14 Utah and 10 against Arizona State. Since his rookie year in 2012, Hekker has been an absolute weapon for the Rams and during the early part of his career with the team, he was arguably the only weapon. The worry is whether or not hell be able to stay at tackle with limited height/length. His 86.8 coverage grade over those two years is lower than only Lavonte David, Cory Littleton and Luke Kuechly at the position. Coverage teams love when they see a fair catch, because it means less work for them. He began his junior season (2020) as a started, but missed most of the season due to injury. pic.twitter.com/lPan593VO1. Our fantasy football projections provide a median projection for each player for each week of the season, independent of the opinion of any one analyst. You name it, Young has it. As a first-year punter, Fox has plenty of room to get better, which should scare other teams, because he's already one of the best. Gilman is a perfect box or split field safety with the way he comes downhill on routes. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. The rankings are based on PFF ELO Ratings. Hell be a guard at the next level, but in two games at tackle last season before tearing his Achilles, he didnt allow a pressure. Butker actually hit two different 58-yard field goals in that game, making him one of only two kickers in NFL history to hit multiple kicks from 58 yards or longer in a game. Sanders was also the ONLY kicker in the NFL last season who hit a field goal of 60 yards or more. This ranking involves some projection for Bush because his 62.9 PFF grade as a rookie ranked 36th out of 91 qualifiers in 2019, but there is reason to believe he is primed for a significant second-year jump. When you look at his resume, the fact that his last Pro Bowl appearance came in 2015 is astounding. As a 27-year-old undrafted free agent who hadn't yet taken an NFL snap on defense, why would he have been? For years, the question at the top of the linebacker position has been a straightforward one: Who is the best linebacker in the NFL Luke Kuechly or Wagner? Hes one of the best centers in college football in space. He comes in as the second most valuable linebacker, per PFF WAR, over that eight-year stretch, as well. As a sophomore, Woodward was one of the most productive linebackers in the country. He ended up punting the ball 88 times in 2021, which was the most of any punter in the league. He's also pinned the opponent inside their own five-yard line more times (15) than any other punter over that span. Of his 51 punts, only one went for a touchback, which was the lowest number of any full-time punter. Whenever there's a conversation about the best punters in the NFL, Johnny Hekker's name almost always comes up, which makes sense, because he's one of the best punters in the NFL. We're in the heart of rankings season here at PFF. Hes more likely to come down with jump down the field than the receiver hes guarding. The most noteworthy part of his game this past season was just how many plays he made on the football. Although he struggled on extra points in 2020 -- he hit just 89.5% -- he's only one year removed from a 2019 season where he made them all. Lambo must love kicking in Jacksonville, because he's made almost every kick he's attempted since signing with the team in 2017. His 72.6 coverage grade ranked 15th among 91 qualifying linebackers on the season. Young checks pretty much every single box you could ask for and is only a rising true junior. The only reason Lambo isn't higher on this list is because he's coming off an injury-filled season where he was limited to just four games. PFF Rankings: The NFL's top 25 linebackers ahead of the 2020 NFL season By Ben Linsey Aug 25, 2020 We're in the heart of rankings season here at PFF. Of course, all of these rankings were made using the unique data that can be found as a part of a PFF Elite subscription, and you can use promo code KICKOFF30 here to save 30% off your new PFF subscription today. His blend of size, length and athleticism is rare at the position. Highest-Graded Player: Edge T.J. Watt (91.6), Super Bowl Win Probability: 3% Anger might not have been the most important player on the Cowboys roster last season, but he was definitely the most consistent. His 92.1 coverage grade since getting drafted in 2016 trails only Kuechly and David among qualifying linebackers, and despite missing much of the 2018 season, Jones' 26 forced incompletions are tied for second-most at the position over that four-year stretch. After a solid rookie year in 2019, Bailey followed that up with arguably the best overall season by a punter last year. Bryan Anger's punt hit the jumbotron : #SFvsDAL on CBS/NICK/Prime Video: NFL app pic.twitter.com/v6QcauOWfx. Jack's 2019 season was not what Jaguars' fans were expecting, and you can say that for a lot of Jacksonville's defense. And no, I have no idea why they mic'd up their punter, but I love that they did it. Oh, and his 90.3 overall grade led the way at the position. Henderson locked down his side of the field last year as well as any corner in the country. No one's more clutch than Tucker and he proved that last season when he hit a 55-yarder as time expired to beat the Browns in a wild Monday night game played in Week 14. Check out the 2020 Cincinnati Bengals Roster, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports and more on Pro-Football-Reference.com. Bailey was also probably pretty loved by the Patriots punt coverage team and that's because only 12 of his 51 punts got returned, which was the fewest returns given up by a punter last year. A large part of that grade was that Greenlaw simply didn't allow big plays on his watch. Hekker put 47.8% of his punts inside the 20 last season, which was the fourth-best percentage in the NFL. Over the course of his career, the four-time Pro Bowler has averaged 46.7 yards per punt, which is the fifth-highest number in NFL history. Fox has a booming leg and his ability to flip the field has made him a huge asset in Detroit. Swift is pretty clearly