Madden 21 Ratings: The most athletic players to dominate Franchise Mode with

The Madden 21 ratings are out, and so is the NFL 100 list.

This always causes a stir amongst players, who wanted to be rated the best.

You don't become a professional athlete without being incredibly competitive. And the NFL is no different.

So that leaves us wondering who are actually the most athletic players in Madden 21?

Defining athleticism in Madden 21

Athleticism can be defined in many ways, its the reason they are called professional athletes.

For the purposes of this review, we will focus on the core sense which in Madden means being hard to catch or equally being hard to get away from.

Something NFL WR's are always joking with each other about.

BEEF: NFL WRs have been going at it over twitter

But we don't want to be biased to attacking players so we left out the Juke and Spin move stats and focused on the physical aspects that apply to both sides of the ball.

We took the Madden 21 ratings for speed, acceleration, agility, and change of direction to create total 'athlete points'.

READ MORE: Madden 21 Rookie ratings revealed

Stamina could have been included in this, but we left it out as it appears to have little relevance to performance in the game.

Change of direction is a new stat that is being applied alongside the new gameplay styles and therefore could have a big impact.

So who are the top five?

Tyreek Hill (WR, Chiefs)

99 speed, 99 acceleration, 98 agility, 99 change of direction - 395 out of 396

He's know as the Cheetah for a reason.

Hill is one of the most athletic players to ever play in the NFL. Ask any fan who you think will top the list and they will probably name him.

PEACE: New celebrations in Madden 21 could lead to broken pads

That will be why EA have nearly given him the perfect score.

He's fast, but more impressively he can cut and change direction almost effortlessly which supports his release from defenders.

READ MORE: What can Madden 21 learn from FIFA 21 fixes to career mode

Expect to see plenty of Hill in MUT.

Lamar Jackson (QB, Ravens)

96 speed, 96 acceleration, 95 agility, 95 change of direction - 382 out of 396

The reigning league MVP has changed the QB position.

There has been a slow transition to having more mobile QBs in the NFL, but Jackson has accelerated this further, and the fact he's 2nd on this list is a testament to that.

BE PREPARED: Everyone will be using Jackson in MUT

Being the cover star will mean he's likely to transition these slick skills well in the game.

Avonte Maddox (CB, Eagles)

93 speed, 94 acceleration, 96 agility, 98 change of direction - 381 out of 396

If Hill was an obvious choice, Maddox is the opposite. He's the surprise on this list.

READ MORE: Madden 21 rookie faces revealed

Avonte Maddox is just outside the top elite for speed and acceleration but is definitely up there for agility and change of direction.

At 78 overall he could represent a steal in franchise mode where these stats will help him to be a shutdown corner.

Odell Beckham Jr (WR, Browns)

93 speed, 94 acceleration, 98 agility, 96 change of direction - 381 out of 396

Since being on the cover of Madden 16, OBJ has been quieter. His stats have slowly dropped from being one of the highest in the game.

But hes still considered a top WR, and his athleticism scores back that up.

It's no surprise the former punt returner has great agility and change of direction scores like Maddox.

Denzel Ward (CB, Browns)

95 speed, 95 acceleration, 95 agility, 96 change of direction - 381 out of 396

The final spot of the list goes to another defensive player.

READ MORE: All the X-Factor and Superstar abilities in Madden 21

Denzel Ward instantly improved the Browns secondary when he was taken 4th overall in 2018.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Ward has a bright career in the NFL

The 23 year old has a bright career ahead but already boasts impressive ratings.

The consistency across all the metrics is striking and Ward is going to be a match for just about every WR in the game.

Best of the rest

There are plenty of honourable mentions in the list.

It's also worth pointing out there are players with higher total scores than some of those in the below list.

This list represents the best players under each rating. So if you value speed and acceleration you can get an absolute steal with a player like Rico Gafford.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about The Yard in Madden 21