Summer is here and that means training camps for the real world NFL teams and eager anticipation of the next Madden to drop for sports gamers. EA is promising a revamped approach to the franchise mode that offers a deeper, more compelling experience than ever before, and while many fans will be tempering their enthusiasm until they finally see it in practice, there’s hope the positive response to EA Sports College Football 25 will have encouraged improvements in the pro game.
If you’re looking forward to getting your hands on the new edition to try the franchise mode out yourself, it can be useful to know who to target with your franchise mode signings and acquisitions, be it through a fantasy draft start, free agency action or aggression in the trade market. Here are 10 players whose real world skills just might make them must have players when Madden 26 finally hits shelves and digital storefronts.
Caleb Williams (QB – Chicago Bears, Madden 25 Rating: 75)
Finding a sleeper at the quarterback position is not the easiest proposition as anyone even half decent at arguably the most influential position in major sports won’t be flying under the radar. That said, after a rookie season that went largely how quarterbacking seasons go in Chicago many in the football world are already selling on Williams.
While it remains to be seen how things will turn out for Williams on the real gridiron, with Bears fans no doubt hoping for a breakout year for their young passer with a year of experience under his belt and a more competent coaching staff guiding him, he’s an intriguing option for a Madden franchise. He’s young, meaning time to develop, and his physical tools remain excellent, allowing for a skilled player to overcome his other shortcomings and cause hell for opposing defenses.
If Williams is a bit too established for your tastes and you want someone further under the radar, Raiders rookie Dont’e Thornton Jr. might be what you’re looking for. While modern Madden games have looked to lessen the priority on glamor attributes through the use of traits, it still is never a bad thing to have a player who can burn the opposition, and that’s never more true than at your skill positions.
As a fourth round draft pick for the Raiders he is not likely to be a particularly costly player to acquire when Madden 26 drops, but Thornton Jr. has the potential to be the type of player whose digital self greatly outperforms his real world expectations. He carried strong Speed and Acceleration ratings in College Football 25, with good but not spectacular receiving attributes.
While the latter are likely to take a dip when adjusting for the move to professional scale for Madden, with a combine 40 yard dash just .01 seconds off the fastest at this year’s combine, his speed should remain high enough to make him a nightmare with some technical development time.
In the same vein as Thornton Jr., Tuten had a respectable rating in last year’s College Football and saw his name called in the fourth round in the NFL Draft this year. Like Thornton Jr. he also absolutely cooked at the combine, running the 40 in a position best 4.32 seconds, just three-hundreths off the overall best time.
While raw physical attributes aren’t everything in Madden, they’re also far from nothing and that’s an excellent base to be begin building off of with a rookie who has plenty of years to develop and grow, while also potentially serving as an immediate change-of-pace option for your franchise in year one, particularly if you already have a big bruiser on your roster to handle the heavy lifting.
Dylan Parham (OG – Oakland Raiders, Madden 25 Rating: 77)
There are few positions in the NFL easier to be slept on than the offensive line. The absolute best players get the biggest shine, the not up to the task ones the next most attention, and a whole crop of quite good players thriving in the anonymity that comes from not getting beat with regularity.
What makes Parham the pick as a potential sleeper among this group is less to do with what he can do on the field than what his situation is off it. When running a franchise mode knowing who is in a contract year is useful as those are the players you may get the chance to swoop in and sign at season’s end. With Parham entering the final year of his rookie contract he could be the solid but unspectacular addition your line needs for year two.
Pat Freiermuth (TE – Pittsburgh Steelers, Madden 25 Rating: 84)
Beloved among Steeler fans who are only happy when they have a no-nonsense tight end to adore, Freiermuth is also a career low-end fantasy starter with a low ceiling but decent floor. In the world of Madden he’s not going to single-handedly destroy an opposing defense the way some of the position’s elite options will, but he’s a dependable pass catching option. While players like Kyle Pitts, Mike Gesicki and fellow Steeler Jonnu Smith may draw more attention, Freiermuth rates higher than all of them and sits just outside the top ten at the position in last year’s edition.
T’Vondre Sweat (DT – Tennessee Titans, Madden 25 Rating: 78)
A big boy who can shut down an opposing rushing game before it gets started can be the anchor to build a successful defense around, and Sweat is an excellent candidate to be that rock when the upper tier options have escaped your capture. Sweat already boasted respectable standing in last year’s edition, closing out the year just inside the top-20. With a Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie Team spot in his back pocket he could be in for a boost in the Madden 26, and in just his second year there is still plenty of room to grow, too.
DaRon Bland (CB – Dallas Cowboys, Madden 25 Rating: 88)
In a sports world where you’re only as good as your last game it can be easy to forget about a player after one forgettable season. After a breakout 2023 for the Cowboys, Bland missed the first half of last season with injury, returning to a Cowboys team that had already been removed from relevance by a 3-7 start.
With both an injury to bounce back from and a new contract waiting at the end of the season, Bland could be in for a bounceback year in real life and is an excellent option to target in free agency or to draft after that first elite tier of cornerbacks comes off the board in a fantasy draft when you need a solid CB option to build around.
Marte Mapu (SS – New England Patriots, Madden 25 Rating: 74)
With a Madden 25 rating in the mid-70s, Mapu is snoozing a bit harder than most on this list, but earns his place as a young player with passable ratings now who could contribute to be a bigger cog as your franchise develops. Already a solid run-game contributor with good physical tools, a little time developing his mentals and coverage ratings can help Mapu develop into a bargain addition to your secondary, while his versatility means he can help in the front seven, too.
The arrival of Madden 26 is just around the corner. Who are your favorite players below the elite tier of options that you can’t wait to get on your team?
