EA Sports continues their ratings reveal for the top players by position for Madden 16 and today they revealed the Middle Linebackers. The top 5 are as follows:
1. Luke Kuechly: 96 Overall - 99 Pursuit, 98 Tackle, 85 Zone Coverage, and 98 Play Recognition. Kuechly has been the best Middle Linebacker for the last few years and 2015 will be no different. I expect another Pro Bowl season for the veteran.
2. Navorro Bowman: 93 Overall - 97 Tackle, 96 Pursuit, 92 Block Shedding, and 88 Play Recognition. Bowman hasn't played since the 2013 season playoffs due to a gruesome knee injury. He has fully recovered and most analysts don't expect him to miss a beat. He will need to be the 49er defensive leader now with Patrick Willis retired.
3. Bobby Wagner: 92 Overall - 97 Tackle, 96 Pursuit, 90 Play Recognition, and 85 Zone Coverage. Arguably the best player on the best defense in the NFL, Wagner is the bonafide leader and heart and soul of that Seattle team.
4. Clay Matthews: 90 Overall - 96 Pursuit, 90 Tackle, and 88 Play Recognition. Matthews is one of the toughest defenders in the league. His high motor and ability to play any linebacker position allows Green Bay to move him anywhere on the field and still be dangerous.
5. Daryl Smith: 90 Overall - 92 Tackle, 92 Pursuit, 95 Play Recognition, and 84 Zone Coverage. Smith was arguably one of the best Middle Linebackers the last half of 2014. He has superb in the running game and is a fantastic, wrap up tackler.
Honorable Mention:
Lawrence Timmons - 90 Overall
Karlos Dansby - 90 Overall
Compared to last years top 5 of Patrick Willis (96 overall), Navorro Bowman (96 overall), Luke Kuechly (94 overall), Derrick Johnson (91 overall) and Jerod Mayo (91 overall), it's hard to argue with this years top 5. The one question mark is Bowmam; how will he return from that terrible knee injury he suffered and will he have the same burst of quickness he once possessed? Personally, I feel that Kuechly should be the top Middle Linebacker with his Hall of Fame type of performance. With not having seen Bowman play in a year and a half, I'm surprised to see him at #2 instead of Wagner. Another snub is Jerod Mayo, who did have a great year even though he was overshadowed by his teammates on the defensive side.
Keeping with the same theme with the past reveals of Tight Ends and Wide Receivers, EA continues to focus their ratings on the intangibles of each position, which is actually a great thing for Madden 16 players Stay tuned as we continue to follow EA Sports for every position reveal!
