We might have a new Super Bowl champion, but football season doesn't rest when it comes to Madden. Throughout the season, players improve or decline, and their ratings are consistently updated. Along with updated player ratings, Madden 22 brings a slew of new features for franchise mode, amazingly realistic graphics, and the heart-pounding excitement of an NFL game. Of the many game options, building a franchise and trying to win a Super Bowl is arguably number one. Fans think about how they’d construct a roster and this is your chance.

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While it’s easy to focus on flashy, explosive offensive players to run up the scoreboard, games are won in the trenches. Deploying a rock-solid defensive line to control the line of scrimmage will leave opposing offenses shaking in their cleats. These are the best overall defensive linemen in Madden 22.

Updated March 11, 2022, by Avery Lawrence Feyrer: Since the publication of this article, Madden 22 has received considerable updates to the player roster. Besides properly updating the listed player ratings, we've also added more entries to provide additional options for building a competitive team on the gridiron.

11 Javon Hargrave, Philadelphia Eagles - 85

javon hargrave

Javon Hargrave entered the league in 2016 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and had a modest four-year stint with the AFC team. Hargrave collected a total of 14.5 sacks with the Steelers before signing a lucrative deal with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020. Last season, Hargrave was selected to his first career Pro Bowl behind a career-high seven and a half sacks.

Among the top-rated defensive tackles, Hargrave has the second-highest rating in tackling (92). In getting after the quarterback, Hargrave specializes in using finesse moves (89) instead of power moves (80), but both are suitable options.

10 D.J. Reader, Cincinnati Bengals - 85

dj reader

When D.J. Reader was a member of the Houston Texans from 2016 to 2019, he primarily played at the defensive end position. But after signing with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, the team moved him to defensive tackle. His first season was derailed by a season-ending quad injury in week five, but he bounced back nicely in 2021 to help the Bengals win the AFC.

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Defensive tackles aren't known for their blistering speed, especially Reader; the Bengals' defensive tackle has the lowest speed rating (64) compared to the other top-rated defensive tackles. It's surprising how low Reader's power (79) and finesse (61) ratings are, but does have a solid rating in block shedding (88). He may not produce a lot of flashy sacks (only eight and a half in his six-year career), but Reader takes up a lot of space down in the trenches.

9 Quinnen Williams, New York Jets - 86

quinnen williams

Drafted by the New York Jets with the third overall pick in 2019, Quinnen Williams is the youngest defensive tackle featured on this list at the 24-years-old. Williams's rookie season was a bit of a learning process for the tackle, as he collected two and a half sacks and only started nine games. But in 2020 and 2021, Williams started 13 and 15 games respectively, collecting a total of 13 sacks.

Williams has an incredible burst off the line with the highest rating in acceleration (86) among defensive tackles. He uses that huge burst of speed to smash into the offensive line and deploy his power moves (84) to disrupt the pocket. And even if Williams misses his man initially, he'll pursue (88) him relentlessly.

8 Da'Ron Payne, Washington Commanders - 87

daron payne

For his entire four-year career, Da'Ron Payne has locked down the defensive tackle position for the Washington Commanders. Payne started in every game of his rookie season in 2018. Payne has actually started in every game of his career besides 2019 when he dealt with a lingering ankle injury throughout the season.

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Once the ball is hiked, Payne explodes off the line with his high acceleration (86). Payne uses his acceleration to essentially push back the offensive line with his strength (95) and get to the quarterback. Compared to other defensive tackles, Payne does a decent job recognizing plays (92), so he won't be fooled easily by any trickery from the offense.

7 Kenny Clark, Green Bay Packers - 88

kenny clark

Since being drafted in 2016, Kenny Clark has only missed eight games for the Green Bay Packers. Being able to rely on any player is a major help to a team, but knowing the anchor of the defensive line will always be available is a huge boost to the defense. In 2019, Clark was selected to his first career Pro Bowl after collecting six sacks and 62 total tackles. Before last season, Clark signed a four-year, $70 million extension with the Packers that made him the sixth-highest paid defensive lineman at the time. Clark bounced back from a down 2020 season to reach his second Pro Bowl in 2021.

Clark possesses tremendous strength (96) but has surprisingly low ratings for his power (82) moves and finesse (68) moves. But being a nose tackle, Clark’s responsibility is clogging up the line of scrimmage to allow the outside pass rushers to get to the opposing quarterback faster and easier. Given that he’s never missed more than three games in a season, Clark has a remarkable injury rating (91).

6 Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia Eagles - 89

fletcher cox

Drafted in 2012, Fletcher Cox is one of the longest-tenured players on the Philadelphia Eagles. And, he’s one of the healthiest. Throughout his nine-year career, Cox has missed only five games. Since 2015, he’s been selected to the Pro Bowl every season, and also received First-Team All-Pro honors in 2018 when he collected a career-high 10.5 sacks. His Pro Bowl streak, unfortunately, came to an end in 2021.

