There’s more volatility at kicker than at other positions. But I’m guessing there will also be some difference makers at the position.
The depth at the position makes it tough to draft one early. It’s a safe assumption, after all, that a couple of the good kickers this year will be guys who weren’t even chosen in your draft. Happens every year.
Consider, for example, the 100 teams that have ranked in the top 10 in scoring at the position since 2016. Over a quarter of those teams (28) finished in the bottom 10 the previous season. That’s using complex performance scoring, with bonus points for longer kicks and subtractions for missed field goals. But however you’re scoring them, there will be fluctuation.
With passing, on the other hand, only 13 of the top 100 teams of the last 10 years are offenses that ranked in the bottom 10 the previous year. With rushing, I see 22 of 100 making that kind of move.
The Bears (with Cairo Santos leading the way) were one of those upwardly moving kicking teams last year.
| BOTTOM 10 TO TOP 10 IN KICKING POINTS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Points | Rk | Before | Rk |
| 2017 | LA Rams | 180 | 1 | 78 | 28 |
| 2020 | Miami | 163 | 1 | 87 | 26 |
| 2017 | San Francisco | 162 | 3 | 86 | 26 |
| 2024 | Minnesota | 155 | 5 | 99 | 28 |
| 2018 | Houston | 153 | 1 | 86 | 22 |
| 2021 | LA Rams | 152 | 4 | 97 | 25 |
| 2024 | Denver | 151 | 8 | 115 | 22 |
| 2024 | Detroit | 149 | 9 | 100 | 27 |
| 2022 | Seattle | 149 | 3 | 83 | 28 |
| 2023 | Kansas City | 148 | 3 | 106 | 27 |
| 2023 | Chicago | 147 | 4 | 106 | 25 |
| 2020 | Las Vegas | 147 | 3 | 74 | 29 |
| 2023 | Cleveland | 146 | 5 | 95 | 30 |
| 2024 | Arizona | 145 | 10 | 114 | 23 |
| 2025 | Chicago | 144 | 9 | 96 | 28 |
| 2021 | Philadelphia | 141 | 7 | 58 | 32 |
| 2021 | Minnesota | 137 | 9 | 63 | 31 |
| 2020 | Buffalo | 137 | 4 | 87 | 25 |
| 2018 | NY Giants | 137 | 6 | 60 | 32 |
| 2020 | Indianapolis | 133 | 7 | 77 | 28 |
| 2020 | Chicago | 132 | 8 | 86 | 27 |
| 2016 | Philadelphia | 131 | 5 | 97 | 25 |
| 2019 | Jacksonville | 130 | 4 | 93 | 23 |
| 2016 | New Orleans | 128 | 6 | 81 | 29 |
| 2019 | Arizona | 123 | 6 | 50 | 32 |
| 2019 | Minnesota | 122 | 7 | 78 | 29 |
| 2018 | Green Bay | 122 | 10 | 70 | 28 |
| 2019 | Pittsburgh | 120 | 9 | 74 | 30 |
So one of the strategies at this position is to make it less of priority, using some combination of streaming and in-season adjustments. That’s not a bad way to go, and carries the added benefit of picking up extra depth at the more important positions in the draft. I’m not opposed to using a last-round pick on somebody like Trey Smack (pictured), then seeing how things play out. Smack hasn’t played in a regular season game, but he looked very strong in the preseason.
But at the same time, there are some awfully good kickers out there. I see also some value in being one of the first to dive into the kicker waters. The best of the kicker prospects to me look better than the upside of a fifth or sixth player at running back or wide receiver.
Jason Myers last year scored 171 points, the most ever by a kicker. While he was terrible in the preseason, arguably dropping him out of that top tier, there are other elite prospects at that position. Ka’imi Fairbairn actually averaged more points than Myers last year (but just happened to miss two games). And Brandon Aubrey and Cameron Dicker have been very reliable.
In the 32-team era, only three kickers have averaged over 9 points per week. Three of those guys came from last year.
| KICKERS AVERAGING OVER 9 POINTS PER GAME | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Player | G | XPM-XPA | FGM-FGA | Pts | Avg |
| 2017 | Greg Zuerlein, LAR | 14 | 44-46 | 38-40 | 158 | 11.3 |
| 2017 | Harrison Butker, KAN | 13 | 28-28 | 38-42 | 142 | 10.9 |
| 2025 | Ka'imi Fairbairn, HOU | 15 | 28-28 | 44-48 | 160 | 10.7 |
| 2011 | David Akers, SFO | 16 | 34-34 | 44-52 | 166 | 10.4 |
| 2003 | Jeff Wilkins, STL | 16 | 46-46 | 39-42 | 163 | 10.2 |
| 2025 | Jason Myers, SEA | 17 | 48-48 | 41-48 | 171 | 10.1 |
| 2016 | Matt Bryant, ATL | 16 | 56-57 | 34-37 | 158 | 9.9 |
| 2013 | Stephen Gostkowski, NWE | 16 | 44-44 | 38-41 | 158 | 9.9 |
| 2003 | Mike Vanderjagt, IND | 16 | 46-46 | 37-37 | 157 | 9.8 |
| 2017 | Stephen Gostkowski, NWE | 16 | 45-47 | 37-40 | 156 | 9.8 |
| 2014 | Stephen Gostkowski, NWE | 16 | 51-51 | 35-37 | 156 | 9.8 |
| 2020 | Younghoe Koo, ATL | 15 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 144 | 9.6 |
| 2012 | Stephen Gostkowski, NWE | 16 | 66-66 | 29-35 | 153 | 9.6 |
| 2008 | John Carney, NYG | 15 | 38-38 | 35-38 | 143 | 9.5 |
| 2015 | Stephen Gostkowski, NWE | 16 | 52-52 | 33-36 | 151 | 9.4 |
| 2018 | Ka'imi Fairbairn, HOU | 16 | 39-41 | 37-42 | 150 | 9.4 |
| 2014 | Cody Parkey, PHI | 16 | 54-54 | 32-36 | 150 | 9.4 |
| 2013 | Matt Prater, DEN | 16 | 75-75 | 25-26 | 150 | 9.4 |
| 2005 | Neil Rackers, ARI | 15 | 20-20 | 40-42 | 140 | 9.3 |
| 2024 | Chris Boswell, PIT | 17 | 35-35 | 41-44 | 158 | 9.3 |
| 2013 | Adam Vinatieri, IND | 15 | 34-34 | 35-40 | 139 | 9.3 |
| 2008 | Stephen Gostkowski, NWE | 16 | 40-40 | 36-40 | 148 | 9.3 |
| 2005 | Jay Feely, NYG | 16 | 43-43 | 35-42 | 148 | 9.3 |
| 2023 | Brandon Aubrey, DAL | 17 | 49-52 | 36-38 | 157 | 9.2 |
| 2019 | Harrison Butker, KAN | 16 | 45-48 | 34-38 | 147 | 9.2 |
| 2011 | John Kasay, NOR | 16 | 63-63 | 28-34 | 147 | 9.2 |
| 2015 | Graham Gano, CAR | 16 | 56-59 | 30-36 | 146 | 9.1 |
| 2009 | Nate Kaeding, SDG | 16 | 50-51 | 32-35 | 146 | 9.1 |
| 2025 | Brandon Aubrey, DAL | 17 | 47-48 | 36-42 | 155 | 9.1 |
| 2017 | Robbie Gould, SFO | 16 | 28-30 | 39-41 | 145 | 9.1 |
| 2012 | Lawrence Tynes, NYG | 16 | 46-46 | 33-39 | 145 | 9.1 |
—Ian Allan

