Madden 25 best young players - who to sign and trade for in Franchise Mode

Contents show Best young QBs Running backs Wide receivers Tight ends Best young defensive players

In Madden 25 Franchise Mode, it’s generally a good idea to find the best young players. These players are going to either be good for a very long time or can grow into their potential and turn in to stars, thus providing your team with good value.

Veterans are good, too, but to set your franchise up for long-term success, the younger someone is the better. We’ll look primarily at players still on their rookie contracts that you should try to sign or trade for.

Best young QBs

Unfortunately, a lot of young quarterbacks get signed early on into their rookie contracts. This was the case for Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, and others. That leaves mostly sophomores and rookies to look to for your Franchise Mode playthrough. The best, however, would be Brock Purdy, who is an 85 OVR in his third season.

Other good options include:

• C.J. Stroud (81 OVR)
• Caleb Williams (76 OVR)
• Drake Maye (74 OVR)
• Anthony Richardson (74 OVR)

Kenneth Walker is the best young RB. Image captured by VideoGamer

Running backs

The best young running back in Madden is Kenneth Walker of the Seattle Seahawks. He is an 88 OVR after two excellent seasons. He has a lot of potential still, so he could easily get much better quickly and could become one of the best players in the game. Other good young running backs include:

• Breece Hall (84 OVR)
• Jahmyr Gibbs (84 OVR)
• Bijan Robinson (82 OVR)

Wide receivers

If you’re looking for a great young wide receiver, look no further than Chris Olave. The New Orleans Saints star is already an 86 OVR in his third season. He is closely followed by fellow 2022 draft class member Garrett Wilson (85 OVR). Other good ones include:

• Zay Flowers (85 OVR)
• Jordan Addison (82 OVR)
• Drake London (82 OVR)
• Marvin Harrison Jr. (79 OVR)

Tight ends

Based on his trajectory, Sam LaPorta will be one of the best tight ends period soon. For now, he’s easily the best young tight end. He’s rated 86 after one season, so you’d do well to sign him for Franchise Mode or trade for him. Other top tight ends include:

• Kyle Pitts (83 OVR)
• Cole Kmet (83 OVR)
• Dalton Kincaid (79 OVR)

Kyle Hamilton is a great young safety. Image captured by VideoGamer

Best young defensive players

Offense isn’t the only place where you need to look for young talent. It would help if you had a good, talented, young defense as well. There are players in key spots that you can target for this:

Best young defensive players

The best young stars will help you win now and in the future. Keep in mind that this really only applies to Franchise Mode, as the age of players doesn’t matter in Superstar, Exhibition, or Ultimate Team.