Here’s the 10th story of our position-by-position NFL draft series. Today, we’ll look at the top special teamers.
The NFL considered the implementation of the dynamic kickoff last season to be a success and have voted to continue to use the play moving forward.
The play was designed to reduce high-speed collisions and encourage more returns. The ball is kicked from the 35-yard line with a set-up zone. Players cannot move until the ball hits the ground or is touched.
The play was made permanent at the recent league meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. Touchbacks were moved from the 30-yard line to the 35 to encourage more returns. Teams were just kicking it out of the end zone last season.
Falcons CEO Rich McKay, who is the NFL’s competition committee chairman, projects the kickoff return rate to rise between 50% and 70%.
While last season was on a one-year trial basis, teams now are more familiar with the play and will be looking to draft returners to take advantage of the play.
There were 332 more kickoff returns last season, moving the return rate up from 21.8% to 32.8%. There were 59 big-play returns (40 yards or more) last season, the highest number since 2016.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“The play was a tremendous success,” said Broncos special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who helped design the dynamic kickoff. “The injury rates were much, much lower. Obviously the space and the speed of the play were down from what we’re all used to, and so the play was a tremendous success.”
A couple of first-round wide receiver prospects in Matthew Golden and Emeka Egbuka now have added value.
Golden, who played at Houston and Texas, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds.
Egbuka, who played at Ohio State, returned 22 kickoffs for 624 yards (28.4 yards per return) for the Buckeyes.
Avery Williams, who was the Falcons’ main punt and kickoff returner last season, signed with the Eagles in free agency.
The Falcons have wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud and signed one-time Pro Bowl returner Jamal Agnew in free agency. Agnew has returned four punts for touchdowns and two kickoffs for scores.
“We want to improve our (return) game,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “Avery made some great decisions for us. He really was able to do a couple of really good things for us.”
While returners will be at a premium, there are teams heavily scouting the kickers and punters.
The Falcons could add competition for kicker Younghoe Koo and punter Bradley Pinion, who is set to enter his 11th season in the league.
The Falcons also signed kicker Lenny Krieg, a native of Germany, to provide some competition for Koo.
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez
In 28 games for the Stuttgart Surge over the past two season, Krieg made 21 of 29 field-goal attempts, with a long of 52 yards. He made 109 of 141 extra-point attempts.
Last season, Koo struggled before ending the season on injured reserve with a right hip injury. The normally dependable Koo missed nine field-goal attempts, making 25 of 34 attempts.
“Big leg,” Morris said of Krieg. “I feel really confident about Koo and what he’s going to be able to do in his bounce-back year.”
Also, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker’s status is uncertain as he’s embroiled in controversy over his alleged behavior during several massages.
“Like every position we’re going to evaluate and rank the board,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. “We’ve been doing that the last 29 years. We’re blessed to have a really good kickers coach in Randy Brown who does a phenomenal job evaluating punters and kickers and long snappers for us every single season.”
Tucker could be facing a league suspension.
“We’ll meet with Randy throughout the process,” DeCosta said. “He’ll travel all over the country looking at these guys and build the best board we can.”
Former Florida State kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, who played at Colquitt County High, is considered one of the top kickers in the draft. In college, he made six field goals of 50 yards or more.
Auburn punter Oscar Chapman, who averaged 43.5 yards per punt over five seasons, had a big crowd of scouts at the Tigers’ Pro Day.
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