Madden 23: NFL Player Ratings and Final Preview Before Release Date

Back in the day, one of the most exciting parts of a new Madden football video game being released was loading it up for the first time and diving into the ratings. Where does your favorite team rank? Who will be the best players to use?

We no longer have to wait to see the ratings now, though, as EA Sports drops them well ahead of time. You can check out every attribute for every player in Madden 23 at EA.com, as it's been weeks since they've been announced.

However, some can access more than just the player ratings. Although Madden 23 isn't officially released until Friday, some players were able to get the game on Monday, either during the day with a 10-hour EA Play trial or that night because they preordered the All Madden edition and got three days of early access.

Some people are still waiting until the standard edition drops Friday, though. And perhaps they're just now diving into preview content to decide whether they want to buy the game.

So as that time approaches, here's a look at some notable player ratings for Madden 23, along with a final preview for the game.

99 overall rating

Aaron Donald, RE, Los Angeles Rams

Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

Myles Garrett, RE, Cleveland Browns

Trent Williams, LT, San Francisco 49ers

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98 overall rating

Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Jalen Ramsey, CB, Los Angeles Rams

Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

Zack Martin, RG, Dallas Cowboys

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97 overall rating

Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

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96 overall rating

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

T.J. Watt, LOLB, Pittsburgh Steelers

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95 overall rating

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Quenton Nelson, LG, Indianapolis Colts

Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

Tyron Smith, LT, Dallas Cowboys

Best Speed (99): Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

Best Trucking (93): Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

Best Strength (99): Aaron Donald, RE, Los Angeles Rams

Best Catching (99): Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams; Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

Best Throw Power (99): Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

Best Throw Accuracy Short (99): Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Best Throw Accuracy Medium (97): Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Best Throw Accuracy Deep (95): Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Best Throw on the Run (98): Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Best Tackling (97): De'Vondre Campbell, MLB, Green Bay Packers

Best Hit Power (95): Jamal Adams, SS, Seattle Seahawks; Rashaan Evans, MLB, Atlanta Falcons

Best Kick Power (99): Justin Tucker, K, Baltimore Ravens

Best Kick Accuracy (99): Justin Tucker, K, Baltimore Ravens

The past two years, Madden was released on both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, bringing the virtual football experience to a new generation of consoles. However, there weren't any huge gameplay upgrades that capitalized on the latest technology.

That changes in Madden 23. And that's because of the introduction of FieldSENSE.

In case you haven't heard, FieldSENSE is the new gameplay mechanic that has been implemented into every mode in Madden 23. Any time you're on the field, you're going to notice the upgrades that this system brings. (But, of course, you have to be playing on either the PS5 or Xbox Series X to have it.)

There are four main components of FieldSENSE that are supposed to greatly improve gameplay.

The "Hit Everything" mechanic is the biggest upgrade on the defensive side of the ball. And as the title implies, you can hit everything. The "next-gen Hit-Stick physics" show up in numerous areas, such as hitting players in midair, hitting a pile and more.

Meanwhile, on offense, you'll be introduced to a skill-based passing system and 360-degree player cuts. Users have more control over quarterback play than ever before and can have a greater impact on where their throws end up. As for the player cuts, there will be a larger range of motion, which is most noticeable when you're trying to hit holes as a running back.

The final FieldSENSE innovation is better wide receiver vs. defensive back battles. If you're controlling players at either of those positions, you'll have new release moves and press mechanics at your disposal to try to get a leg up on your opponent.

So, FieldSENSE is the biggest addition to the Madden series this year. However, on-field gameplay isn't the only component of the game to undergo changes.

The Face of the Franchise career mode looks drastically different this year. Your player is no longer a youngster going through high school, college and the scouting combine to reach the NFL, but rather a fifth-year player who just hit free agency for the first time. From there, you can decide where to sign and quickly get on to the field and into the action.

Franchise mode upgraded many of its free-agency components, and players now have motivations and tags that will decide where they will sign, making things more realistic. There have also been improvements made to scouting, draft and trade logic and more.

Madden Ultimate Team is largely the same, but there have been some components of the mode that have been made simpler and more user friendly. There's also now a Field Pass system that will help direct you where to go and give you "a clear path to progression."

If you haven't gotten an opportunity to get your hands on these new features yet, the time has almost arrived. And on paper, these upgrades seem to be a step in the right direction for the Madden franchise.