The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

NFL Draft Preview: Kickers
By Jason Powell, Associate Editor
April 1, 2005 3:00 PM ET

Mike Nugent is the top-rated rookie kicker.

Congratulations. By simply clicking on this article, you have confirmed that you are a true NFL draft junkie. What other type of person would dedicate five-to-ten minutes of his/her life to reading about rookie kickers?

The good news is that by the time you finish reading this article, you will be a step ahead of the competition. And with any luck, the knowledge you gain will help you select the next great rookie kicker in your fantasy draft. Stop laughing. If recent history is any indication, at least one rookie kicker will make a big fantasy impact this season.

Seahawks' kicker Josh Brown made a big splash in 2003 when he booted his way to 114 points. Nate Kaeding matched that total last year during his first season with the Chargers.

So who will be the next rookie kicker to flirt with the 114-point mark? Quick, cue the guitar riff to "Cat Scratch Fever" because all indications point to Ohio State kicker Mike Nugent. Okay, so Mike isn't actually related to Ted, but don't let that stand in your way of rocking out to The Nug for a moment.

Unlike the Motor City Madman, Mike Nugent doesn't shoot flaming arrows when he takes the field, but he has been known to set footballs on fire before kicking them through the goalposts. Okay, so I'm making that part up. At this point, I'll say just about anything to give the rookie kickers some extra flash.

The truth is that Mike Nugent developed a reputation for having nerves of steel during his college career by drilling numerous game-winning field goals. He doesn't have elite leg strength, but he does have solid range and consistently places the ball inside the five-yard line on kickoffs.

Honestly, I'm impressed whenever a college kicker converts a field goal. The hash marks on the college fields appear to be about seven miles apart. At the hash marks are so far apart from one another that kickers carry an isosceles triangle in their hip pocket to help them line up certain kicks.

While we're on the subject, someone needs to explain why college sports use different rules than the professionals. I thought the goal of college institutions is to train students for the careers of their choice. The last time I checked, medical schools don't teach would-be surgeons how to perform brain operations by candle light.

And don't even get me started on the ridiculous college rule that credits wide receivers with receptions when they only have one foot inbounds. It's the equivalent of driving instructors teaching their students that red means go on the driver's course and then expecting them to make a seamless transition once they get on the actual roads. Oh, and who could forget the two-point conversion? Wait, they added that to the pro game a few years ago, didn't they? Never mind.

Where was I again? Oh yeah, Mike Nugent is the best kicker in this year's draft class. He converted 24-of-27 field goals last season. All three misses were beyond 40 yards, and he still made seven-of-nine from beyond that point, as well as five-of-six from 50-yard-plus range. Nugent will likely be drafted at some point during the second round.

The second-best kicker available is also a Big 10 product. Michigan State's Dave Rayner has a stronger leg than Nugent, but he doesn't possess the accuracy (or cool last name) that Nugent has. Rayner converted 22-of-31 field goals last season, although five of those misses were outside of 50 yards.

Yet another Big 10 kicker, Minnesota's Rhys Lloyd, rounds out our top-three rankings. He made 26-of-36 field goals during his two-year career with the Golden Gophers, and recently impressed Rams' scouts by converting a pair of 55-yard treys during a workout. Lloyd showed versatility by doubling as the punter at Minnesota, which could help him move ahead of Rayner on some draft boards.

Other rookie kickers include: Jonathan Nichols (Mississippi), Jared Siegel (Oregon), and Nick Novak (Maryland).