49ers’ Fred Warner leads LBs in first Madden ratings reveal

Fred Warner has had an eventful offseason, to say the least.

The linebacker was next up to get an extension with the 49ers, but another talented off-ball linebacker, Darius Leonard, was in line for some big-time money as well. Luckily for the team, Warner, who is only 24, signed a five-year, $95 million deal with the team before Leonard agreed to his extension with the Colts, saving the team some money.

Then, when Madden 22's ratings came out, the linebacker, known for his coverage skills, was ranked first out of all middle linebackers, ranking ahead of the likes of Lavonte David, Bobby Wagner, Leonard, and many more talented individuals.

Warner earned a 94, which was a seven-point bump from his initial Madden 21 rating of an 87, and the distinction was well-deserved after the linebacker earned his Pro Bowl and first All-Pro selection last season.

Those coverage skills were well-accounted for by Madden as Warner ranked second among all middle linebackers in man coverage with a 75 and first in zone coverage with an 85 rating.

In addition, Warner ranks first in awareness (99 rating), first in pursuit (95 rating), first in play recognition (99 rating), second in change of direction (84 rating), second in jumping (94 rating), and third in catching (73).

With these top-level stats, it is clear that Madden values Warner's coverage and instinctual abilities, which only signals that there's more to come as the 24-year-old progresses over the course of his career.

Last year, Warner accumulated 125 tackles to go with five tackles for loss, 16 pressures, two interceptions, one forced fumble, one sack, and seven quarterback hits, per Pro Football Reference.

To back up his coverage ability, Warner posted an opposing passer rating of 69.2 last season, which was below the Denver Broncos, who had the worst NFL team's average passer rating.

With updates coming frequently from Madden, stay tuned for more on Warner and any other 49er players as well.