Analytics outlet makes objective case against drafting kickers

SumerSport’s Eric Eager argues that kickers are not wise use of draft capital

After leading the NFL with 16 total missed kicks and extra point attempts in 2023, it’s clear that the Los Angeles Rams need to upgrade at the kicker position for 2024. Fans of the team assume Los Angeles will use a late round draft choice to secure the kicker of the future; however, SumerSports, recently made an objective argument that it may not be a wise decision to use draft capital on kickers.

Eric Eager, SumerSports’ VP of Research and Development and formerly of Pro Football Focus (PFF), penned an article titled “Need a Kicker? Don’t draft one.” where he builds the case that drafted kickers are “statistically indistinguishable” from those who go unselected and sign with teams following the draft as UDFA’s. That’s not to say that undrafted kickers are better than those who are selected, instead it’s a potential waste of draft capital when you could invest in a position player that is more likely to give you a better return. It’s a matter of opportunity cost:

Drafted kickers are not worth less than undrafted kickers, by any stretch, they are just statistically indistinguishable from them. Seeing that other positions have steeper draft curves than this, the result that follows is that the opportunity cost of using a draft pick on a kicker makes it simply not worth it…

Noisy evaluations and a glut of sufficient talent suggest one thing come next week: don’t draft kickers.

The Rams have commonly been linked to players such as Alabama’s Will Reichard, Missouri’s Harrison Mevis (“the thicker kicker”), and Stanford’s Joshua Karty.

LA watched their rival San Francisco 49ers move aggressively last offseason to solve their kicker dilemma. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch used a third-round pick on former Michigan Wolverine Jake Moody despite not having selections in the first or second rounds. You can criticize San Francisco as to whether this was the best use of one of their top choices in 2023; however, Moody performed admirably as a rookie and even made the longest kick in Super Bowl history at 55 yards before Harrison Butker shortly one-upped him with a 57-yarder.

Rams fans, does Eager’s piece influence whether you’d like to see the team select a kicker in the 2024 NFL Draft or wait to sign an UDFA or veteran free agent after? If you think they should draft a kicker, which round makes the most sense? Discuss in the comments below.