the top receiving threat in the class. Of course, he also shined some areas and one of those areas was pinning the opponent inside their 20. Back in December, the Raiders signed Cole to a four-year, $12.4 million extension that included $5.9 million in guaranteed money. Weaver is a name youre going to be hearing a lot more of next spring. The linebacker position has been somewhat diminished in recent seasons as nickel and dime defenses have become base, but there is still a group of guys at the top that you want on the field every play as a defense. NFL Football Player Stats & Stats Leaders - Punts Who's your favorite NFL team? Johnsons shake as a route-runner is arguably the best in the nation. Despite that success, the Rams released Hekker in March and after that happened, the Panthers quickly snatched him up. As he enters the 2020 campaign at 31 years old, there's a chance his play could be on the decline, but it's too early to say that's the case at this point. Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Win Probability: 30% Hekker did that a total of 28 times, which was the third most in the NFL. The Rank value requires a minimum number of snaps played. For one, he made EVERY SINGLE FIELD GOAL HE ATTEMPTED (24 of 24), which makes him one of only three kickers in NFL history to attempt 20 or more field goals in a season and make all of them (Mike Vanderjagt and Gary Anderson are the others). PFFs expert rankers can include their opinions on a players season long fantasy prospects, which can consider more extreme outcomes and a certain amount of subjectivity. He still sticks out as a guy who can contribute wherever you need him to defensively, and he has put any doubts about the knee injury that dropped him in the draft behind him. After booming his way to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2018, Dickson has somehow only gotten better. Following that impressive 2020 season, Bailey made it all the way up to third in our ranking last year, but he's now down to seventh after struggling through most of the 2021 season. Butker was a huge weapon for the Chiefs in 2020 and he showed just how clutch he can be early in the season when he hit a 58-yard game-winning field goal against the Chargers that still stands as the second-longest overtime field goal in NFL history. Pro Football Focus graded former West Virginia Mountaineers and Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee as NFL's highest-graded punter of the decade at 95.3, nearly three . AUTOMATIC. Okwuegbunam has speed to get up the seams and body control to be a red-zone threat. Hes already one of the best pass protectors in college football. In 2020, he only kicked three touchbacks making him one of just three punters who had three or less touchbacks on 60 or more punts. The . OGrady has some off-field issues and may be sidelined for the early part of 2019 with an injury, but hes a complete receiver when on the field. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock Sign Up NFL NFL Home Tools NFL Scores NFL Premium Stats It's also worth pointing out that returners only averaged 7.3 yards return against the Seahawks, which is a testament to both Dickson and Seattle's coverage team. Way also averaged 44.3 net yards per punt, which ranked fourth in the NFL. Its head-scratching that he only played 412 snaps a season ago for the Hawkeyes, but his 90.1 overall grade is far more indicative of his skill. Being a great kicker in the NFL comes down to one main thing and that's the ability to make field goals and no one does that better than Tucker. No matter what you ask Wagner to do, he does it at a high level, with 90.0-plus run-defense, pass-rush and coverage grades over the course of his career. In just his second year with the 49ers, Wishnowsky showed why he was worth a fourth-round pick back in 2019. Although Hekker wasn't the best punter in 2020, he arguably had the best single-game of any punter last year. 9:24 am ET, signed Cole to a four-year, $12.4 million extension, more balls inside the 10-yard line than Dickson, Agent's Take: Rodgers' trade value, logistics, best fit, McCarthy discusses taking over Cowboys' play-calling, Brett Favre welfare funds scandal explained, Reich says Carr 'checks a lot of boxes' after meeting, Mock: Carter falls amid warrant, Ravens take QB, Rodgers' trade value, logistics and best fit, Best team fits for top FAs at each position, Ex-NFL GM on ramifications of Carter's legal issue, NFLPA issues team report cards: Commanders fail, 49ers GM says he contacted Brady as team seeks QB help, Jalen Carter issues statement amid charges. Pass protection is a bit of a different story, though, as hes been protected a good deal in Georgias offense. Schobert has shown that he can play the run in the past recording a 77.2 run-defense grade in 2017 so it's not as if his play there is a lost cause. Like a delicious Wisconsin cheddar cheese, Mason Crosby has only gotten better with age (Cheese gets better with age right? Hekker averaged just 39.2 net yards per punt, which ranked an ugly 24th in the NFL. Hed be an elite athlete for a safety, and his coverage skills are unsurprisingly elite already. In all, his role in the NFL could be . In 2019, Way finished with the 11th-highest single-season average in NFL history (49.6). The Titans punter put 59.5% of his punts (22 of 37) inside the opponents 20, which is an insane number when you consider that only two other full-time punters even hit the 50% mark. Although Lutz had a down year in 2020, he did prove that he can still hit clutch kicks and one of his biggest came in Week 8 when he hit a game-winner against the Bears. Way also made things easy on his punt coverage team as 25 of his punts went for a fair-catch, which was the third highest total in the NFL. 2022 NFL Punting Statistics | The Football Database 2022 NFL Punting Statistics The following are the 2022 NFL Punting statistical leaders, sorted by gross punting average. The Australian only had experience with Australian football but wasn't a punter in high school. Kendricks is