It’s a season of change for Taysom Hill.
The utility player may still be listed as a quarterback on the New Orleans Saints roster on the team’s official website — one year after he started five games at the position for the team — but new Saints head coach Dennis Allen made it clear he will primarily focus on playing tight end this season.
On Monday, Madden NFL 23 released its player ratings for receivers, including wide receivers and tight ends, and Hill, who is heading into his sixth NFL season, was listed at tight end.
How does the former BYU quarterback stack up at the position, at least in the video game world?
What are Taysom Hill’s TE ratings on Madden NFL 23?
Hill received an overall rating of 72, which tied him for 38th among tight ends.
Here’s how his overall rating breaks down in several categories:
- Speed rating: 90.
- Acceleration: 89.
- Strength: 78.
- Agility: 84.
- Awareness: 73.
- Catching: 78.
- Carrying: 66.
- Throw power: 84.
Hill is one of just four tight ends given a speed rating in the 90s, and two of those are stars at the position — the Las Vegas Raiders’ Darren Waller (rated No. 4 overall, and with a 90 speed rating) and the Atlanta Falcons’ Kyle Pitts (No. 6, 91).
Hill is also rated above average in acceleration and agility — and not surprisingly in throw power.
Where he’s knocked is in his carrying rating and in awareness at the position.
Is Hill the highest-rated Saints TE on Madden NFL 23?
Hill tied with Adam Trautman as the highest-rated New Orleans tight end in the video game, with Trautman also rated 72 overall.
The pair are rated relatively close in several categories, though Hill has a clear edge in speed (Trautman received an 80 rating in that category) while Trautman has the sizable advantage in carrying rating with a 76.
Hill and Trautman also tie for the third-highest-rated tight ends in the AFC South.
Does he rate ahead of any team’s top tight end?
Hill ranks higher than the highest-rated tight end for three teams: the Houston Texans (Brevin Jordan at 70), the New York Giants (Jordan Akins, 71) and the Carolina Panthers (Ian Thomas, 71).
He’s also within two points of the highest-rated tight end on three additional teams: the Denver Broncos (Albert Okwuegbunam, 74), the Minnesota Vikings (Irv Smith Jr., 73) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Cameron Brate, 73).
How Hill rates against another quarterback-turned-tight end
The Washington Commanders’ Logan Thomas is another player who entered the NFL as a quarterback and has developed into a starting tight end as he heads into his ninth season.
Thomas is the No. 21 overall tight end in Madden’s ratings, with an overall rating of 78.
While Hill has an edge over Thomas in speed (Thomas rates an 82) and acceleration (86), where Thomas outshines Hill is in awareness (83), catching ability (87) and carrying (76).
If Hill’s ultimate trajectory for the remainder of his career is at tight end, a look at Thomas’ ratings gives a glimpse at what Hill could become — perhaps both in the virtual and real worlds.
What other Utah ties appear in the Madden NFL 23 receiver ratings?
Former Bingham High tight end Dalton Schultz, who played collegiately at Stanford and who has more than 1,500 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys the past two seasons, is rated one of the game’s best at the position.
He comes in tied for No. 13 at TE with an overall rating of 82, with high individual ratings in catching (90), acceleration (85) and awareness (84).
Tim Patrick, the former undrafted free agent from the University of Utah who signed a three-year, $34.5 million contract extension last November with the Denver Broncos, snuck into the top 50 at the wide receiver position.
He’s one of six wide receivers who earned an overall rating of 80, with Patrick rating high in acceleration (92), speed (90), catching (86), awareness (86) and agility (85).
Here are the Madden ratings for other wide receivers and tight ends with Utah ties:
- Dax Milne, Washington Commanders (BYU and Bingham High): 66.
- Simi Fehoko, Dallas Cowboys (Brighton High): 66.
- Noah Togiai, Philadelphia Eagles (Hunter High): 60.
- Samson Nacua, Indianapolis Colts (BYU, Utah and Timpview High): 59.