Madden NFL 15 player ratings: Top 5 Free Safeties

We're back with some more Madden NFL 15 position ratings. This time, we're taking a look at safeties, the hard hitting patrollers of the secondary. Let's not waste any time and get right into the rankings.

I know what you're thinking. A Saints defender at the top of a list? As crazy as it might sound considering their recent troubles, consider this: in 2013 with the Buffalo Bills, Byrd posted 4 interceptions, 6 deflections, and a forced fumble. Granted, two of those interceptions came at the expense of the New York Jets, but the Madden team still trusts his instincts. Byrd boasts a 99 in Zone Coverage and an 81 in Catching, the best among Free Safeties.

Just another Seahawk defender at the top of the list. Nothing special to see here, folks. Moving on…

The former cornerback turned safety has been a rock in the Patriots secondary. Belichick has found a role where McCourty succeeds. Sure, it's helped that he's had Talib as a teammate recently and it will undoubtebdly help that Revis will be moving his island to Foxboro, but it's hard to deny he's been a rock in their secondary.

I should know; he's one of the few defensive backs I rarely cursed at last  year.

It's really hard to think of NFL safeties and not have Eric Weddle come to mind. The man is a beast, it's as simple as that. He's also a tackling machine to boot, too. While that isn't always a good sign for a team, this case is an exception. Weddle is still in the prime of his career and will be an absolute stud when I (hopefully) draft him for my fantasy team in two weeks.

The folks at EA sports admit that there's a drop off between four and five, as evident by Woodson's ranking being eight points lower than Weddle. Because of this, you can't help but wonder if Woodson makes the top five by name recognition alone. Like McCourty, Woodson is a cornerback turned safety, and it seems that the transition helped extend his effectiveness. Don't be surprised if Woodson has plenty in the tank even at the age of 37.

So who did EA Sports leave out? Eric Berry and T.J. Ward immediately come to mind while others will undoubtedly cry foul over the omissions of Kam Chancellor and Troy Polamalu. There's plenty other candidates too, but at the end of the day, there's no denying the top four have earned their rightful spot. That fifth rank, however, is certainly up for debate.

Eric Berry is really, really good.