Why Are Kickers Never Drafted Highly? | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Why Are Kickers Never Drafted Highly?

dolfan94

dolfan94

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This questions has bothered me for years, and I really want to know the reason why.

Kickers are one of the most important parts if not THE most important part of the team. They account for a lot of the points the offense scores, and for the field position the other team gets. They can make or break a game.

So why arent they drafted in the first 5 rounds if at all?

Is it because GM's know they can get them later? If so, if there can be a trend of drafting Kickers in the first few rounds, then it will happen.
Is it because many kickers are international rugby or soccer players who dont live in the states and are therefore unknown?

Is there another reason?
I just dont get how an offensive lineman can get drafted with the 1st pick(Im not criticizing the decision, it was a great one), and kickers cant. An AMAZING kicker should be able to be drafted that highly
 
Well, Al Davis would certainly agree with you....he drafted Janikowski in the 1st round in 2000....

...and the Jets drafted Ted....I mean...Mike Nugent in the 2nd round in 2005...

Kickers are usually only a critical factor in close games....but if you're drafting kickers high in the draft...you're not going to be in very many close games....lol
 
Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is just that the difference in talent between the top kickers in the league and the bottom of the league just isn't that significant. Earlier in NFL history kickers rarely made over 75% or so of their kicks (not that I date back too far, but I'm pretty sure I'm correct with that, so feel free to correct me Finheaven historians if I'm wrong). In today's NFL if a guy doesn't make at least 75%, he likely won't have a job for too long. So even a below average kicker is still fairly reliable.

Unless a guy with a freakish leg like Janikowski comes along who can routinely kick a ball 60+ yards, it just really isn't worth it to draft a kicker before round 5 or so. And I'm pretty sure Oakland would have gone another route with that pick if given another chance.

There definitely is that added sense of security having a clutch guy like Vinataeri on your team, but it isn't worth a high pick IMO. Just look at Carpenter, I'm pretty sure most of us are content with our undrafted free agent kicker as of now.
 
Because they are kickers. I mean, they are important for sure, but they can be found literally anywhere. Not to mention, kicking is so much more mental than any other position. If a kicker's head goes sideways, he's done. Mike Vanderjagt was a machine, but, his head went left, and, *Pleah*.
 
the simple answer is that you can get them later.....

Janikowski and Nugent haven't turned out to be any better than most of their 6-7th rnd or undrafted counterparts.

interesting note....the best kicker in the league last year....was 21-22 on FG's. An amazing 8 for 8 on attempts of 50+ yards. It was Jason Hanson of the historic 0-16 Detroit Lions. just sayin...
 
Janikowski got picked first round but that was by Oakland so that's not a good example.

Mike Nugent was picked in the second round (Jests). Good kickers often get picked in the third, fourth, or fifth rounds. Most end up getting scooped up as undrafted free agents.

Every college team has a kicker. There's a lot of them trying out, and they tend to last longer as a NFL player than other positions so there's not so much of a demand. It seemed like Morton Andersen played freakin' forever. Maybe there's not as much perceived difference between a Montana kicker (Carpenter, UDFA) and a Georgia Southern kicker (Bironas, UDFA) and a Memphis kicker (Gostkowski, drafted 4th round) and a Hawaii kicker (Elam, third round).
 
As well as the ease of getting good kickers late in the draft (which, as you say, wouldn't be the case if they were drafted high) I think, in part, it's because a kicker doesn't play 'that' many plays in a game. Obviously he's pretty important to the team when he is playing but he might only get three FG attempts and about the same number of kickoffs (assuming he's a player who does both) in a game. When you've got other players on the field maybe ten times as much, even with the importance of the kicks, they're going to affect the game more overall. Of course, I could be wrong.
 
If that bothers you.....how does it make you feel that of the hundreds and hundreds of kickers who have played in the NFL....only 1 has ever been inducted in the Hall of Fame??

Or that no punter ever has been put in the HOF??
 
In reality I would say there are 32 kickers in the league (I know some teams have 2 & I am not counting the punter.) There are I believe 104 division 1 colleges and hundreds more when you count division II & III. I guess it is just easier finding one that can kick from 40 yards than it is finding a 6'7'' LT that can bench press a Honda Civic and keep someone twice his speed from mauling your QB 30 - 40 times a game.
 
TedSlimmJr said:
Well, Al Davis would certainly agree with you....he drafted Janikowski in the 1st round in 2000....

...and the Jets drafted Ted....I mean...Mike Nugent in the 2nd round in 2005...

Kickers are usually only a critical factor in close games....but if you're drafting kickers high in the draft...you're not going to be in very many close games....lol
Click to expand...

Did Mel Kiper like that pick?
 
SnakeoilSeller said:
Let me guess, you were a kicker.
Click to expand...
I've actually never played organized football, but it seems to me that the impact kickers make in a game is only matched by the QB's or RB's impact. If those two **** up, then the team is screwed. Same as with a kicker. Is like playing goalie in soccer or hockey
 
kickers skillsets are hardly uncommon.......unlike most guys who are drafted in the first day of the draft.

You can almost take any soccer player and get a decent kicker. Guys like Janikowski can be over-valued because of their unreal leg strength. It's nice to have the oppurtunity to make a 50 + yarders, but i'd prefer the guys who are automatic from 45 and less.

Theres hundreds of possible kickers to be drafted, considering all the colleges have atleast one..... that said.. theres only 32 kicker spots in the NFL and most of them will be filled.
 
burger13 said:
the simple answer is that you can get them later.....

Janikowski and Nugent haven't turned out to be any better than most of their 6-7th rnd or undrafted counterparts.

interesting note....the best kicker in the league last year....was 21-22 on FG's. An amazing 8 for 8 on attempts of 50+ yards. It was Jason Hanson of the historic 0-16 Detroit Lions. just sayin...
Click to expand...

I agree with your assessment, but... the statistics are a bit skewed due to Hanson kicking indoors most of the time. A minimum of 9 games (8 home games and an away game @ Minnesota) every year.
 
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