Khalil Mack receives Madden overall rating of 81

Jun 17, 2014; Alameda, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack (52) at minicamp at Raiders Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The summer is a time of fun for NFL fans, which means fantasy football and Madden overall ratings as the popular video game series has made leaking the ratings of players before the game’s release a tradition as the popularity of the franchise has led to an obsession over overall ratings from both fans as well as the players themselves.

When it comes to the Raiders, rookie Khalil Mack is one of the players Raiders fans are most excited to watch on the real football field. However the rookie was excited for his video game rating as well, after all he famously gave himself his number at the University of Buffalo as a reminder of how low his first ever NCAA Football rating was. Eventually Mack became one of the best small school linebackers in recent memory, becoming the Raiders fifth overall pick in the process.

As for Mack’s first ever Madden rating, the rookie shouldn’t have much complaints as EA Sports has given the outside linebacker a rating of 81 overall for their latest instalment of the game.

Mack’s rating is the second highest of the 2014 rookies as Houston’s Jadeveon Clowney came in at 83 overall as the first overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. Buffalo’s Sammy Watkins was tied for the second highest rating on Madden NFL 15 at 81 despite being selected one pick higher than Mack.

Madden ratings are a fun way of rating a player, and the game is undoubtedly popular amongst football fans who religiously purchase the game each year. Raiders fans will be hoping Mack is as good as his rookie overall rating on Madden indicates, if the rookie first rounder can make video-game like plays on the field the player that once was motivated by EA Sports low opinion of him will continue to be satisfied with his video game status.