As ESPN continues to roll out the Madden ‘12 ratings day by day until the launch of the new release on August 30, it’s interesting to see which players were well-respected by the ratings crew (whoever they are) and who got the shaft. Perhaps nothing is worse to this point than the exclusion of Colts second round choice Ben Ijalana — a frustrating loss of a top guard prospect for a team with a hurting offensive line. Blaine Gabbert, on the other hand, fared pretty well.
The Jacksonville Jaguars individual player rankings were released today and the rookie quarterback from Missouri looks good as a future franchise player. He’s rated 75 overall with decent athletic abilities in the pocket (79 Acceleration, 75 Speed, 72 Agility). However, it’s his cannon of an arm (90 Throwing Power) that might have some players moving Gabbert into the line-up immediately. He’s also already three points more accurate overall than starter David Garrard (83 to 80).
As for the rest of the roster, some obvious highlights include a 95 overall score for Maurice Jones-Drew and a 90 overall rating for TE Mercedes Lewis. The offensive line also has six players rated at 80 or higher, giving depth and consistency across the front.