Madden NFL 23offersNFLfans the best place to get their football fix. Playing as their favorite offensive and defensive players provides an engaging experience that builds hype and anticipation for the real NFL season. The quarterback is considered the most important position in professional sports, and inMadden, getting to the quarterback can mean the difference between winning or losing.
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Depending on the defensive scheme, a team’s best pass-rusher either plays defensive end or outside linebacker. Regardless of where they line up, knowing what NFL pass-rushers were gifted the best overalls can influence what team and players to play as in online and single-player games and modes.
8DeMarcus Lawrence (90)
One of the more divisiveplayer ratings inMadden23among pass-rushers belongs to Dallas Cowboys defensive end, DeMarcus Lawrence. He’s coming off of seasons that saw the once Pro Bowler fail to produce at an elite level, while also missing half of a season due to injury.
Not only is 2022 a big year for Lawrence to prove himself in terms of whether the Cowboys should move on from the Boise State product, but NFL fans want to see why on Earth he was gifted with a 90 overall inMadden 23despite not playing at an elite level for over two seasons.
7Chandler Jones (90)
It’s a known thing in professional sports that the recognition a player receives for their accomplishments is often tied to how popular or large the market that player plays in is. For Chandler Jones, his incredible years in Arizona as a member of the Cardinals went overlooked despite averaging over 11 sacks a year, for six seasons.
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Jones is now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, and the 90 overall will see less double-teams pass-rushing opposite of upcoming star defensive end Maxx Crosby. Jones has 107.5 career sacks and yet is often forgotten when people discuss the best pass-rushers of the last decade.
6Joey Bosa (91)
Circumstances and situations can determine howproductive NFL playerscan be. Joey Bosa may sit at a 91 overall inMadden 23and has nearly 60 sacks in six seasons, but 2022 might be his big breakout. Fellow superstar pass-rusher Khalil Mack is now a member of the Los Angeles Chargers and will be attacking the quarterback opposite of Bosa.
By the end of the season, there may be a real debate about not only which Bosa brother is better, but which of the two should walk away with the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. That’s saying something considering how dominant Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers has been.
5Von Miller (92)
Before the start of the 2021 season, it would have been wild to suggest that Von Miller would play for any team not named the Denver Broncos. A year and Super Bowl ring later, the Texas A&M pass-rusher is winding down his Hall of Fame career as a member of the Buffalo Bills.
TheMadden 2392 overall is looking to add another Lombardi Trophy to his shelf, and though he’s not the same player he was in his prime, his 115.5 career sacks speak for themselves. Josh Allen and the Bills have been Super Bowl contenders the last few seasons and they’re hoping Miller comes in and fixes the pass-rushing deficiency that’s haunted them in critical moments.
4Khalil Mack (92)
Khalil Mack has remained one of the NFL’s most dangerous edge players, but as he ages, the injuries have begun to add up. The Los Angeles Chargers traded for the Buffalo product in an attempt to make a real push for a Super Bowl thanks to quarterback Justin Herbert still being on his rookie deal.
One could argue that a 92 overall may be a tad high for Mack’s production the last few seasons, but that doesn’t take into account his influence when it comes to run defense. This was a huge area of concern for the Chargers last season. It also doesn’t hurt that Joey Bosa will get to pass rush opposite of Mack, likely creating opportunities for the both of them.
3Nick Bosa (94)
The younger of the Bosa brothers, Nick Bosa, seems as though he’s on the cusp of competing for a Defensive Player of the Year award. Last season he was returning from a torn ACL injury and managed to rack up 15.5 sacks in 17 games played. The 94 overall Ohio State alum plays in an elite NFL defense where the San Francisco 49ers employ playmakers at all three levels.
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As an organization, they consistently invest in the defensive line, and Bosa seems to be an invaluable asset that will continue to be a real difference maker as a pass-rusher.
2TJ Watt (96)
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, TJ Watt, manages to only receive a 96 overall inMadden 23despite being one of the NFL’s most disruptive pass-rushers. Watt has amassed a staggering 72 sacks in just five seasons, and will likely break the 100 mark before reaching 30 years old.
Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans and NFL fans, in general, consider Watt to be themost disrespected superstarin the league. There’s no reason why a guy who wins Defensive Player of the Year in a season where he landed 22.5 sacks and tied the single-season mark shouldn’t be tied as the highest overall pass-rusher inMadden.
1Myles Garrett (99)
It’s hard to denythat Myles Garrettdoesn’t deserve to be a part of theMadden99 Overall Club, but contextually it is weird that he’s three points higher than Defensive Player of the Year and Sack Record matcher TJ Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Through five seasons Garrett has accumulated 58.5 sacks and has remained the cornerstone piece to a Cleveland Browns defense that lacks any talent in the interior of its defensive line or linebacker level. NFL fans believe this year could be his Defensive Player of the Year run, but forthose playingMadden 23that can be a reality considering his 99 overall in the game.
Madden NFL 23is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.
