Madden NFL 27 player ratings have handed fans their annual invite to debate imaginary numbers. This year’s defensive ratings have an added twist for Minnesota Vikings fans because a unit that finished among the NFL’s best doesn’t have one player in the top 10 at any defensive position.
Minnesota ranked third in total defense, second against the pass and fourth in EPA per play in 2025. The defense also collected 49 sacks while an offense ranked 26th in scoring regularly left Brian Flores and his group working without much breathing room.
Byron Murphy Jr. leads the returning defenders at 84 overall, followed by Andrew Van Ginkel at 83, Josh Metellus at 82 and Blake Cashman at 81. That’s the entire list of returning Vikings defenders above 80. Those numbers look skewed next to Minnesota’s 2025 IRL rankings.
Brian Flores keeps building elite Minnesota Vikings defenses from modest ratings
Van Ginkel comes closest to cracking a top 10. He’s ranked 12th among right edge defenders after recording seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits and 10 passes defended in 12 games. Missing five games might explain things, but an 83 feels light for Flores’ most established chess piece.
Eric Wilson’s 75 is even funnier. Wilson produced 115 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, while Next Gen Stats put him on its 2025 All-Pro team. His 22.5 percent pressure rate was the best by a defender with at least 150 pass rushes since 2022. Cashman led Minnesota with 144 tackles in only 13 games, while Metellus again bounced between safety, slot corner and linebacker duties all over the formation.
Flores also squeezed eight sacks and four forced fumbles from rookie Dallas Turner, a 77 overall, and six sacks from 79-rated Jalen Redmond. Turner and Redmond are exactly the sort of young, flexible players who benefit from a scheme that disguises pressure and asks defenders to handle several jobs. Flores inherited the NFL’s 31st-ranked defense in 2022, moved it to 16th in each of the next two seasons and reached third in 2025 despite injuries and constant personnel turnover.
Minnesota has now traded Jonathan Greenard and released veteran defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Flores will replace that experience with Turner, Redmond, first-round rookie Caleb Banks and third-rounder Domonique Orange.
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