Ravens: 4 players criminally underrated by Madden 22
By Justin Fried
4. Ben Cleveland, OG, Ravens
Ben Cleveland is expected to be a part of the Ravens revamped offensive line this season with the third-round rookie projected as the Week 1 starting left guard.
But Madden doesn’t seem to believe he’s ready for such a role.
The Madden developers awarded Cleveland with a very poor 65 overall rating, far below starting-caliber for his position.
For context, backup tight end Eric Tomlinson is also a 65 overall. Backup punter Johnny Townsend is a 67 overall. Even comparing him to fellow offensive linemen, Tyre Phillips is a 67 overall and Ben Powers is a 69 overall.
Andre Smith and Ben Bredeson both earned an overall rating of 64. It’s safe to say that Cleveland, based on projected role alone, deserves to be higher.
It’s always a tricky process when it comes to assigning ratings to rookies. After all, how do you accurately grade a player who’s never taken a snap in the NFL?
Still, it seems silly to rate a player projected as a starter behind the players he’s expected to beat out for the job.
A 65 overall is a borderline roster-able player by Madden standards. It’s safe to say that Ben Cleveland likely surpasses that status.