EA Sports reveals top five running backs for Madden 16

The best running backs in the NFL can become the most dominating part of your offensive assault in Madden. A fast running back can be a one-hitter-quitter who when given the right opportunity can go 80 yards in one play, but a solid combination of speed and other running attributes makes for a top-tier running back that will average 5-8 yards per carry and annoy your opponent's defense so much that eventually their secondary will have to play run support and then your passing attack can open up.

EA Sports released their top five running backs, according to overall ratings, for the upcoming NFL Madden 2016 game which is to be released August 25th.

1. Marshawn Lynch: 96 overall, 99 stiff arm, 98 trucking, 87 strength, 94 juke, 91 elusiveness, 88 acceleration, 85 speed.

Lynch was supposed to fall off at some point last season but instead you saw him dominating all the way to the Super Bowl. He may not possess the speed to make him dangerous on the longer runs to the outside, but he will almost always plow through defenders for extra yards. Against defenses with inexperienced players and low tackle ratings he is sure to rack up the yards and be a problem in the red zone. Beast mode is real, just be glad this isn't NFL Street when you can add Gamebreaker to him.

2. Adrian Peterson: 95 overall, 88 strength, 95 trucking, 90 speed, 92 elusiveness, 96 stiff arm, 95 juke, 94 spin.

After a year off, Peterson is still one of the more dominant players in the game. Though his speed has dropped, he's much like Lynch in that he will be a wrecking ball through defenses and cause so many problems that opponents will need eight in the box to slow him down. The Vikings have young talent on offense to back him up too with Teddy Bridgewater, Cordarrelle Patterson and now the speedy veteran Mike Wallace. This offense could be a lot more to play with in Madden 16.

3. Jamaal Charles: 94 overall, 92 speed, 92 acceleration, 98 agility, 97 juke, 94 spin, 86 catch.

Charles' stats took a down-turn from 2013 to 2014, but he's still a consistent threat and will be the focus of defenses trying to stop him in Madden 16. When the offense lines up you have to account for where the Chiefs have Charles lined up because he's a better option at receiver than most team's backup wideouts. When you add that his 92 speed will outrun most defenders that manage to make it into the backfield, he's even more annoying to stop. There might not be a better player to have coming out of the backfield on a passing play.

4. Demarco Murray: 94 overall, 96 trucking, 97 stiff arm, 97 juke, 95 elusiveness, 94 spin, 89 speed, 91 acceleration, 98 agility.

Murray is much much like Lynch and Peterson in that he can be a bowling ball of a powerhouse that knocks through defenses and breaks tackles for extra yards consistently. Though people knew how dangerous he would be going into the season, 2014 proved to be his best year and he had the best statistics of running backs by far. Stopping Murray is a matter of throwing a defender in every gap possible and hoping to bring him down as he runs sideways to find a hole or stop him before he even gets started. Otherwise it will take the abilities of a top-tier defender to be a definite stop to his run.

5. Le'Veon Bell: 94 overall, 99 carrying, 88 speed, 95 elusiveness, 97 juke, 84 trucking, 92 stiff arm, 83 catch.

Bell is an ultimate weapon of sorts when you consider that he's both dangerous on the ground and in the air, and you take into consideration that he will almost never fumble. Even if someone manages to get a clean hit on him with enough hit power, his 99 carry rating significantly lowers the probability that he will let the ball go. This is well-deserved considering in his two years in the NFL he has only fumbled one time. Should he have an even more explosive season than his 2014 year where he had the second most yards on the ground and from scrimmage, his speed numbers could see a drastic increase, which are the only thing you could consider to be a hindrance as a Madden player.