Top 10 RB rankings on Madden 26 revealed

by: Dan Morrison • 24 minutes ago • dan_morrison96

This year’s addition of Madden 26 is rapidly approaching. With that, the release of player rankings are starting to trickle out. That includes the Top 10 running backs in the game today.

The RB position had become overlooked and undervalued for a long time in the NFL. However, the 2024 season seemed to change that, and there’s a new appreciation for those running backs that have dominated around the league. Certainly, the top backs that Madden has rated are all game changers for their respective teams.

Madden 26 is set to be released on August 14th. Ahead of that, though, ESPN’s Adam Schefter released the Top 10 RB rankings in the game.

In his first year with the Philadelphia Eagles, Saquon Barkley solidified himself as the best running back in the NFL. With 2,005 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, to go along with 278 receiving yards and another two touchdowns, he was in the MVP running and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award on the way to a Super Bowl win.

The Eagles would reward Barkley with a two-year, $41.2 million contract extension, which made him the highest paid running back in NFL history. Madden, too, would reward him. Barkley is a 99 overall player in this year’s game, an honor reserved for only a few elite players every season.

Just behind Saquon Barkley in the Madden 26 ratings is Derrick Henry. Over the course of his career, Henry has proven to be one of the best running backs of his generation. Now, he’s proven the ability to maintain that success over a long career and multiple franchises. So, it’s not really a surprise he’s a 98 overall.

Last season, Henry rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also had 193 receiving yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns. Together, alongside Lamar Jackson in the backfield in Baltimore, the hope is that they’ll lead the Ravens to another Super Bowl. He would sign a two-year extension with Baltimore in the offseason, and now he’s ready to make himself felt on the field next season.

The Detroit Lions have a two-headed beast at running back. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs share carries in the backfield there. There’s a chance that one back can overshadow the other in systems like that, but there’s no chance that anybody can overshadow what Gibbs has done in Detroit, and his Madden rating reflects that.

Last season, Gibbs had 1,412 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. He also had 517 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. That came in just his second season in the NFL. Now, the hope is he can build on that and be a key reason why Detroit makes it all the way to the Super Bowl for the first time in their program’s history.

The 2024 season was a difficult one for Christian McCaffrey. He only played in four games as he battled injuries throughout the season. Even in that time, he only had 202 yards rushing. So, he’s going to be looking to bounce back next season.

After that kind of year, most players could expect to see a major drop-off in their Madden rating. In particular, the RB position with its shorter shelf life can see its ratings drop quickly. So, still being this high is a credit to the successful career that he’s had, and it goes to show there are some expectations he can bounce back next season.

A former first round pick, Bijan Robinson has proven himself early into his young NFL career. 2024 was just his second NFL season. However, in that time, he was able to rush for 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also had 431 yards and a touchdown in the passing game, making him a major threat all over the field. It also landed him his first Pro Bowl selection.

Now, Bijan Robinson is hoping to take strides in his third NFL season. If he can do that, then the Atlanta Falcons could be looking at a much-improved season from where they were a year ago. Certainly, the folks at Madden think he can make that happen.

The Houston Texans brought in Joe Mixon ahead of the 2024 season. That came after he had previously made a name for himself in Cincinnati. In some ways, it would be a return to form for Mixon, who made the Pro Bowl for the second time in his career last year.

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