Football can be a pretty simple game really. The modern NFL has become a match up league, with players being coveted for the speed or their size.
While fast players can get behind a defense and gain huge chunks of yardage, tall players can increase tight windows and catch balls totally out of the range for cornerbacks.
With Madden 20 finally released on all platforms this week we know that the high pass mechanic is once again included and can be exploited by players in the red zone looking for that extra edge.
Lofting the ball up to where only your big receiver can get it is a very valuable piece of an offense, but which receivers are the most capable of winning jump balls in the corner of the end zone? The tallest ones...
Brandon Coleman, Free Agent (72 OVR)
Age: 27
Height: 6'6"
Best Stats: Acceleration (89), Jumping (87), Speed (86), Catching (84), Spectacular Catch (84), Agility (84), Catch In Traffic (81), Medium Route Running (79)
Brandon Coleman went undrafted in 2014, but latched on with the New Orleans Saints. In 2015 he pulled in 30 catches for 454 yards and 2 scores and went on to be a useful cog in the Saints machine for a few years but was released prior to the 2018 season and is now a free agent.
In Madden 20 Coleman is enormous, and pairs his amazing height with good jumping (87) and spectacular catch (84) to be a serious red zone threat. His acceleration (89) and speed (86) are ok but not great, and his route running (78 short, 79 medium) isn't amazing.
Tanner McEvoy, Free Agent (66 OVR)
Age: 26
Height: 6'6"
Best Stats: Acceleration (89), Speed (87), Jumping (84), Agility (84), Spectacular Catch (80), Catching (79), Catch In Traffic (77)
Tanner McEvoy went undrafted in 2016 but was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks. He caught 9 passes as a rookie, including 2 touchdowns, and 5 in 2017 before moving to Miami where he struggled to make any impact.
In Madden 20 McEvoy has reasonable speed (87) and acceleration (89) for a big player, but his jumping (84) and catching (79) are not ideal for a red zone target.
Carlton Agudosi, Philadelphia Eagles (58 OVR)
Age: 25
Height: 6'6"
Best Stats: Jumping (94), Acceleration (89), Agility (86), Speed (85), Catch In Traffic (77), Spectacular Catch (76), Catching (76)
Carlton Agudosi went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2017. He found a training camp spot with the Arizona Cardinals and then landed on their practice squad. In January 2019 he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
In Madden 20 Agudosi pairs his 6'6" frame with terrific jumping (94). His speed (85) isn't great but his acceleration (89) is nice. Agudosi's catching (76) is inconsistent and his route running is extremely poor.
Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (91 OVR)
Age: 26
Height: 6'5"
Best Stats: Catch In Traffic (97), Spectacular Catch (96), Jumping (95), Release (95), Acceleration (91), Speed (89), Catching (88), Medium Route Running (88)
Mike Evans is a legitimate star. Drafted 7th overall in 2014 by Tampa Bay, he has been an enormous success for the Buccaneers. Evans has posted at least 1,000 yards in each of his 5 seasons in the NFL, with 10+ touchdowns twice. In 2018 Evans made 86 catches for a massive 1,524 yards and 8 scores.
In Madden 20 Evans is an X-Factor player who can terrorize defenses. His catch in traffic (97) and spectacular catch (96) are exceptional and when paired with his 6'5" frame, speed (89) and amazing jumping (95) make him incredibly difficult to stop.
Brandon Marshall, Free Agent (77 OVR)
Age: 35
Height: 6'5"
Best Stats: Jumping (90), Spectacular Catch (89), Catch In Traffic (87), Speed (85), Acceleration (85), Release (84), Catching (83)
The veteran Brandon Marshall was a fourth-round pick for the Denver Broncos in 2006 and quickly proved his worth. In his second season he racked up 102 catches for 1,325 yards and 7 TDs and became a fixture in the 1,000+ yard club, posting 7-straight seasons of 4 digit yardage. Marshall has barely played in the last two years due to injury.
In Madden 20 he still has good juming (90) and good hands (spec. catch 89, catch in traffic 87). His athleticism is poor (speed 85, acceleration 85) though, as his his route running (short 76, medium 73).
Hakeem Butler, Arizona Cardinals (72 OVR)
Age: 23
Height: 6'5"
Best Stats: Speed (88), Jumping (87), Spectacular Catch (87), Acceleration (87), Catch In Traffic (84), Agility (82)
Hakeem Butler was taken in the fourth-round of this years draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He spent his college career at Iowa State, seeing consistent targets in his junior year, making 60 catches for 1,318 yards and 9 touchdowns.
In Madden 20 Butler has a lot of potential with his speed (88) and jumping (87) making him a good young prospect. His spectacular catch (87) will play well on high passes in the end zone. His route running needs work (short 77, medium 76) but he should be fun for years to come.
