Austin Ekeler a top-10 RB in Madden 23, Isaiah Spiller earns respectable rating as a rookie

Would you look at that? Austin Ekeler finally got himself some respect in this year’s edition of Madden. Unveiled on Wednesday morning, the former undrafted free agent has finally worked his way into the top 10 ratings for running backs.

From the jump, Ekeler will begin the year with an 88 overall rating. That rating may move up or down on a week-to-week depending on how he performs, but it’s probably safe to say that a similar campaign to a year ago could viably push him into the 90s.

As of now, the running back hierarchy within Madden is (from top to bottom): Derrick Henry (97), Nick Chubb (95), Christian McCaffrey (96), Jonathan Taylor (95), Dalvin Cook (95), Joe Mixon (93), Alvin Kamara (90), Aaron Jones (89), Ekeler, and Ezekiel Elliott (88).

Ekeler boasts a 91 speed combined with a 92 agility rating. His top marks that pertain to his position include a 85 break tackle, 83 spin move, and an 89 juke. As a receiver, he earned a 79 rating in catching and a 79 in short route running. Those ratings ranked third and fourth among running backs, respectfully.

I’m sure most of you are also interested in the ratings for rookie Isaiah Spiller, so let’s take a look at his initial numbers.

Spiller earned a 73 overall rating which ties him for the 67th-rated back in Madden 23 and the fourth-highest rated rookie at the position. His base stats came out to an 88 in speed, a 90 in acceleration, and an 87 in agility which aren’t too bad for his middling overall rating. His other notable ratings include an 84 in juke moves and an 84 in change-of-direction.