The first player to join Madden 24's 99 Club is here, and it's not a surprise to most fans. Justin Jefferson had a monster season in 2022, capped off with a well-deserved Offensive Player of the Year award. Now, the Minnesota Vikings star was announced as the highest-rated WR in Madden with a 99 OVR rating.

Over the next week or so, the ratings of other position players will be announced, including the highest-rated player in position group. Within those groups, there will be a couple of other players that will have the distinction of joining the 99 OVR club. Which NFL players should get the 99 OVR rating in Madden 24?

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs QB

Was this ever a surprise to you?

In Madden 23, Patrick Mahomes ONLY had a 95 rating. That was still good for the third-best OVR amongst QBs (behind Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers), but it felt like a step down. It's not like Mahomes was never a 99 OVR player: he was actually rated at 99 in Madden 22. However, a sub-par start to the year and no big accolades (not to mention a brutal second-half showing in the 2022 AFCCG) likely pulled his stats down a bit.

This year, there's almost no excuse for the Madden ratings team to give Mahomes (a former cover athlete) a 99 OVR rating in Madden 24. The Chiefs QB rightfully won the MVP award after a stellar regular season. Mahomes statistically had his best season to date, notching a career-high in passing yards (5250) while leading the league in QBR and touchdown passes. That was further amplified by a gutsy playoff performance. Mahomes suffered an ankle injury during the Divisional Round, but that did not stop him from gunning down the Jaguars, Bengals, and the Eagles to win the Super Bowl.

Mahomes should easily join the 99 OVR club. Who's next, though?

Nick Bosa, 49ers EDGE

There's going to be a running theme here amongst most of the selected players. We already have the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, and we're predicting the MVP to be rated a 99 OVR. It shouldn't come as a surprise if Nick Bosa is one of the members of the 99 Club in Madden 24.

Bosa is generally considered as the best edge rusher today. Need proof of that? Just look at the voting breakdown for the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award. The 49ers DE washed the competition, getting 46 first-place votes and 236 out of the total 400 points. The next closest player was Cowboys DE Micah Parsons (more on him later, with 101 votes).  The stats also reflect his impact: Bosa had the most sacks last season with 18.5, and was overall a nuisance to opposing QBs.

Nick Bosa had a 94 OVR rating in Madden 23 after losing the DPOY award to TJ Watt. Given his youth, talent, and recent performance, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the 49ers DE crack the 99 OVR list in Madden 24 for the first time in his career.

Micah Parsons, Cowboys DE

The first two picks are the “easy” selections: no-brainer picks to join Madden 24's 99 OVR Club. The real question, though, is whether there's other players that deserve to be selected here. Here are some submissions for the 99 OVR club, starting with the Cowboys' favorite Swiss knife, Micah Parsons.

Parsons had a strong rookie year, almost winning the Defensive Player of Year after also taking home the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. He followed it up with a spectacular 2022 campaign, where he recorded 13.5 sacks and had three forced fumbles. His amazing all-around play makes him one of the most exciting players to watch on defense.

Does that warrant a 99 OVR rating, though? Perhaps. The Cowboys' defense was quite literally built around Parsons' incredible versatility. That, along with the name recognition (his name and the Cowboys name), could propel him to 99 OVR status. If this was a ranking, he'd be slightly below Bosa in the likeliness to get 99 OVR.

Trent Williams, 49ers OT

Like Patrick Mahomes, Trent Williams is  also a former 99 OVR player in Madden. In fact, Williams is the only offensive tackle in Madden 23 to earn the 99 OVR tag. There's a reason for that: he's pretty damn good at his job.

Ask 10 NFL player who's the best OT in the NFL, and they'll answer it's Trent Williams. The 49ers star has a huge body and an athleticism that rivals many running backs. He's always going to be the top name amongst offensive linemen, just because of his ability to protect the quarterback. He should once again get a 99 OVR rating.

Sauce Gardner, Jets CB

This one is a bit of a reach, but hear me out here.

In Year 1, Sauce Gardner quickly proved that he's the best cornerback in the NFL. The Jets DB terrorized his opponents, allowing a 53.9 passer rating and preventing almost half of his targets from reaching the intended receiver. He was a menace on the field, and he quickly ran away with the DROY award over players like Tariq Woolen.

Why would he be a 99 OVR rating in Madden 24? Well, for one: he's pretty damn good at his job. It's rare for rookies to be considered as the top dog at their position after just one year, but here we are with Sauce. Gardner also plays for the New York Jets, one of the biggest markets. It wouldn't be THAT surprising if he was given the keys to this club.