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Since entering the league in 1996, the Ravens have not drafted a kicker.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Justin Tucker stemming from the investigation of accusations of inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions, Baltimore could change that next week.
During the team's pre-draft press conference on Tuesday, General Manager Eric DeCosta said it could be worth it to turn in a draft card on a kicker.
“Sure, there have been some great kickers drafted,” DeCosta said. “We've drafted a couple punters, but it’s worth it if you have the right kicker. It just depends on the [draft] board. It depends on the player. It depends who's there. It depends on how your coaches see him. And also, it should be said that some of the greatest kickers of all time weren't drafted, right? So, there's no blueprint for finding a kicker, except you have to be able to evaluate the kicker. I think [senior special teams coach] Randy Brown does a phenomenal job of evaluating kickers, and we have a lot of other really good coaches who do a great job of evaluating talent along with our scouts.
“So, is it worth it? I think it probably is if the right guy is there. However, you don't have to draft a kicker. You don't have to draft a punter. You don't have to draft a running back or a linebacker for those guys to be great players. We've seen that over and over again.”
Is DeCosta expecting to draft a kicker this year?
“I never have any expectations, because you don’t know how the thing is going to unfold,” DeCosta said. “Again, we're going to be on the clock, and we're going to draft the best available player every spot for us as a club. I never want to pigeonhole myself into doing this or that because when I do that, I usually end up being disappointed. You create a false expectation in your mind, and you start to think about needs and other things.
”I like to go into that draft like a wide-open highway with no cars on the road, and I could drive as fast as I want straight down the road unencumbered and not worry about [anything] but just driving, turn music up and just drafting and picking the best players.”
Even if Tucker weren’t under investigation, his performance in 2024 is reason enough for Baltimore to look for his replacement. He connected on a career-low 73.3 percent of his field goals and missed two extra points last season. He was just 5-of-8 from field goals of 40-49 yards and 6-of-11 on attempts from at least 50 yards.
Continue reading...
Given the uncertainty surrounding Justin Tucker stemming from the investigation of accusations of inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions, Baltimore could change that next week.
During the team's pre-draft press conference on Tuesday, General Manager Eric DeCosta said it could be worth it to turn in a draft card on a kicker.
“Sure, there have been some great kickers drafted,” DeCosta said. “We've drafted a couple punters, but it’s worth it if you have the right kicker. It just depends on the [draft] board. It depends on the player. It depends who's there. It depends on how your coaches see him. And also, it should be said that some of the greatest kickers of all time weren't drafted, right? So, there's no blueprint for finding a kicker, except you have to be able to evaluate the kicker. I think [senior special teams coach] Randy Brown does a phenomenal job of evaluating kickers, and we have a lot of other really good coaches who do a great job of evaluating talent along with our scouts.
“So, is it worth it? I think it probably is if the right guy is there. However, you don't have to draft a kicker. You don't have to draft a punter. You don't have to draft a running back or a linebacker for those guys to be great players. We've seen that over and over again.”
Is DeCosta expecting to draft a kicker this year?
“I never have any expectations, because you don’t know how the thing is going to unfold,” DeCosta said. “Again, we're going to be on the clock, and we're going to draft the best available player every spot for us as a club. I never want to pigeonhole myself into doing this or that because when I do that, I usually end up being disappointed. You create a false expectation in your mind, and you start to think about needs and other things.
”I like to go into that draft like a wide-open highway with no cars on the road, and I could drive as fast as I want straight down the road unencumbered and not worry about [anything] but just driving, turn music up and just drafting and picking the best players.”
Even if Tucker weren’t under investigation, his performance in 2024 is reason enough for Baltimore to look for his replacement. He connected on a career-low 73.3 percent of his field goals and missed two extra points last season. He was just 5-of-8 from field goals of 40-49 yards and 6-of-11 on attempts from at least 50 yards.
Continue reading...
