Daryl Johnston Madden Career 1993-2000 - Peak 94 OVR

Daryl Johnston earned the nickname Moose and a place in NFL history for doing a job that rarely gets noticed: clearing the way for Emmitt Smith. A second-round pick out of Syracuse in 1989, he was the lead blocker on the best rushing attack of the decade, and Smith credited him directly after breaking the all-time rushing record.

Madden never knew quite what to do with a blocking fullback, and Johnston's grades bounce around because of it. His cards swing from the 30s to a peak of 94 in Madden NFL 99, wild year-to-year jumps that have little to do with a steady, consistent player, because the thing he did best, spring a Hall of Fame runner, is the thing the game struggles most to measure.

Johnston made two Pro Bowls, and the league added a dedicated fullback slot to the Pro Bowl largely because of him, a recognition that the blocking backs had been overlooked. He won three Super Bowls, played 149 consecutive games, and was as reliable a receiver out of the backfield as he was a blocker in front of Smith. A neck injury ended his career after the 1999 season, and he moved into the broadcast booth, where he has spent two decades since.

Madden's noisy grades never captured Moose, because the number was always chasing the wrong things. The runner behind him tells you what he was worth.