In amateur leagues, safety is where the one kid who doesn’t belong in sports gets placed. They’re far away from the line and only exist in case a play gets blown up. As a last resort, they see little action and are not well-regarded. That’s not how it works inMadden NFL 23or real football, for that matter.
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Instead, safeties have the freedom to snag balls that attempt to go deep. They can cover any opponent they feel is a target inMadden NFL 23. And, with all that running room, they’re also the hardest hitters on the field. For grown-ups, safety isn’t where the least talented players are, it’s where the most talented ones get put.
Updated on February 25th, 2023 by Hodey Johns:The regular season, playoffs, and Super Bowl have concluded. With that all in the books, gamers will be bracing for a long off-season. Ratings adjusters have been working overtime, week-to-week, shifting players based on their performance in the previous weeks. Now, with the last performance in the books, players can pick up and drop players knowing what their stats will be. The ratings adjusters do, sometimes, inexplicably make small changes to player statistics during the offseason. However, this list will likely remain intact and the player statistics won’t change substantially enough to merit a significant alteration.
13Tyrann Mathieu - SS - 90 OVR
Before the season, fans thought that if any safety would bethe next 99 OVR rated player, it would be Tyrann Mathieu, who has done nothing but set the position on fire since he’s been in the league. He made the Pro Bowls in 2021 and 2022. The year before that, he won the Super Bowl with the Chiefs.
Unfortunately, his time with the Saints has not gone as expected. Mathieu started off the year topping this list and now finds himself lucky to be on it. The Saints in general have had a rough year, so there is a chance Mathieu’s diminished output is more due to the team’s struggles than his own.
12Jordan Poyer - SS - 90 OVR
Safeties need to be able to rack up both sacks and picks. The only player to get five interceptions and three sacks in 2021 was Jordan Poyer. His contributions made it so that the Bills ended as the top defense when the season ended.
This was also his first time getting a first-team All-Pro nod. In 2022, Poyer’s OVR has increased a point as the analysts have recognized that trying to work around Poyer is the number one issue passers face when they play against the Bills. He ended up making his first Pro Bowl; it’s probable that more will come.
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10Micah Hyde - FS - 91 OVR
When Hyde was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, they weren’t sure what to do with him. In those first four seasons, he was scarcely even considered a starter, rotating with other players. That all changed when the Buffalo Bills picked him up and made him their full-time free safety.
Since then, Hyde has made a Pro Bowl and racked up loads of picks. His output was about the same when he was on the field for the Packers, it’s hard to see why they didn’t invest in him more. Unfortunately, hyde only got to play two games before a neck injury ended his season. With him and Miller back next year, the Bills' defense is going to be scary.
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7Harrison Smith - SS - 91 OVR
In the last eight seasons, Harrison Smith has made the Pro Bowl six times. If that doesn’t scream dominance, nothing will. Ask the Minnesota faithful, he puts in the work every week and is usually at the center of any explosive plays.
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Even after ten years of football, Smith is improving, setting a personal record for tackles in a season in 2021. He tied a career-high and was one away from the league lead in interceptions with five. Yet he missed the Pro Bowl for reasons that Vikings fans can only imagine.
6Budda Baker - SS - 91 OVR
Ifneeding to see a change in franchise mode, sign Budda Baker up for long-term dominance. He’s a young player and as consistent as it gets. Quarterbacks know better than the try and challenge the defense over the top when he’s on the field.
In six seasons, Baker has been to the Pro Bowl in five of them, including the last four in a row. The Cardinals were one of the worst all-around teams in football, but their strong safety did his job and perhaps single-handily saved the team from being the worst in football.
5Minkah Fitzpatrick - FS - 90 OVR
The experts might have felt down on Minkah Fitzpatrick after he missed his first Pro Bowl in three years in the 2021 season. Those who ruled him out made a terrible mistake. He was lights-out for the Pittsburgh secondary in 2022, tying for the league lead in picks with six of them.
He’s racking up picks, blocking kicks, and he even won another Defensive Player of the Week award in week one with a heroic performance. Fitzpatrick is a mix of clutch and consistent, shining in a defensive scheme that usually gives all the credit to their pass rush. With no disrespect to the defensive unit up front, Fitzpatrick is the one that makes the secondary work.
4Kevin Byard - FS - 92 OVR
Many teams know all too well that durability means as much as any talent or skill. They want tolook at last year’s game, compare it to this year’s game, and know the player will either play every game or come very close to it.
This is where Kevin Byard shines. He’s played in every game since he was drafted in 2016. And it’s not just that he’s present; Byard has led the NFL in interceptions before and made it to two Pro Bowl along the way.
