Cleveland Browns: 3 Wildly underrated Browns players in Madden 19
By Mitch Zoloty
Christian Kirksey
Out of all the underrated players in Madden, he might be the most underrated. Kirksey was one of four players that weren’t offensive linemen to play every snap last season. The others being teammate Joe Schobert, Matt Ryan, and Demario Davis.
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Kirksey also had 138 tackles last season, which was fourth in the NFL. He also tallied up 3.5 sacks, five passes defended, and two forced fumbles. With his level of consistency and great play, he should definitely be a 85-plus overall.
Despite his stats and consistency, Madden has him tied for the 20th highest rated right outside line backer.
In comparison, Vontaze Burfict, the fifth-rated right outside linebacker, was an 87 overall. He only had 69 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two passes defended and one forced fumble over 10 games.
If Madden is grading NFL players by their production, which would be the reasoning for having Josh Gordon low, then Kirksey should be far ahead of Burfict.
This season of amazing production and consistency wasn’t even Kirksey’s first season of producing great numbers. In 2016, he had 143 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 3 passes defended. He also played in 16 games that season.
If you’re an NFL fan who has been paying attention over the past few seasons, you know Christian Kirksey. You also know he should be higher than a 77 overall in Madden.