Madden NFL rookie ratings have become an annual event, and this year two former Colorado Buffaloes stars are at the center of the conversation. Travis Hunter, who dazzled as a two-way player in college, received the highest rookie score at 84 overall.
His former teammate Shedeur Sanders landed at 67, a number that has already generated plenty of conversation in Cleveland.
Sanders, taken by the Browns in the fifth round at No. 144 overall, enters the video game as the fourth-highest-rated rookie quarterback.
He sits just behind Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough, who share second place, and trails No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward by five points after Ward was given a 72 rating.
For a player still finding his footing in the NFL, the early evaluation has become a talking point as training camp unfolds.
Rating comparison raises eyebrows
One of the more surprising twists involves Cleveland’s own depth chart. Dillon Gabriel, drafted 50 spots earlier in the third round, received a 66 overall, one point lower than Sanders despite his higher selection.
Gabriel currently sits third on the Browns’ depth chart, while Sanders is fighting for snaps alongside him and veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
“Compared to Cam Ward being a 72 I’d say he’s alright at 67,” one fan wrote on X.
Another argued: “He is not a superstar player, after watching him play at CU this is fair. I would maybe go to 70 on him but not any higher.”
While fan debate over video game numbers is nothing new, the focus inside Cleveland is on the actual quarterback competition. Early in camp, Sanders has shown flashes that hint at potential while adjusting to the speed of the NFL.
Reports out of camp suggest Sanders has had more positive sessions than negative ones so far, though consistency will determine how quickly he can climb the depth chart.
His progress has been under an added spotlight since team owner Jimmy Haslam told reporters the decision to draft him came directly from general manager Andrew Berry, a comment that sparked speculation about how unified the organization is on their rookie passer.
“If you’d have told me… Friday night driving home, ‘Y’all are going to pick Shedeur,’ I would have said, ‘That’s not happening,'” Haslam said.
“But we had a conversation early [Saturday] morning, and then we had a conversation later that day. I think we had the right people involved in the conversation. At the end of the day, that’s Andrew Berry’s call. Andrew made the call to pick Shedeur.”
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