coming off the best season in his five-year NFL career. The Texans punter definitely made the most of his 88 punts by placing 37 of them inside his opponents 20-yard line, which was the second-best number in the NFL. Hes one of the toughest receivers to jam at the line of scrimmage in the country. If you watched the Texans play last season, you may have noticed that they had one of the worst offenses in the NFL and because of that, Johnston saw A LOT of action. Because if not, I might have to rethink that analogy). PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. #ChiefsKingdom: NBC: @peacockTV pic.twitter.com/VF0VTZvrZX. It's not often that you talk about a kicker being a lock for the Hall of Fame, but Justin Tucker is getting close to being in that category after nine NFL seasons. If you need proof of just how big of a weapon he was for the Cowboys last year, just look at their Week 15 game against the Giants. The Ravens might want to let him play quarterback once in awhile. If Sanders does have one weakness, it's kicking extra points. Overall, Dickson placed 48.2% of his punts inside the 20, which was the second-highest percentage in the NFL. He is the only fantasy analyst to rank in the top 5 of FantasyPros ranking competition in 3 of the last 4 years. He reaggravated the . Highest-Graded Player: OG Wyatt Teller (92.9), Highest-Graded Player: OT Trent Williams (91.9), Highest-Graded Player: CB Xavien Howard (87.3), Highest-Graded Player: OT D.J. His 83.6 coverage grade over the past two seasons is a top-10 mark at the position, while his 46.8 run-defense grade over that same time frame comes in as one of the worst marks among linebackers. Over the past four years, no punter has placedmore balls inside the 10-yard line than Dickson, who has done it nearly 50 times since 2018. Johnston was one of the few bright spots for the Texans last season. He'll continue to man the position with teammate Rashaan Evans heading into next season. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. During a Week 7 win over the Bears, Hekker put five punts inside of Chicago's 10-yard line. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Delpits playmaking ability at all levels of the defense is top-notch. He brings athleticism, speed and playmaking ability to the linebacker position that Pittsburgh has missed since Ryan Shazier's injury. PFF's Big Board for the 2023 NFL Draft offers three-year player grades, combine measurables, position rankings, and in-depth player analysis for all of the top draft prospects. At least, I think that's why we saved this one for last. Fox went undrafted in 2019 and although he would eventually sign with the Chiefs, he got cut before the 2019 season started, which means he was basically sitting at home when the Lions finally decided to take a gamble on him heading into the 2020 season. It's not easy punting in New England and it's not easy punting for a perfectionist like Bill Belichick, but Bailey has managed to make things work for three seasons. One reason Washington was able to win the division last year with a lackluster offense was because Way was regularly able to flip the field. That being said, even Hekker would probably admit that 2020 wasn't his best year, which is why he's so low on the list. Davis has elite size and length combined with above average burst for the position. Hes the definition of a modern safety. Over that same two-year stretch, the 37.9 coverage grade for Raiders' linebackers collectively came out ahead of only the Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants. Hes as sticky in man coverage as any defensive back in the country and is a complete corner. Hes capable of playing in a Derwin James-Jamal Adams role, but weve yet to see him really dominate in any of those facets. Top Running Back Best Ball Sleepers. Since his rookie year in 2012, Hekker has been an absolute weapon and during the early part of his career (2012-16), he was arguably the only weapon (This was back when he played for the Rams while they were still in St. Louis). In 2020, he hit 19 of 20 field goals, which is even more impressive when you consider that his only miss came from 59 yards out. CLUTCH.Daniel Carlson hits the 54-yard FG to put the @Raiders ahead by 10. Bailey also had three punts blocked in 2021, which made him the only punter to have multiple kicks blocked. Hes split wide in Georgias offense and won legitimate wide receiver routes. Cunningham played more man-coverage snaps than any other linebacker last season (239), and players like Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey and Mark Andrews were able to produce several big plays against Cunningham in man coverage. Cooke only kicked one punt into the end zone the entire season, which was tied for the fewest in the NFL by any punter that had 20 or more punts in 2021. Atlanta needs several of the young cornerbacks they've added to step up in order to see meaningful improvement in their team coverage, but the impact that Jones has over the middle of the field shouldn't be overlooked. One game that was truly indicative of Bailey's season came in Week 13. Punting - Kolton McGhee - 61.4 No one hit the 200 Snap Club, which is to be expected since the season was shorted by three games. Koo finished the year with 144 points scored, which was tied with Daniel Carlson and Jason Sanders for the most in the NFL. PFF's position rankings Ranking all 32 starting quarterbacks Monson Ranking all 32 starting quarterbacks Palazzolo Ranking all 32 backup quarterbacks The NFL's top 25 running backs The NFL's top 25 wide receivers The NFL's top 15 tight ends The NFL's top 25 offensive tackles The NFL's top 25 interior offensive linemen Highest-Graded Player: DI DeForest Buckner (89.7), Super Bowl Win Probability: 3% Out the 2020 Cincinnati Bengals Roster, Stats, Schedule, team Draftees injury! Have been Hekker put 47.8 % of his punts inside of Chicago 's 10-yard line is the. In his five-year NFL career last year as well had three punts in... 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