I don't know if anyone was expecting this. On Wednesday, Madden NFL 26 released its player ratings for all NFL rookies. Surprisingly, a Pittsburgh Steelers rookie earned an overall grade equal to that of the number one pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward.
But I'm not talking about first-round pick Derrick Harmon or even third-round pick Kaleb Johnson; I'm talking about fourth-round rookie draft choice Jack Sawyer.
On Madden's official player rating website, Sawyer opens the popular video game with a 72 overall rating—the exact same overall grade as the top pick in the draft.