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2008 Draft Prospects: Kicking Specialists
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Prospect rankings · Risers/Fallers · Mock drafts · History · Draft Tracker
TSX · Offense · Defense · Special Teams
Kicking Specialists
Clark Judge ranks the top five kicking specialists.
| 1. Taylor Mehlhaff, K, Wisconsin |
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| Agility Tests: |
| 40-yard dash: 4.92 |
Bench press: 335 lbs |
Verticle jump: 32" |
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| The skinny: He has the best kickoff leg, though one scout said he scares him "a little" with his unorthodox approach. "He's got a sharp angle into the ball," he said. His longest field goal in college was 52 yards, and he had 27 touchbacks last season. Leg strength is not a concern with this first-team All-American. |
| 2. Durant Brooks, P, Georgia Tech |
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| Agility Tests: |
| 40-yard dash: 5.2 |
Bench press: N/A |
Verticle jump: N/A |
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| The skinny: The Ray Guy Award winner, Brooks should be the first punter drafted. Not only did he average 45.1 yards per kick as a senior, he put 33 of 65 down inside the 20 and forced 21 fair catches. If there's one word to describe him, said a scout, it's consistency. |
| 3. Art Carmody, K, Louisville |
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| Agility Tests: |
| 40-yard dash: 5.12 |
Bench press: N/A |
Verticle jump: N/A |
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| The skinny: He's accurate, dubbed "Art-O-Matic" by teammates, but scouts worry about his leg strength. He made 67 of 79 field-goal attempts but doesn't have the size or leg you'd like in a kicker. He missed his only career attempt over 50 yards and hasn't kicked off since he was a sophomore. That could be a problem. |
| 4. Alexis Serna, K, Oregon State |
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| Agility Tests: |
| 40-yard dash: 4.62 |
Bench press: N/A |
Verticle jump: N/A |
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| The skinny: The guy is versatile, able to punt or place kick. He has a strong leg, hitting a 58-yard field goal in his career, and kicked in some of the worst conditions imaginable at Oregon State. So what's the knock? Size. He's not quite 5-7. Plus, he hasn't been as good as he was in 2005 when he won the Lou Groza Award. |
| 5. Shane Longest, K, Xavier |
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| Agility Tests: |
| 40-yard dash: 4.83 |
Bench press: N/A |
Verticle jump: N/A |
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| The skinny: He came on the past two seasons after struggling in his first two. Making 42 of 55 attempts in 2006-07, he has a strong leg -- nailing a school-record 55-yard field goal last season. He can also punt and kick off, which makes him attractive to the pros. Set five school records, including most field goals (five) in a game and most points (128) in a season. |
| Player on the rise: |
| Piotr Czech, kicker, Wagner: He's accurate, has a strong leg and is 6-foot-5. At his pro day he was 12-for-12 with the wind, including a 59-yarder, and nailed a 55-yard field goal against the breeze. "All the special teams guys are on to him," said one scout. Here's why: He was 16 of 19 in field goals, hit a 56-yarder this season and can punt -- once hitting one a school-record 70 yards. |
| Player on the decline: |
| Tim Reyer, P, Kansas State. One of five punters invited to the scouting combine, he ranked ninth in the country with a 44.53-yard average and was a Ray Guy semifinalist. That's good. But he can be inconsistent and sometimes bailed out when pressured by the defense. "I look at all the hype about the guy," said one scout, "and I can't see what it's all about." |
| Sleeper |
| Johnny Ayers, punter, Boston College. OK, so he averaged 41 yards a punt last season. That's not the story. "He's doing what three-quarters of the punters in the NFL are," said one pro assistant. "He's a great directional punter, and he's good outside the numbers." As for that average? "A lot of those kicks are pooch punts," the coach said. He's worth a look. |
| Overrated |
| It's hard to label Carmody overrated after what he did in his career at Louisville, but this is the problem: He didn't kick off last season until the Hula Bowl, and when he did he was less than impressive. One scout said he reminded him of Virginia's Connor Hughes. Kickoffs were a problem for him, too, and he didn't make it. |
| Position analysis: |
| If there's a noteworthy position it's the punters, and not because they're outstanding. "This is one of the worst classes of punters I've seen in a long, long time," said one NFL special teams coordinator. The kickers are better, but not by much. The class is no better than ordinary, with one special teams coach naming Mehlhaff as the only kicker worth drafting. |
| Talk Back |
Reputation:94
Level:All-Star
Since:Feb 26, 2008
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April 26, 2008 8:21 pm
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(POLL)
Who will have a bigger impact in his Rookie season
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Reputation:89
Level:All-Star
Since:Apr 8, 2008
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July 7, 2008 2:03 pm
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(POLL)
(n/a)
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Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Nov 26, 2007
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April 22, 2008 4:25 pm
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Hey... the Bengals deserve a break with the malcontent "85"... Sedrick Ellis is a future ALL-PRO and is perfect to improve the "D" in the 'Natti...
For Carson Palmer's sake.... Bengals TAKE Sedrick if he is there at #9!!!!
Fight ON!!
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Reputation:93
Level:All-Star
Since:Dec 20, 2006
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April 28, 2008 2:11 pm
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Brennan against Washington: 42 out of 50 for 442 yard with 5 TDs and no ints. I don't care a what level you are playing, those are difficult stats to put up. He did that fairly regularly. The game before was not as good. He played Boise St. and went 40 out of 53 for 495 yards, 5 TDs, 2 ints, and he also ran for one TD. This guy could be a real 6th round steal.&n
...(more)
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Feb 12, 2008
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March 4, 2008 8:42 am
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(POLL)
With about 53 days until this years NFL draft, and the building hype that surrounds that day, I am reminded of past drafts and what might have been. Who is the biggest bust in NFL draft history? I have listed a few top candidates. I'm sure that there are more. I'd like to hear what others think. This should get us ready for the 2008 addition to the list.
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Reputation:96
Level:Superstar
Since:Oct 22, 2007
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April 26, 2008 4:45 pm
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Why, why, why! There are so many others spots you need to fill. Jonathan Stewart is good, but not good enough to give up needed picks.
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