The Atlanta Falcons selected Kyle Pitts out of Florida with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, which is the highest a tight end has ever been chosen in the history of the draft. Pitts’ size and rare speed at the position had scouts referring to him as a “unicorn” throughout the draft process.
So it’s only right that Pitts’ Madden 22 rating reflects his elite athletic profile. EA Sports unveiled the player ratings for each rookie on Sunday and Falcons fans are in for a delightful surprise.
Pitts was given an 81 overall rating, which is the best grade in this year’s class and the highest of any rookie since Baker Mayfield earned the same mark in Madden 19.
The top rookie ratings in #Madden22 👀 pic.twitter.com/JEcQgMZCzq
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 25, 2021
Looking back at rookie ratings since Madden 16 and comparing them to the latest Madden 21 roster updates, Atlanta’s rookie tight end is sitting in a good spot for future success. Of the players who were given an initial rookie rating of 80 overall or higher, the average growth in rating was seven percent from an 81 overall to an 87. However, five athletes went beyond the 87 mark and into the 90+ range.
The three biggest climbers are Jalen Ramsey, Christian McCaffrey and Myles Garrett. These three went from an initial overall of 82 to an average of 98 overall, a 19 percent increase.
With the rest of the Falcons roster being unveiled soon, we took the liberty of predicting the team’s top five highest-rated players. Check back for more Madden ratings as they are released this offseason.
