Ike Taylor Madden Career Madden NFL 2010 - Peak 86 OVR

For a dozen seasons, Ike Taylor drew the other team's best receiver and, more often than not, erased him. A converted running back out of Louisiana-Lafayette, he fell to the fourth round, 125th overall in the 2003 draft, and never played for anyone but Pittsburgh, retiring in 2015 after 174 games. He won two rings, Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII, and lost a third in XLV.

The book on him was equal parts admiration and comedy: shutdown coverage, blazing speed, and hands of stone. He finished with just 14 interceptions in twelve years, a running joke given how often he was in position to make the pick. Nobody questioned the coverage.

Madden's grade rose as his reputation hardened. He was a 62 as a 2003 rookie and climbed steadily, reaching 85 in the 2006 edition and cracking 89 in the 2008 release. The number lived in the high 80s for years, matching that 89 again in the 2013 edition before age pulled it to 83 for his final 2014 card.