar role to the one Christian Jones had last season. His 83 overall rating is backed by high marks in the play recognition, pursuit, and tackling categories.
To fill the void left by trading Darius Slay, the Lions agreed to terms with former Falcons first-round pick Desmond Trufant. The veteran cornerback has started every game of his career, and will be the leader of the position group for Detroit. His 84 overall score in Madden puts him at a tie with Justin Coleman for the highest at the cornerback position but nonetheless is a downgrade from Slay’s 87 overall. With elite scores in the game at speed, acceleration, and jumping, hopefully Trufant can show those skills in the real world too.
Cornerback Tony McRae was also brought in during free agency to help contribute on special teams, working with his former coordinator Brayden Coombs. McRae’s 62 overall rating puts him as the second-lowest in the position group, only ahead of Dee Virgin. While ratings in the game mainly account for ability on defense, it should be noted that both of these players are difference-makers on special teams, and their scores don’t reflect those abilities.
The Lions traded for Duron Harmon, who will likely be the starting free safety in 2020. According to Madden, he’s the team’s best safety, sitting at a rating of 81 overall. That puts him four points above Tracy Walker and twelve above Will Harris. At the back end of the position group is Jayvon Kearse. While he is listed as a safety with a 67 overall rating, his role will be primarily special teams.
While these ratings should not be used to judge how good a player truly is on the field, they do help provide insights and visuals to help give a better idea of what the roster will look like come September. In this case, it appears that the Detroit Lions did a fine job of addressing positions of need and getting clear-cut starters for 2020.
