Madden's newest mode is Draft Champions, and so far it's one of the freshest additions to the franchise in years. This is a quick and deep experience that reminds me of what I liked about the Ultimate Team mode when it debuted in UEFA Champions League 2006-2007.

According to EA's early press releases, the developers of Draft Champions had four goals: "Always on the Clock. Every Pick Matters. Keep it Tight. Replayable." With limited plays, I think they hit the mark with each.

Always on the Clock

Draft Champions puts you in the role of GM on draft night. You choose the impact players that will help improve your relatively pedestrian squad. Each draft starts with a coach, who will help determine what your team's base style(s) will be.

From there, the pressure of the draft unfolds. I'm not sure about the "clock" part; as far as I can tell, there is not a time limit to your pick. Early press mentioned a five-minute time limit, but I'm not seeing it. However, time is a factor when it comes to the number of picks you have. You only have 15 picks to make your team better, which means...

 

 

Every Pick Matters.

I've certainly found this to be true. However, you may not realize it until the end of a given draft. In one, I was heading toward Round 9 without an upgraded QB. Given a choice between three decent but not stellar players, I picked an 85-ish QB who didn't fit my team's style. I reasoned that I didn't want to be stuck with a no-name signal caller so I settled.

Two rounds later, Randall Cunningham shows up as a selection: a 90-plus QB who does match what my coach is looking for in a quarterback. Being an Eagles fan, I took Randall over the other two players -- who didn't necessarily fill a need anyway. However, the players I didn't take during Round 9 would have certainly helped. In the end, I was left with two decent QBs and a mediocre defense.

While this may be frustrating, it's actually one of the joys of Draft Champions. This unknown aspect makes every pick important. You'll constantly be asking yourself, "Is this the right guy to take now? Should I settle, or hold out and hope something better comes along?" In my scenario above, I could have gambled on a linebacker or defensive back in Round 9, though I may never have seen another QB.

Keep It Tight

Draft Champions is slick, quick and perfectly presented. The draft takes less than five minutes, and games are defaulted to a shorter quarter length. You play until you win a certain number of games in a row (3 vs. AI, 4 in head to head). If you lose just once, your team is done.

In fact, I would argue that the mode is almost too slim. I would love a few more options that increase the longevity of a crafted squad. Perhaps the ability to claim a keeper, or a one-round replacement draft. Custom uniforms would be nice too. It might not even hurt to have slightly longer quarters as an option.

This mode reminds me of Madden 08's Fantasy Challenge, in which you drafted and managed a team for a longer fantasy bracket. So while Draft Champions is "tight" for sure, I actually hope it's expanded to some degree next year.

To be clear, I don't want this to turn into MUT 2.0. For me, that mode has become bogged down with micro-transactions and power-gaming. I like that Draft Champions is simple and focused, I just wish it had a few more options.

 

 

Replayable

In the one day I've had Madden 16, I haven't really spent much time elsewhere -- other than a few runs of the Gauntlet. Just drafting the team is fun, and each draft is different. For my Randall Cunningham-lead team, I was an offensive powerhouse, including Marshawn Lynch and Dez Bryant. In my next draft, I never saw an offensive player of their magnitude.

Final Thoughts

Draft Champions captures some of the best parts of past football games, including All-Pro Football 2K8, ESPN Football 2K5 (fantasy football mode), and the aforementioned Madden 08 Fantasy Challenge. I have more interest in crafting a team than I do collecting, so it scratches that itch without long-term investments in time and/or money.

There are things the mode could do in the future, including letting you draft simultaneously with a local player and somehow offering a bit of longevity. But for now, the mode remains one of the best parts of Madden 16.