It’s ridiculously early (with free agency and the draft still coming up) but my early guess is that Harrison Butker will be the first or second kicker on my draft board in August. He’s been very good, and he’s coupled with one of the league’s best offenses.
In three years in the pros, Butker has hit almost 90 percent of his field goal attempts – 96 of 107. He’s been average (accuracy wise) on extra points, at 95 percent. Butker has the range to hit on long kicks. He’s 9 of 15 from 50-plus yards.
Carolina originally drafted Butker in the seventh round in 2017. It kept him on its opening day roster that year, but then opted to waive him, moving him to the practice squad. At that time, the Panthers liked Graham Gano more. Two weeks later, Kansas City signed Butker, and he’s been kicking for the AFC West champs ever since.
Mostly with Butker, it’s about the team he plays for rather than his own ability. Kansas City can light up the scoreboard, so he’ll be getting on the field plenty. Even before Butker and Patrick Mahomes showed up, KC was scoring plenty of points on field goals. It’s ranked 7th, 6th, 2nd, 4th and 1st in kicking points the last five years.
Andy Reid has been a head coach for the last 21 years, and 13 of those teams ranked in the top 10 in scoring for kickers. When he was with Philadelphia, five of those teams ranked in the top 5 in kicker scoring.
It’s early. Teams like the Saints, 49ers and Ravens also look good for kicker scoring. Maybe Greg Zuerlein and Stephen Gostkowski can bounce back. But Butker is definitely in contention for that top spot.
ANDY REID'S KICKERS | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Points | Rank |
1999 | 90 | 26 |
2000 | 121 | 9T |
2001 | 115 | 7T |
2002 | 133 | 2 |
2003 | 114 | 9T |
2004 | 122 | 5T |
2005 | 98 | 23T |
2006 | 102 | 20T |
2007 | 108 | 21 |
2008 | 144 | 3 |
2009 | 139 | 2 |
2010 | 143 | 1 |
2011 | 118 | 16T |
2012 | 106 | 24 |
2013 | 118 | 17 |
2014 | 113 | 19 |
2015 | 129 | 7 |
2016 | 129 | 6 |
2017 | 163 | 2 |
2018 | 137 | 4 |
2019 | 147 | 1 |
—Ian Allan