One downside to the always-exciting NFL Draft is that, following its conclusion, you have to wait four months to use the league’s newest star players in Madden career mode. This is why, from May to August, Ultimate Team becomes the game’s biggest draw: in EA’s now-ubiquitous build-a-roster mode, you can control the latest crop of prospects right away. Big news if you were planning to follow up the past weekend’s draft with some quality (virtual) Gridiron time.
Ultimate Team cards for 31 new prospects are now available in Madden NFL 16, the Patriots’ pick having been rescinded by the league over the ongoing ‘deflategate’ scandal. Of those 31, five players are rated 84/100 overall: quarterbacks Jared Goff (LA) and Carson Wentz (Philadelphia); defensive end Joey Bosa (San Diego); running back Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas) and cornerback Jalen Ramsey (Jacksonville).
At the other end of what is rightly a narrow scale, draft picks 25 to 31 – including new Broncos signal-caller Paxton Lynch and Seahawks tackle Germain Ifedi – have OVRs of 79/100.
Those obsessed with the Speed attribute (and online, what Madden player isn’t?) will want to keep an eye out for cards featuring wide receivers Will Fuller (Houston) and Corey Coleman (Detroit). Both are rated 96 in this department, making them the swiftest players in the class.
Players can be acquired through both card packs or, if you really, really can’t go another second without reuniting Ohio State team-mates Bosa, Elliott, Eli Apple and Taylor Decker at great expense, via the mode’s auction house.
Madden NFL 16 (opens in new tab) is out now on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.
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