Madden NFL 27 rookie ratings: Cowboys future star Caleb Downs leads the way, Fernando Mendoza lags behind

The Dallas Cowboys found a draft-day steal when the team traded up one spot to grab safety Caleb Downs with the No. 11 overall pick. But don't just take our word for it, there are plenty of others who feel good about Downs' potential for future stardom.

"Madden NFL 27" revealed its rookie ratings for this year's version of the game, and no rookie rates better than Downs, who came in with an 82 overall.

He's actually not the only rookie with that exact rating. Downs is tied with Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, who also received an 82 from the developers.

Here's a list of some of the top rookie talent in the game this year:

You may notice that there's one fairly significant name missing from that top-10 list. That would be Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Where does that put him among rookies in "Madden NFL 27?"

Mendoza clocks in with a 74 overall. That ties him for the 49th highest rating rookie in the game. Two other Raiders rookies — second-round safety Treydan Stukes and third-round defensive end Keyron Crawford — both rank higher than Mendoza.

There are probably a few reasons for that. While Mendoza was the top-overall pick in the draft, quarterback is an extremely difficult position to learn in the NFL. Plenty of first-round picks — and even No. 1 overall picks — have failed to translate their college success to the NFL.

It's also a position that — if overweighted in Madden — could lead to some seriously eye-popping numbers from an unproven player. Because of that, the developers likely played it safe with Mendoza, who should see his rating rise or fall during the regular season based on his performance.

Mendoza's lower-than-expected rating continues a bit of a trend for the game. Last year, Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward became the lowest-rated No. 1 overall pick in Madden in over two decades. Ward came in with a 72 rating last season. Jacksonville Jaguars two-way standout Travis Hunter led all rookies with an 84 rating last year.

While Madden ratings tend to cause plenty of agita in the offseason, they ultimately mean very little. Sure, players sometimes take their numbers too seriously, but there's not much of a difference between an 84 and an 86, as an example.

And since we live in a world where updates can be made immediately, Mendoza has plenty of room to see his rating grow if he turns in a fantastic rookie season. For now, he's gotta prove it if he wants to shoot up the rookie rankings.