Chicago Bears: Madden disrespects rookies with low ratings

Overall: 69

As I pointed out when dissecting David Montgomery, Madden does not seem to rank the rookies very high at launch. These numbers can change as the offseason progresses into the preseason and regular season. Why the knock on the rookies now though?

This rating has Riley Ridley tied with three other rookie wide receivers for 13th overall. With Montgomery scoring only a 71, a 69 for Ridley seems appropriate. That said, I think Montgomery should be much closer to an 80, even with the conservative rating approach. With that increase, Ridley should be in the low to mid-70s. What attributes did Madden get wrong regarding Ridley?

Awareness: 69

Looking at the other rookie wide receiver ratings, this number falls in line with others who are ranked ahead of Ridley. Not really sure how Madden is assessing this attribute other than watching game tape and seeing how players react in every situation.

Speed: 86

Looking at the overall ratings, Madden clearly values speed and acceleration over most other attributes for the wide receiver position. Ridley is not known for his speed and this is why he came across an overall rating of 69. Just remember, many great wide receivers do not have top-end speed, but became great for their ability to get open and make catches.

Acceleration: 90

This rating is not awful in the grand scheme of things. Just like speed though, Madden clearly makes this a priority. Also just like speed, acceleration is not necessary to become a great wide receiver in the NFL. This area is good enough and the rating is on point for Ridley.

Agility: 79

I was not surprised that Ridley had a lower agility score than many other rookie wide receivers. Agility is typically correlated with quickness and speed, something that Ridley clearly lacks compared to most the other rookie receivers. That said, I am shocked with the 79 because Ridley is one of the best route runners in the 2019 Draft Class and I equate agility with the ability to run crisp routes as well.

Strength: 64

Does this need to be higher? Seeing D.K. Metcalf with a strength score of only 77 makes this score more reasonable. How is that freak of nature not a 100? I feel like Ridley has decent strength where needed for a wide receiver though. He has the ability to fight off and catch contested balls, which is most important.

Catch: 83

Seeing this score does not upset me until I look at the other catch scores of other rookie wide receivers. Ridley is not known for his speed. What he is known for is his route running ability and his ability to catch the football. When you see speed guys have high-speed scores, but Ridley has a middling catch score, something is wrong. I legitimately think Ridley should be at 88 or higher.

Catch in Traffic: 81

See my reaction to the catch rating and apply the same here. Ridley has no issues catching contested footballs. His philosophy is that a receiver should catch anything within reason.

Spectacular Catch: 85

There is a theme here when it comes to the catch ratings for Ridley. The scores are too low. I am glad to see the Madden rating was closer to being correct on this one, but too many other rookies have the same or better ratings. This rating also needs to be at 88 or higher. With his catch scores being increased, Ridley should have an overall rating around 75 or better.