8 Kickers for Packers to target in 2023 NFL Draft

The Green Bay Packers have already invested heavily into their special teams unit this offseason, but kicker still remains a major question mark.

At the moment, it is only Parker White who is on the Green Bay roster, and to this point, he has no NFL experience. Mason Crosby is still a free agent, but due to being “limited financially,” as Brian Gutekunst put it, a reunion doesn’t sound promising.

Overall, while on paper, the Packers have cap space, they have little spending power due to an incoming dead cap hit from trading Aaron Rodgers that will cut their $22.08 million in available cap space almost in half. Finding a reliable kicker is far from easy, and Crosby was still that in 2023–although it does appear that Father Time is catching up as he struggled from over 50 yards and on kickoffs.

Of course, the Packers still want to win as many games as they can this season, but they are in the midst of a transition as well, where the ultimate goal should be figuring out if Jordan Love can be the starting quarterback moving forward. That means finding their next kicker, even if that’s not an easy process, should be prioritized over signing Crosby to a one-year deal while Green Bay takes on a cap hit they can’t afford or uses void years.

The Packers could look to free agency, where there are four kickers outside of Crosby, who had playing time in 2022. These players are Brett Maher, Ryan Succop, Randy Bullock, and Robbie Gould. But again, Green Bay needs to be mindful of the salary cap, and instead of finding a bandaid at the position, they should perhaps focus on taking a swing with this year’s draft class.

With 10 selections in this year’s draft, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see the Packers spend one of them on a kicker. We have seen Gutekunst draft both a punter (JK Scott) and a long-snapper (Hunter Bradley) in previous years. Signing an undrafted rookie is always an option as well, but if the Packers want to ensure they get a top prospect, utilizing a draft pick would come with less risk in that regard.

So if the Packers are going to turn to the draft, here are seven kicker prospects to know:

Jake Moody, Michigan

Career field goal attempts: 63/77 (81.8%)

Career from 40-49 yards: 11/15 (73.3%)

Career from 50-plus: 3/8 (37.5%)

2022 Kickoff return attempt rate and (NCAA ranking): 21.8% (14th)

Christopher Dunn, NC State

Career field goal attempts: 91/17 (85%)

Career from 40-49 yards: 19/23 (82.6%)

Career from 50-plus: 4/10 (40%)

2022 Kickoff return attempt rate and (NCAA ranking): N/A (only one kickoff attempt)

Jack Podlesny, Georgia

Career field goal attempts: 50/60 (83.3%)

Career from 40-49 yards: 7/12 (58.3%)

Career from 50-plus: 3/5 (60%)

2022 Kickoff return attempt rate and (NCAA ranking):19.3% (6th)

Chad Ryland, Maryland

Career field goal attempts: 67/89 (75.3%)

Career from 40-49 yards: 13/17 (76.5%)

Career from 50-plus: 9/15 (60%)

2022 Kickoff return attempt rate and (NCAA ranking): 28.2% (31st)

Anders Carlson, Auburn

Career field goal attempts: 76/107 (71%)

Career from 40-49 yards: 25/39 (64.1%)

Career from 50-plus: 4/16 (25%)

2022 Kickoff return attempt rate and (NCAA ranking): 42.2% (99th)

Danny Gutierrez, UNLV

Career field goal attempts: 55/64 (85.9%)

Career from 40-49 yards: 14/21 (66.7%)

Career from 50-plus: 4/5 (80%)

2022 Kickoff return attempt rate and (NCAA ranking): 45.9% (110th)

Jonathan Cruz, Ole Miss

Career field goal attempts: 55/72 (76.4%)

Career from 40-49 yards: 17/25 (68%)

Career from 50-plus: 6/8 (75%)

2022 Kickoff return attempt rate and (NCAA ranking): 30.7% (49th)

All stats courtesy of pff.com