Those who say the Patriots lack elite playmakers in the receiving department may feel validated by of all things the release of video game receiver rankings.
The upcoming version of the internationally popular Madden football game, Madden NFL 23, came out on Monday, and no Patriot receiver finished in the top 20. Or Top 30 even. In fact Hunter Henry finished as the highest rated receiver of any kind on the 2022 Patriots, coming in with an 84 overall rating. It’s worth noting that while Henry does primarily catch passes he is a tight end, thus beating out all the wide receivers on the team, a rating that will only add fuel to the playmaker critic fire. Henry had a solid first season in Foxboro, with 50 catches, 603 yards and 9 TDs. He’s widely considered a Top 10 TE in the NFL, so this rating seems pretty fair.
DeVante Parker, a new addition to the Patriots this offseason, is the highest rated Pats receiver, coming in as the 50th best overall pass catcher with an 82 overall rating. Parker beats out all of the incumbent Pats receivers, which is lead by Kendrick Bourne, who came in tied for 56th (a six way tie) with an overall 81 rating. Bourne is widely considered the most underrated Patriot, if not one of the most underrated receivers in the league, so it will be interesting to see if he advances that rating this season for Madden ’24. One of the other receivers with an 81 rating in that tie? New England’s Nelson Agholor, who is looking to improve upon a less than stellar first season with the Pats. Perhaps the arrival of Parker, and the emergence of Bourne, will benefit Agholor if not all Pats receivers positively.
New Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams finished first overall with the only 99 rating handed out to a receiver. The Pats will get to contend with Adams in December out in Vegas, as well as twice deal with the fifth highest rated receiver, Miami’s Tyreek Hill, who scored a 97 with the Fins. Also finishing in the Top 10 and in the AFC East? Buffalo’s Stef Diggs, who pulled a 95, and will look to continue to torch the Pats twice this season as well.
On the brighter side of the ratings...the Patriots having four receivers in the top 60, if you will, highlights how the receiving corps is built of depth and a diversity of talents. If they are to succeed this season it will be in a complementary capacity. So while we can’t expect any of them to crack the Top 10 for Madden NFL 24, perhaps as a group they will finish as one of the better receiver groups in the NFL, elevating their offense as well as the rating of second year QB Mac Jones, whose rating will be revealed this Friday.
