Good kickers are hard to come by. It’s a thankless position that typically goes unnoticed until you need a new one. The Packers were fortunate to find their franchise kicker in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft, but those days could be over.
Mason Crosby is a free agent, and unless he takes a team-friendly deal, it is unlikely that he will be back with Green Bay in 2023. Then again, he could retire altogether and force the team to find a replacement.
If Crosby’s time with the Packers really is over, fans may want to take a second to appreciate what he has done over the last 16 seasons.
For the most part, Crosby’s good days have outnumbered the bad. You usually don’t become the all-time scoring leader in franchise history otherwise.
Last season, however, it became clear that Crosby’s best days were behind him. He still managed to be efficient on his way to making 25-of-29 field goal attempts and all but two of his extra points, but as the season wore on, it became clear that at 38, Crosby didn’t have the same leg that he used to. Green Bay finished dead last in touchback percentage, and Crosby’s season-long field goal was a 56-yarder that barely skipped over the crossbar — his only make of four field goal attempts over 50 yards.
Considering Crosby’s age and deteriorating leg, now feels like the right time for both parties to move on.
When it comes to finding their next kicker, the Packers have two options: bring in a free agent or select one in the draft as they did in 2007. If they decide to go the draft route, here are six possible options — all of which were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine this week.
Anders Carlson, Auburn
The younger brother of Daniel Carlson, Anders faces an uphill battle to measure up to the Raiders’ All-Pro. Carlson made some clutch kicks during his time at Auburn but struggled with consistency and leg strength. He made only 71.8 percent of his field goal attempts and was 5 for 17 on kicks of at least 50 yards.
Christopher Dunn, NC State
Dunn became NC State’s all-time scoring leader thanks to his accurate and powerful right leg. He finished his college career making 85 percent of his field goals with a long of 53. Last season, he missed only one out of 29 field goal attempts and was 2-of-2 on attempts of at least 50 yards.
Jake Moody, Michigan
Moody was one of the most accurate kickers in college football over the past two seasons. In 2021, he made 23-of-25 field goal attempts (92 percent) before connecting on 29-of-35 attempts (83 percent) this past season. Against TCU, Moody set a Fiesta Bowl and program record with his 59-yard field goal.
Jack Podlesny, Georgia
Podlesny has experience kicking in big moments, but he fell short when he missed two field goals against Ohio State during last season’s playoff semifinal. However, one bad game doesn’t take everything from Podlesny’s productive career at Georgia, which saw him make 82.4 percent of his career field goal attempts and finish 4-of-6 on kicks of at least 50 yards.
B.T. Potter, Clemson
Potter will need to show improved consistency to NFL teams, but his body of work at Clemson is still impressive. He finished 73-of-97 (75.3 percent) on field goal attempts but was 9-of-13 on kicks of at least 50 yards. However, Potter’s career-long is only a 52-yarder, so he will also need to ease concerns regarding leg strength.
Chad Ryland, Maryland
Ryland kicked for one season at Maryland after four productive years at Eastern Michigan. In his lone season with the Terps, Ryland was 19-of-23 with a long of 53. Throughout his college career, Ryland showed impressive leg strength, with nine makes over 50 yards. In 2021, he tied the program record at Eastern Michigan with a 55-yarder.