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At age 31, Cox is approaching the tail end of his prime, but he remains one of the best defensive tackles in the game. Using his strength (95), Cox pushes past the offensive line with a devastating power move (86). His block shedding is a bit pedestrian (85), but Cox’s sheer force is enough to disrupt the offense.

5 Michael Pierce, Minnesota Vikings - 89

michael pierce

Michael Pierce entered the league in 2016 as an undrafted free agent and signed with the Baltimore Ravens. From 2016 to 2019, Pierce proved to be a key factor in the Ravens' continued vaunted defense as the nose tackle. Due to the pandemic and having pre-existing conditions, Pierce elected to opt-out of the 2020 season. However, the nose tackle returned in 2021 with the Minnesota Vikings, but only appeared in eight games during the season. Despite appearing in only eight games, Pierce collected a career-high three sacks.

It’s amazing to think that Pierce went undrafted and is now ranked among the best at his position. Opposing offensive linemen struggle to contain Pierce’s immense strength (96) and ability to shed blockers (91). If Pierce forces the offensive line to double-team him, then he’s accomplished his job. Another extremely high rating for Pierce that might be overlooked is his play recognition (93). As a nose tackle, quickly identifying if the offensive play will be a pass or run is crucial for defensive success.

4 DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts - 90

deforest buckner

If there’s one thing that DeForest Buckner excels at, it’s staying healthy. Since he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, the seventh-overall pick has only missed two games in his entire career. In his first season, Buckner was featured primarily on the left side of the defense before sliding over to the right side. In 2018, Buckner was selected to his first Pro Bowl behind 12 sacks and 67 total tackles. When the 49ers began rebuilding the roster, the team traded Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts and the defensive tackle signed a massive four-year, $84 million contract with his new team. Buckner has since excelled in Indianapolis, receiving First-Team All-Pro honors in 2020 and a second Pro Bowl selection in 2021.

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Buckner is unique as a defensive tackle because he’s more than capable of attacking the line of scrimmage with power moves (82) or finesse (91). Typically, you see more defensive tackles focus on exerting as much strength as possible to bulldoze the player in front of them, but Buckner possesses quite the tool bag for pressuring the quarterback.

3 Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs - 91

chris jones

A major key to the Kansas City Chiefs defense is defensive lineman Chris Jones. The 27-year-old might be one of the most versatile linemen in the league, as he’s played a considerable amount of snaps all over the defensive line. He started his career on the right side, flipped to the left the following year, flipped back to the right, and has now played the last two seasons back on the left. Jones’s last two seasons on the left side saw him selected to two Pro Bowls, though the defensive standout recorded a career-high in sacks with 15.5 in 2018. In 2021, the Chiefs listed Jones simply as a defensive tackle with no specific side to utilize him all across the line.

One way or another, Jones is going to cause the offense problems. With extremely high ratings in both power (96) and finesse (88), it’s essentially picking your poison for the opposing lineman trying to guard him. Luckily for the offense, Jones has a surprisingly low rating in shedding blocks (85), so it’s not impossible to stop him.

2 Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders - 92

jonathan allen

The Washington Commanders quietly have a very scary defensive line for opposing offenses. The team's second top-rated defensive tackle, Jonathan Allen, is the second-highest overall rated player at this position. Allen exploded in his second season with eight sacks from the left end, but once he switched over to defensive tackle, Allen produced a career-high nine sacks en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.

Among defensive tackles, Allen sports the highest tackle rating (95), allowing him to bring down most ball carriers. The Washington tackle excels in utilizing power moves (91) over finesse moves (76), so it might be necessary for the offensive line to double-team him. But that's exactly what Washington would like to happen, so the other defensive players are freed up to attack the quarterback. Having a defensive tackle require additional bodies to stop him is a luxury for a defense.

1 Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 93

vita vea

Vita Vea truly has the heart of a champion. In October 2020, Vea broke his leg and many believed it would be a season-ending injury for the young nose tackle. But as the Buccaneers advanced through the playoffs, Vea returned to provide a huge boost in the team’s victories over the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs en route to a Super Bowl title. Vea continued his postseason success into 2021, as he was selected to his first Pro Bowl behind a career-high four sacks and 22 solo tackles.

Drafted in 2018, Vea is still in the early stages of his career, yet is already the highest-rated defensive tackle in the game. He has incredible strength (98) and play recognition (95) for a young player, which makes him an absolute force in the middle of the defensive line. Any defensive player wants to sack the quarterback, but Vea’s main job is to force the offensive linemen to focus on him while the edge rushers break free for the quarterback. At the age of 27, Vea could hold the title of the best defensive tackle in Madden for many years to come.

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