James Hanna Madden Career 2013-2018 - Peak 74 OVR

James Hanna was a testing standout out of Oklahoma, a sixth-round pick of Dallas in 2012 whose athleticism showed up in his speed but not in his targets. He spent his entire six-year career with the Cowboys as an athletic blocking and depth tight end behind Jason Witten, the classic role of a fast tight end on a team that already has its receiver.

The Madden card is modest and honest. He opened at a 65 and peaked at a 74 in Madden NFL 17, the grade of a blocking-first tight end whose receiving numbers, 37 catches across six years, gave the rating little to work with. The athleticism was real, the high speed rating on his card a nod to it, but the production stayed thin because his job was blocking for DeMarco Murray and Darren McFadden rather than running routes.

Knee injuries, an MCL sprain and a bone bruise that cost him a full season, wore him down, and he retired in 2018 citing the persistent problems. Hanna is the archetype of the athletic tight end stuck as a blocker behind a star, useful in ways the box score ignores. His modest card, peaking at a 74, is the fair read on a player whose speed never got to become production.