Madden 19: Fastest quarterbacks (QB)

There is one true philosophy that spreads across nearly all sport: Speed kills. The faster you are the greater your potential to score, and score quickly. In the NFL we have seen a trend move from savvy veterans and towards youthful athleticism. Your linebackers have to be fast to keep up with fast tight ends and running backs. Your defensive ends have to be fast to get to the quarterback before he gets the ball out. And perhaps most importantly, we have seen teams look for athletic, running quarterbacks so they can dodge the pass rush and make the defense think about another threat.

How to choose the fastest quarterbacks in Madden 19's Franchise Mode

In Madden 19, the running quarterback (QB) is as deadly as ever. With the read option still a play that is tricky to defend, having a fast quarterback is always a benefit. But who are the fastest? You want to look, obviously, at the speed stat, but also look at the acceleration stat. Getting up to top speed quickly is just as important as what that top speed is. Here are all the quarterbacks in Madden 19 with a speed stat of at least 82.

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (OVR 79)

Age: 21

Development Trait: Quick

Contract: 4 years/$9.47m

2018 Cap Hit: $4.96m

Stats: Speed (91), Acceleration (93)

The fastest quarterback in the game is also one of the youngest. Taken with the 32nd pick in the 2018 draft, Lamar Jackson is yet to see a snap in the NFL, but if his college stats are anything to go by, he will be tormenting defenses soon. The 2016 Heisman winner rushed for 4,132 yards in his three years at Louisville with an average of 6.3 yards per carry and he found the end zone 50 times.

Tyrod Taylor, Cleveland Browns (OVR 81)

Age: 29

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 1 year/$12m

2018 Cap Hit: $12m

Stats: Speed (88), Acceleration (91)

Taylor spent four long seasons on the bench in Baltimore before coming to Buffalo and getting the chance to play. In his three years as the starting quarterback for the Bills Taylor proved not only that he could play the part of a traditional quarterback pretty well, but that his legs were still a big threat. At Virginia Tech Taylor had posted 2,196 rushing yards in his four seasons. In his three years with the Bills Taylor was a constant menace, dodging sacks, escaping pressure, and racking up solid yards on the ground. He amassed 1,575 yards and a 5.6 yard average for the Bills. Now with the Browns, Taylor looks set to continue frustrating defenses.

Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans (OVR 79)

Age: 24

Development Trait: Star

Contract: 2 years/$21.6m

2018 Cap Hit: $10.6m

Stats: Speed (88), Acceleration (90)

Mariota's athleticism is well documented. From his days in Oregon running Chip Kelly's "Blur" offense to his nearly single-handed victory over the Chiefs in last seasons playoffs, Mariota is a peak athlete that can also throw.

In college Mariota racked up 2,237 rushing yards, at a 6.6 yard average, and 29 touchdowns for the Oregon Ducks, and in the NFL he has been a never-ending annoyance to defenses by sliding away from pressure, out-running pass rushers, and picking up key first downs. Mariota has 913 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground for the Titans, as well as registering 83 yards with his feet in the playoffs, and that quick-thinking ricochet catch and touchdown that beat Kansas City.

Joe Webb III, Houston Texans (OVR 68)

Age: 31

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 1 year/$1.01m

2018 Cap Hit: $1.01m

Stats: Speed (88), Acceleration (90)

Joe Webb's legacy is easy to forget, but for a brief fleeting moment he was the second-coming of Michael Vick. After snow caused the roof of the Vikings stadium to collapse in December 2010 their game was pushed back to a Tuesday and moved to the outdoor Minnesota Gophers stadium. Minnesota in December is not a time to be playing sport outdoors, but Joe Webb, in his first NFL start, put down a terrific performance and led the Vikings to a win over Philadelphia. His speed played brilliantly on the slippery outdoor surface, and a year later he was hanging 109 rushing yards on the Lions in just seven attempts.

It has been a while since Webb saw the field in the regular season for any serious amount of time, but in 2017 he got the ball against the Colts and was once again a problem due to his speed.

