There may not be a 99 Club member among the safeties in Madden NFL 26, but that makes the rating reveal all the more intriguing.
When it comes to the final line of defense on the field, the Atlanta Falcons have the most robust shield. Jessie Bates III leads this particular ranking with 95 OVR. He's been in the 90s since Madden NFL 22, continuing this streak for at least another year. This is the second year in a row he's dropped points, however, down from his historical best rating of 97 OVR in Madden NFL 24.
Derwin James Jr. and Xavier McKinney from the Los Angeles Chargers and Green Bay Packers, respectively, are hot on his heels with 93 OVR, respectively, though James Jr. has the edge with more overall attribute points and the better general stats. The Charger retained last year's rating and showcases remarkable consistency, this being the third time he's gotten 93 OVR in the last four years. McKinney is very much a man on the rise, climbing from 74 OVR in Madden 21 to his new all-time best rating.
Budda Baker from the Arizona Cardinals and Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins round out the top five with 92 OVR. Baker has the highest total attribute points out of the quintet and is therefore ranked higher, this being his fifth consecutive year with an OVR above 90. Fitzpatrick is in his third consecutive year in this metric and both of them have seen slightly higher peaks in the past, having both reached 93 OVR in previous iterations.
Here are the top 10 safeties in Madden NFL 26:
Jessie Bates III, Atlanta Falcons: (95 OVR)
Derwin James Jr, Los Angeles Charges: (93 OVR)
Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers: (93 OVR)
Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals: (92 OVR)
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins: (92 OVR)
Antoine Winfield Jr, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: (91 OVR)
Kerby Joseph, Detroit Lions: (90 OVR)
Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens: (90 OVR)
Brian Branch, Detroit Lions: (89 OVR)
Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings: (88 OVR)