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Before the Dallas Cowboys even head to Oxnard for training camp, first-round rookie Caleb Downs is already making franchise history.
EA Sports' Madden NFL 27 doesn't officially release until Aug. 13 ... but player ratings have begun leaking online.
On Sunday, X user @MUTLeaksXXVII revealed the top 100 players and rookies based on their overall ratings as of July 12, and while ratings are subject to change ahead of the game's release, multiple Cowboys made the cut.
Seeing Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb near the top of their positional rankings in Madden has become an annual tradition.
It's much rarer, however, for Dallas to boast one of the highest-rated rookies in the entire game.
READ MORE:Cowboys Behind The Scenes: Brian Schottenheimer Reveals Caleb Downs Draft-Day Truths
... the Cowboys do this year.
Downs received an 82 overall rating, tying Arizona Cardinals No. 3 overall pick Jeremiah Love for the highest mark among all rookies.
Fellow Cowboys first-round rookie Malachi Lawrence wasn't far behind, earning a 79 overall rating — the fifth-highest among all members of the 2026 draft class.
But perhaps more importantly for Dallas fans, the rating makes Downs the highest-rated Cowboys rookie ever on Madden launch day.
It also marks the first time a Cowboys rookie has either owned or shared the highest overall rating in his draft class entering a new Madden release.
The distinction previously belonged to Ezekiel Elliott, who entered Madden 17 as an 80 overall after Dallas selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
That rating made Elliott the highest-rated offensive rookie in the game and the second-highest-rated member of his draft class, trailing only then-Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
By the end of Madden 17, Elliott had climbed up to an 88 overall after putting together one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in league history while firmly establishing himself as one of the premier backs in the NFL.
That's an 8-point overall increase to Elliott's launch-day rating.
READ MORE: Cowboys Insider Suggests George Pickens for Maxx Crosby Trade
If Downs can perform to a level high enough to warrant a similar jump to that of Elliott's, memories of the defensive woes Dallas experienced a season ago could fade fast.
Just as Elliott did, Downs would need to emerge as one of the best players at his respective position to experience the drastic rating increase.
An 82 overall safety turning into a 90 overall safety doesn't happen by accident.
It happens when a player becomes one of the league's premier defenders — and if Downs reaches that level as quickly as Elliott reached stardom in Dallas, the Cowboys' recent defensive failures may soon be forgotten.
Continue reading...
EA Sports' Madden NFL 27 doesn't officially release until Aug. 13 ... but player ratings have begun leaking online.
On Sunday, X user @MUTLeaksXXVII revealed the top 100 players and rookies based on their overall ratings as of July 12, and while ratings are subject to change ahead of the game's release, multiple Cowboys made the cut.
Seeing Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb near the top of their positional rankings in Madden has become an annual tradition.
It's much rarer, however, for Dallas to boast one of the highest-rated rookies in the entire game.
READ MORE:Cowboys Behind The Scenes: Brian Schottenheimer Reveals Caleb Downs Draft-Day Truths
... the Cowboys do this year.
Downs received an 82 overall rating, tying Arizona Cardinals No. 3 overall pick Jeremiah Love for the highest mark among all rookies.
Fellow Cowboys first-round rookie Malachi Lawrence wasn't far behind, earning a 79 overall rating — the fifth-highest among all members of the 2026 draft class.
But perhaps more importantly for Dallas fans, the rating makes Downs the highest-rated Cowboys rookie ever on Madden launch day.
It also marks the first time a Cowboys rookie has either owned or shared the highest overall rating in his draft class entering a new Madden release.
The distinction previously belonged to Ezekiel Elliott, who entered Madden 17 as an 80 overall after Dallas selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
That rating made Elliott the highest-rated offensive rookie in the game and the second-highest-rated member of his draft class, trailing only then-Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
By the end of Madden 17, Elliott had climbed up to an 88 overall after putting together one of the most impressive rookie campaigns in league history while firmly establishing himself as one of the premier backs in the NFL.
That's an 8-point overall increase to Elliott's launch-day rating.
READ MORE: Cowboys Insider Suggests George Pickens for Maxx Crosby Trade
If Downs can perform to a level high enough to warrant a similar jump to that of Elliott's, memories of the defensive woes Dallas experienced a season ago could fade fast.
Just as Elliott did, Downs would need to emerge as one of the best players at his respective position to experience the drastic rating increase.
An 82 overall safety turning into a 90 overall safety doesn't happen by accident.
It happens when a player becomes one of the league's premier defenders — and if Downs reaches that level as quickly as Elliott reached stardom in Dallas, the Cowboys' recent defensive failures may soon be forgotten.
Continue reading...
