Jaguars edge Josh Allen’s Madden 23 rating highest in the AFC South

Outside linebacker Josh Allen is arguably the Jacksonville Jaguars’ best defensive player and that’s reflected in his Madden 23 rating, which just came out. In fact, he earned a higher mark than most of his AFC South counterparts.

EA Tiburon, the developer behind the Madden videogame franchise, will be releasing ratings for every position over the next few days. They first released the ones for wide receivers and tight ends. Tuesday was the turn for linebackers and defensive ends. Allen earned an 85 rating while rookie Travon Walker got a respectable 86. Meanwhile, veteran Dawuane Smoot received a 77, and linebacker Foyesade Oluokun got an 80.

Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns) was the highest-rated edge rusher (98) this year but Allen got the best mark in the AFC South. His 85 rating is better than Harold Landry’s (83), Yannick Ngakoue’s (82), and Jerry Hughes Jr.’s (79). Some of these players are defensive ends while Allen is listed as an outside linebacker but their function is the same: rush the quarterback.

Expectations are high for Jaguars OLB Josh Allen in 2022

So far, Allen has been the Jaguars’ highest-rated player in Madden 23 but it’s possible that Brandon Scherff will get a better mark. After all, he’s one of the top offensive guards in the whole league. Having said that, Allen has plenty of room for improvement.

Madden 23 ratings aren’t an indicator of how good a player is but at least 20 pass rushers got a better mark than the former Kentucky Wildcat. He finished the 2021 season with 71 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, one interception, and a forced fumble. His Pro Football Focus overall grade of 78.5 ranked 18 among edge defenders last year.

Our course, the Jaguars aren’t probably worried about Allen’s PFF grade or Madden ratings. Instead, they expect him to become a building block on defense and form a dominant pass rush duo alongside Travon Walker. The 2019 first-round pick has previously shown he can play at an elite level. He now needs to put it all together in 2022.

All things considered, the Jaguars have earned favorable Madden ratings this year. And we’ll soon find out how the videogame franchise sees Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne.