Players, media and fans alike are always looking forward to the newest Madden rankings. The video game franchise is still going strong after almost thirty years. One of the reasons is their yearly unveiling. In their latest edition, Las Vegas Raiders’ Kolton Miller was the lowest-rated offensive line starter.Â
The Raiders finished the 2019 season with a 7-9 record. Surprisingly, they earned an 80 overall grade in Madden 21. To nobody’s surprise, center Rodney Hudson was the Raiders player with the highest mark, 94. Also, fellow offensive linemen Trent Brown and Richie Incognito got 87 and 90 respectively. Guard Gabe Jackson didn’t fare as well and earned a 78 grade. Missing from the team’s top 10 is Miller.
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Work in Progress
Looking back at how Miller performed last season, it isn’t shocking he didn’t earn a high Madden rating. Although there was significant improvement from year one to his sophomore campaign, he still has plenty of room to improve. After all, he ranked 44 out of 82 tackles in 2019 according to Pro Football Focus. Moreover, he earned a 64.9 grade, which was below fellow tackles Morgan Moses (42), Greg Robinson (40 ), or Cordy Glenn (38).
In his first year in the NFL, Miller allowed 16 sacks, seven hits, and 42 pressures. This past season, his performance went up and allowed seven sacks,, three hits and 27 hurries. There was a clear improvement from one campaign to the other, but based on how high the Raiders drafted him in 2018, more is likely expected from the left tackle.
One of the reasons Miller’s play was so poor in his rookie season was that he was hurt through a long spell. Of course, Miller was going to display see an increase in play if he was healthy. Entering his third year in the league, it is uncertain if he will keep getting better or he already reached a plateau.
Miller is still young and part of the Raiders starting lineup. Nevertheless, they should be monitoring his performance. After the 2020 season is over, they will need to decide if they will exercise the tackle’s fifth-year option. If Miller has displayed he’s their left tackle for the next 10 years, he can cash in. Also, his Madden game will definitely go up.
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Top Photo: Heidi Fang/Las Vegas-Review Journal