Madden 21 Ratings: Best strong safeties (SS) in Franchise Mode - Smith, Mathieu, Adams & more

The strong safety is key to versitility in any defense on Madden 21.

Often moving from the line of scrimmage all the way to a deep zone, they have to do a bit of everything.

So who are the best this year?

How to choose the best strong safeties (SS) in Madden 21's Franchise Mode

In this article we will be looking for the best strong safeties in Madden 21's offline modes. That's Franchise Mode, Face of the Franchise, and the Exhibition games. We aren't looking at contract status, age, or anything else, this all about OVR and those with a primary position of SS. Let's dive in!

Harrison Smith - 95 OVR

Team: Minnesota Vikings

It's not a surprise that Harrison Smith is the best strong safety in Madden 21.

ALL-MADDEN: Smith is always among the best defenders in Madden

The Vikings star has position-best 82 tackle and 92 zone coverage. He's also got terrific 95 play recognition and 93 pursuit (also position highs).

He's not the fastest, with 87 speed and 91 acceleration but he can get around just fine. He's also got an amazing 82 catching to snag plenty of turnovers.

Tyrann Mathieu - 93 OVR

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

The Honey Badger is #2. The Chiefs star SS has 90 speed and 92 acceleration, as well as 95 awareness and 90 play recognition.

READ MORE: Madden 21 The Yard: What is EA's new game mode?

He's an elite coverage player with 90 zone and 90 man coverage, giving you plenty of scheme flexibility. He's also got an SS-best 69 finesse moves to blitz and decent 76 tackle.

Jamal Adams - 92 OVR

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Still listed on the Jets, Adams will be on Seattle with the first roster update. He has 91 speed and 90 acceleration, along with 80 tackle and a huge 96 hit power to force fumbles.

NEW CAR SMELL: Adams is sure to delight his new fans in Seattle

In coverage he has 92 zone and 86 man coverage, along with 91 play recognition and 67 block shed to get to the ball.

Derwin James - 89 OVR

Team: Los Angeles Chargers

Derwin James is a terrific little player. With 90 speed and 92 acceleration he can fly around the field. He has 93 jumping to surprise some QBs, and 79 tackle to stop the ball carrier.

MR DO-IT-ALL: Derwin James can blitz, tackle, and cover

James is a balanced coverage player with 84 man and 83 zone, giving you plenty of flexibility in scheme. He also has a nice blitz ability with 68 power moves, 65 block shed, and 60 finesse moves.

Kareem Jackson - 87 OVR

Team: Denver Broncos

The Broncos have an excellent pair of safeties with Justin Simmons and our #5 strong safety Kareem Jackson.

The converted cornerback has 90 zone and 83 man coverage. Because of that history he isn't the best tackler (73) but he can get by. He also has 88 speed and 89 acceleration.

Adrian Amos - 86 OVR

Team: Green Bay Packers

Amos is a highly athletic player, with 92 speed and 91 acceleration, making him a great user safety.

READ MORE: The best athletes in Madden 21

Don't worry about the AI controlling him though, as he has 85 awareness and 84 play recognition. Amos has 88 zone and 80 man coverage and 73 tackle, making him much more of a coverage safety than a banging box defender.

Jordan Poyer - 85 OVR

Team: Buffalo Bills

The last one on our list also has a teammate in the top free safeties list. Jordan Poyer seems slow with 87 speed but his 91 acceleration will get him around the field well enough.

He has 87 awareness and 81 play recognition, along with 86 zone and 81 man coverage. Poyer isn't much of a blitzer or a tackler (72) so try not to send him after the QB too much.

All the best strong safeties in Madden 21