Predicting Vikings Madden NFL 27 Ratings: Skill Positions Edition
For the past two years, I’ve been trying to predict the ratings for the Minnesota Vikings on the upcoming installment of the Madden NFL video game series. As it turns out, we’re at right about a month away from the game’s release, with this year being Madden NFL 27.
For the third year in a row, allow me to say: it’s Madden season!
If you’re interested in seeing how these ratings are formulated, or even what the heck a “Madden rating” is, refer to my piece from two years ago where I started this yearly prediction series and broke it all down.
The New Kid on the Vikings – QB Kyler Murray – 77 OVR
Madden NFL 26 End-of-Season Rating: 75 OVR
Of course, we have to start with the talk of the Vikings’ offseason in QB Kyler Murray. Murray is one of those players where you can throw the rating out of the window about, because his speed is always rightfully juiced. He’s a barrel of fun to play with in Madden, and is incredibly hard to contain when you’re facing someone online that knows what they’re doing.
QB J.J. McCarthy – 70 OVR
Madden NFL 26 End-of-Season Rating: 71 OVR
J.J. McCarthy is a tough one. As easily as I could see EA Sports, the developer of Madden NFL, buying into McCarthy’s big moments from last year, I can also see them reading between the lines on McCarthy. I predict a small decrease to his overall from the end of the Madden season last year, as this could indicate a lack of faith in McCarthy progressing in overall later into the year, and potentially even for his future with the Vikings.
RB Aaron Jones – 79 OVR
Madden NFL 26 End-of-Season Rating: 80 OVR
We’re going with another slight downgrade, this time on RB Aaron Jones. Madden is not too kind to aging RBs, and unfortunately, that’s exactly what Aaron Jones is. The attribute scores that EA Sports may give him in the receiving game may help boost his rating, though.
RB Jordan Mason – 81 OVR
Madden NFL 26 End-of-Season Rating: 80 OVR
Here’s a touch of love for Jordan Mason, as I’m predicting a bump of +1 to his overall rating from the end of Madden 26. If I were a betting man, I’d say that Mason will get the bulk of the carries out of the backfield for the Vikings in 2026, and I think EA Sports would think so to, and don’t mind giving him a good foundation to build upon for his overall rating.
WR Justin Jefferson – 97 OVR, and the Highest-Rated Player on the Vikings
Madden NFL 26 End-of-Season Rating: 94 OVR
For the first time in the history of this great series, I am not predicting Justin Jefferson to get a 99 OVR rating. It feels dirty, but since there was such a lack of production in 2025, it’s just not going to happen. In fact, the lack of production last season was so bad, that Jefferson started the Madden cycle as a 99 OVR and ended as a 94 OVR.
The lack of production obviously isn’t all his fault, but I think EA Sports still understands who Justin Jefferson is and gives him a clean slate to start the year.
WR Jordan Addison – 84 OVR
Madden NFL 26 End-of-Season Rating: 84 OVR
Admittedly, I’m playing it a bit safe here with Jordan Addison. He stayed stagnant at 84 OVR during the entirety of the Madden 26 cycle, and as easily as I could see him being a point below or above that number, we’ll just stick with what they obviously feel comfortable giving him.
WR Jauan Jennings – 82 OVR
Madden NFL 26 End-of-Season Rating: 81 OVR
A small jump for Jennings here, who began the Madden 26 cycle as an 80 OVR but jumped up to an 81, After another solid season in San Francisco and some advantageous circumstances with the Vikings, I’ll give him yet another point to his rating.
TE T.J. Hockenson – 78 OVR
Madden NFL 26 End-of-Season Rating: 83 OVR
This is a big fall-off for Hockenson, but EA Sports does not like giving players with bad production good ratings. After a forgettable year in 2025, and taking the fact that he’s aging and still coming off of a major injury into play, I expect a slash to his rating in Madden 27.
