Despite being the seventh running back taken in the 2018 NFL Draft, Washington Redskins rookie Derrius Guice got high marks from EA Sports Madden NFL 19.
Guice received an overall rating of 78, the second-highest in this year’s rookie running back class. Only the second-overall pick New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley (82) got a higher rating.
Madden 19 top 5 rookie RB ratings:
Saquon Barkley: 82
Derrius Guice: 78
Ronald Jones: 77
Sony Michel: 77
Nick Chubb: 76Ronald Jones is the fastest from the group with a 93 speed rating.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 3, 2018
With an 89 Speed, 93 Agility, and 85 in both Stiff Arm and Juke, Guice could be a very pleasant option for Madden users, as EA Sports’ Dan Williams writes.
“If you’re looking for a rookie to explode into the NFL scene and quickly make a name for himself, my money is on it being Guice. Full disclosure, NBA LIVE writer Rahul Lal and I were watching the NFL Draft, and I was audibly yelling in the EA office when team after team passed on this guy. He doesn’t have the high base ratings of Barkley, but Guice makes for an excellent ball carrier in Madden with an 89 Speed, 93 Agility, and an 85 in both Stiff Arm and Juke.
“Also, his 91 mark in Carrying and Trucking tops the rest of this top five. I can already hear some older Madden players laughing at his 89 Speed and moving on. But Speed isn’t the instant killer it once was – just ask Kamara, who started with an 88 Speed last season. Guice’s only weakness? Low catch scores with awful route running ratings.”
While six other running backs went ahead of him in large due to character concerns from some NFL teams, Guice displayed dominant attributes while in college at LSU. During his three-season collegiate career, his 6.53 yards per carry was the second-highest in SEC history behind only Auburn’s Bo Jackson (6.62).
Guice is the projected starting running back for the Redskins heading into the 2018 season. His balanced running style of speed and power is what the Redskins have yearned for in recent years. He’ll lead a backfield that has talent around. While his area of improvement starts with his involvement in the passing game, Washington will have the returning receiving threat Chris Thompson at running back to ease the area of concern.
Madden NFL 19 releases on August 10 for fans to buy.