Auden Tate, Cincinnati Bengals (69 OVR)
Age: 22
Height: 6'5"
Best Stats: Spectacular Catch (87), Acceleration (87), Speed (85), Catch In Traffic (83), Release (80), Catching (80), Jumping (80)
Auden Tate was a seventh-round pick for the Cincinnati Bengals and caught 4 passes for 35 yards, which is actually rather impressive for such a late round pick.
In Madden 20 Tate has impressive spectacular catch (87) and nice acceleration (87). His speed (85) is only ok and his catching (80) is fine, but his route running (short 73, medium 70) is poor.
| Player | Team | Height | OVR | Speed | Catching | Jumping |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Coleman | Free Agent | 6'6" | 72 | 86 | 84 | 87 |
| Tanner McEvoy | Free Agent | 6'6" | 66 | 87 | 79 | 84 |
| Carlton Agudosi | Philadelphia Eagles | 6'6" | 58 | 85 | 76 | 94 |
| Mike Evans | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6'5" | 91 | 89 | 88 | 95 |
| Brandon Marshall | Free Agent | 6'5" | 77 | 85 | 83 | 90 |
| Hakeem Butler | Arizona Cardinals | 6'5" | 72 | 88 | 78 | 87 |
| Auden Tate | Cincinnati Bengals | 6'5" | 69 | 85 | 80 | 80 |
| Jordan Taylor | Minnesota Vikings | 6'5" | 68 | 88 | 82 | 87 |
| Jaleel Scott | Baltimore Ravens | 6'5" | 68 | 87 | 80 | 85 |
| Tim Patrick | Denver Broncos | 6'5" | 67 | 90 | 79 | 89 |
| Equanimeous St. Brown | Green Bay Packers | 6'5" | 66 | 90 | 79 | 83 |
| Cam Sims | Washington Redskins | 6'5" | 65 | 87 | 81 | 82 |
| Allen Lazard | Green Bay Packers | 6'5" | 64 | 87 | 80 | 90 |
| Jamal Custis | Kansas City Chiefs | 6'5" | 63 | 89 | 80 | 83 |
| AJ Green | Cincinnati Bengals | 6'4" | 90 | 90 | 90 | 96 |
| Kenny Golladay | Detroit Lions | 6'4" | 83 | 90 | 90 | 88 |
| Tyrell Williams | Oakland Raiders | 6'4" | 83 | 92 | 72 | 93 |
| Mike Williams | Los Angeles Chargers | 6'4" | 81 | 89 | 88 | 83 |
| Devin Funchess | Indianapolis Colts | 6'4" | 80 | 88 | 86 | 91 |
| Martavis Bryant | Free Agent | 6'4" | 75 | 92 | 84 | 92 |
| Terrelle Pryor Sr | Jacksonville Jaguars | 6'4" | 73 | 90 | 83 | 88 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | Green Bay Packers | 6'4" | 73 | 93 | 81 | 75 |
| Andre Holmes | Denver Broncos | 6'4" | 72 | 86 | 82 | 87 |
| Mile Boykin | Baltimore Ravens | 6'4" | 71 | 92 | 84 | 96 |
| Mack Hollins | Philadelphia Eagles | 6'4" | 71 | 90 | 75 | 85 |
| DJ Chark Jr | Jacksonville Jaguars | 6'4" | 71 | 94 | 78 | 93 |
| Justin Hunter | Free Agent | 6'4" | 70 | 89 | 78 | 93 |
| Jake Kumerow | Green Bay Packers | 6'4" | 69 | 88 | 84 | 78 |
| Marcell Ateman | Oakland Raiders | 6'4" | 69 | 86 | 76 | 84 |
| Jalen Hurd | San Francisco 49ers | 6'4" | 68 | 89 | 78 | 90 |
| Javon Wims | Chicago Bears | 6'4" | 68 | 88 | 83 | 82 |
| Derrick Williams | Cleveland Browns | 6'4" | 64 | 86 | 80 | 94 |
| Preston Williams | Miami Dolphins | 6'4" | 64 | 89 | 79 | 89 |
| Lil'Jordan Humphrey | New Orleans Saints | 6'4" | 64 | 82 | 81 | 82 |
| Simmie Cobbs Jr | New Orleans Saints | 6'4" | 63 | 85 | 79 | 74 |
| Bug Howard | Denver Broncos | 6'4" | 63 | 86 | 84 | 89 |
| Marcus Kemp | Kansas City Chiefs | 6'4" | 62 | 88 | 79 | 85 |
| Alonzo Russell | New York Giants | 6'4" | 61 | 91 | 77 | 74 |
| Marquis Bundy | Free Agent | 6'4" | 59 | 89 | 78 | 81 |