Trevor Knight, Free Agent (OVR 66)

Age: 24

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: N/A

2018 Cap Hit: N/A

Stats: Speed (87), Acceleration (88)

Trevor Knight is yet to receive a snap in the NFL after going undrafted in 2017. He has had spells on the Arizona Cardinals practice squad, as well as the Atlanta Falcons, but the prospects of breaking into the NFL as a passer are remote for the former Oklahoma Sooner. During his combine in 2017 though, Knight finished first among quarterbacks in the vertical jump, broad jump, and the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.54. That was faster than some running backs, and his performance there, along with his 1,467 college rushing yards, are reflected in his strong speed stats in Madden 19.

Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints (OVR 60)

Age: 28

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 2 years/$1.11m

2018 Cap Hit: $550k

Stats: Speed (87), Acceleration (86)

Taysom Hill is another who was undrafted in 2017. After a stint with the Packers last year he landed on the New Orleans Saints practice squad for most of the year and was promoted to the active roster in December, ending up playing some special teams.

Hill played his college football with BYU, racking up 2,815 rushing yards at 5.3 yards per carry. His production is reflected in his strong speed (87) and acceleration (86). 

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (OVR 93)

Age: 29

Development Trait: Superstar

Contract: 2 years/$42.6m

2018 Cap Hit: $19.4m

Stats: Speed (86), Acceleration (86)

The best balance of running skills and passing is found in Seahawks signal caller Russell Wilson. With the third-best OVR among quarterbacks and the seventh-best speed score Wilson is the perfect quarterback if you want to do a lot of running while maintaining the threat of the pass.

In his college years, Wilson was a menace with the ball in his hands, he rushed for 1,083 yards with North Carolina State, before moving to Wisconsin and adding 338. In the NFL Wilson was one of the primary tools for the use of the read option and the proliferation of the quarterback run game. At his peak in 2014, Wilson ran for 849 yards at a massive 7.2 yards per carry.

While the option game has been solved by defenses in the NFL once again, Wilson's speed and athleticism now shines when it comes to avoiding pass rushers. He is one of the toughest quarterbacks in the league to sack.

Jeff Driskel, Cincinnati Bengals (OVR 68)

Age: 25

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 2 years/$1.24m

2018 Cap Hit: $590k

Stats: Speed (85), Acceleration (86)

Driskel was originally drafted at the end of the sixth round in 2016 by the San Francisco 49ers, but he soon wound up on the Cincinnati Bengals, which is where he has stayed. In his combine Driskel ran an impressive 4.56 in the 40-yard dash and a 4.25 in the shuttle, but he wasn't much of a rusher in college, finishing his five years with just 972 yards and a 3.1 yard average. His speed is more used for avoiding defenders than designed runs, but that doesn't mean you can't turn him into an option machine in Madden 19.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers (OVR 88)

Age: 29

Development Trait: Star

Contract: 3 years/$58.8m

2018 Cap Hit: $15.7m

Stats: Speed (85), Acceleration (88)

Like Wilson, Newton is a magical blend of athletic ball carrier and quarterback. The Panthers man terrorized the college ranks in 2010 on his way to a Heisman trophy an unbeaten national championship. He rushed for 1,473 yards that season, with a 5.6 yard average, and was easily the #1 pick for the Panthers in the 2011 draft.

Newton has continued to bully defenses with his size and speed combination while in the NFL. He has amassed 4,320 yards on the ground and 54 touchdowns in his seven seasons with Carolina. The only thing that holds him back is usually his coaches fear of him getting hurt. 

Brett Hundley, Green Bay Packers (OVR 70)

Age: 25

Development Trait: Normal

Contract: 1 year/$600k

2018 Cap Hit:  $600k

Stats: Speed (85), Acceleration (88)

Life as Aaron Rodgers' backup can be boring at times, but when the Packers star gets hurt and you have to go in, the pressure can be enormous. That's what Brett Hundley found out in 2017 when Rodgers broke his collarbone.

Hundley started nine games in 2017 and really struggled. His speed (85) got him out of some tough spots, but his 270 yards rushing wasn't enough to make up for poor passing. At UCLA Hundley has been a frequent, if not totally successful, runner. He racked up 1,747 yards in three years, and scored 30 touchdowns with his legs, but averaged just 3.6 yards per carry. Hundley ran a 4.63 40-yard dash at his combine though, so he deserves of his impressive speed ratings.

Other fast quarterbacks