Packers: Projecting Madden 19 ratings for each player

Linebackers

Blake Martinez – 87

Martinez is the new king of the linebacking corps after years of Matthews being the best of the unit. He isn’t the pass rusher that Matthews is, but he’s turned into a reliable linebacker and is one of the best at playing the middle of the 3-4 defense. Martinez is a solid tackler and can patrol the middle of the field at a high level. He’s still on an upward trajectory since he’s so young. He’s a piece to build around in the game and should be somebody that’s fun to watch grow in real life as he gets older.

Clay Matthews – 85

Matthews finished last year as an 85 overall and should be somewhere around there to start the season. Age may take its toll on his rating and drop him down if anything. He can still rush the quarterback at high levels and lead the team in sacks if he remains healthy all year. Matthews has become one of the best players in the league at relentlessly pursuing opposing quarterbacks. He may not always get the gaudy numbers, but he’s usually affecting the play.

Nick Perry – 84

This may be a bit generous for Perry. He has the talent to justify this rating and can certainly play up to it if he starts off lower than this. He’s another Packer that can benefit greatly from a healthy season. Mike Pettine might be using Perry in a slightly different role depending on what defensive scheme he decides to run, but I expect Perry to make an impact regardless of where he lines up.

Jake Ryan – 80

Ryan was one of the sneaky surprises of this group finishing as a 79 overall last year. He was often overshadowed by Martinez, but he still had the best year of his career. Ryan might become more of a situational linebacker with the addition of Oren Burks and the utility of Josh Jones in the box. If last season is any sign of things to come, he should have a strong year and fill out a strong linebacking unit.

Oren Burks – 71

The rookie inside linebacker isn’t going to have a Madden rating to write home about, but there might be a trick to get more out of him in the game. Inside linebackers that are as athletic as Burks is and have the coverage skills often translate well into a strong safety. This is just an exploit in the game so I don’t expect him to be actually covering anybody deep down the field like a true safety in real life. In Madden, if he has high enough coverage numbers, he could become a mid-80s overall safety. I plan on trying this out myself when the game is released.