After determining who the most underrated offensive players in Madden are, I wanted to do the same for defense. We all know that Madden 26 (and Madden players) don’t care as much about defense as offense, but honestly, I didn’t think it would be as bad as it was. Most of my underrated offensive players seemed to be about 2-5 points below where I felt they should be, but, as you’ll see in this article, the defensive players are much more underappreciated than the offensive players.
Note that all the stats in this article are referencing week 14 stats before any of the week 15 games got underway. Without further ado, here’s my position-by-position list.
Defensive Tackles
- Brandon Dorlus (Falcons) – 71 OVR
- Jalen Redmond (Vikings) – 77 OVR
- Maliek Collins (Browns) – 77 OVR
Brandon Dorlus missed most of his rookie year but has come out red hot in his sophomore season, ranking third amongst DTs in both sacks and TFLs. Unfortunately for him, Madden seems to have completely forgotten that he exists, not updating his ratings to reflect his dominant performance in the trenches this year. If they were going to reward him for his stellar play, I would rank him between Leonard Williams (87 OVR) and Byron Murphy (81 OVR) at 84 OVR (+13).
Jalen Redmond ranks second among all defensive tackles in TFLs this season and seventh in sacks, making his current 77 ranking very underrated. I would argue that his performance warrants him being right behind Dorlus in overall rating, with an 83 OVR (+6). Finally, we have Maliek Collins, who is a more established player than the first two players on this list, but is still underrated in Madden, given that he’s on the lowly Browns. He’s jumped from team to team in recent years, which is seen as a sign of weakness by Madden ratings adjusters, but in reality, his consistency and disruptiveness on the D-line deserve at least an 80 overall (+3).
EDGE Rushers
- Tuli Tuipulotu (Chargers) – 77 OVR
- Jaelen Phillips (Eagles) – 81 OVR
- Nik Bonitto (Broncos) – 91 OVR
Tuli Tuipulotu has been a revelation for Jim Harbaugh’s defense and has been one of the best defensive ends in the league this year. His stats are nearly identical to another elite pass rusher in Will Anderson Jr. of the Texans, so in reality, I believe they should have the same Madden overall ratings, which means Tuli should be given a 93 OVR (+16).
With Tuipulotu being such an obvious and egregious underrating by Madden (perhaps the worst in the game), it seems as though the rest of the position is much more fairly rated. I needed to look at advanced stats to see that Jaelen Phillips deserves a higher rating based on his QB hurry rate, which ranks as the best in the league. I think he should probably be rated an 84 OVR (+3) based on those numbers. Another player that is routinely underrated is Broncos superstar Nik Bonitto, who should definitely get a boost into the top five of all pass rushers, making him at least a 94 OVR (+3).
Linebackers
- Eric Wilson (Vikings) – 74 OVR
- Cody Barton (Titans) – 78 OVR
- Jordyn Brooks (Dolphins) – 82 OVR
I get why Eric Wilson is so underrated in Madden. He was a backup for three years between 2021 and 2023, only to reappear on the scene last year before re-signing with his old team before his year 31 season. That resume doesn’t necessarily scream potential to be a top ten LB in the game, but he almost certainly is. With his 15 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, 91 tackles, and three forced fumbles, he has become one of the better play-making linebackers in the game, which I think should put him in the top ten Mike linebackers in the game, which would put him at least at 85 OVR (+11).
Cody Barton holds the distinct title of being the best coverage linebacker in the NFL this year, only allowing a 52% completion rate and a 54.8 passer rating on throws in his direction. That distinction should at least put him in the category of other athletic pass defenders like Bobby Okereke (84 OVR) and Devin Lloyd (85 OVR). As for Brooks, he currently leads the league in tackles, so he should automatically get a ratings boost of at least three overall to push him into the upper echelon of tacklers in the league, because he’s clearly earned it.
Cornerbacks
- Donte Jackson (Chargers) – 83 OVR
- Derek Stingley (Texans) – 91 OVR
- Cobie Durant (Rams) – 80 OVR
In judging cornerback performance, I put a lot of stock in the defensive passer rating stat (which tallies the QB’s passer rating when the corner is targeted). This season, no player dominates that stat quite like Donte Jackson. Leading the league by a long shot with a 34.1 DPR, the question becomes: Does that stat (and his other impressive stats) make him a top corner in the game, and I dare say yes. He’s, of course, not the most proven guy, so I won’t put him in the top five, but I’ll certainly give him a 90 OVR (+7) to put him in the top ten.
For the other two players on the list, I felt like I needed to rectify Derek Stingley’s rating, which is high, but I believe he is a top-three corner in the league, so he needs to be at least a 95 OVR (+4). Cobie Durant is also a player whose stats and skills are much better than Madden says. I’d put him at least at an 83 OVR (+3).
Safeties
- Cole Bishop (Bills) – 80 OVR
- Jordan Battle (Bengals) – 76 OVR
- Tykee Smith (Buccaneers) – 79 OVR
Bishop has been one of my favorite players since his days at Utah, and he has continued his fantastic trajectory into the league. He’s a do-it-all guy with the second-best defensive passer rating of all safeties as well as three picks and two sacks on the season. He still has a ways to go before he’s a top-five safety in the league, but I would compare him a lot to another breakout do-it-all guy in Talanoa Hufanga, who is currently an 86 OVR (+6).
As for the two other safeties on my list, they are both late-round picks in their first few years in the league but have already proved themselves enough in starting roles to where I believe they should at least be 80 OVR (+4 and +1, respectively).
