The Patriots have released Robert Aguayo, and that’s probably it for his career. He’s a former second-round pick, but he hasn’t played in an actual NFL game since 2016. He’s not going to be an NFL kicker.
Aguayo is a poster boy for the reality that NFL teams haven’t been very good at drafting kickers. Since 2000, 46 have been drafted, but only 10 of those guys have been able to stick with their original team for four years (as indicated by the black dots in the chart below).
Nine kickers have been drafted in the first four rounds since 2000, and only three of those guys have lasted four years with the team that drafted them.
In the chart below, you see all drafted kickers, along with the number of games they played with the team that drafted them and their highest-scoring season with that team (the “Rk” shows where that point total ranked among kickers that year).
The kickers are ordered by their draft position (with Sebastian Janikowski being the earliest selected kicker and Ryan Succop being a rare Mr. Irrelevant who’s made an impact). Of the 21 kickers selected among the first 170 picks, only four lasted 50-plus games.
| DRAFTED KICKERS SINCE 2000 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Rd | Pk | Player | Games | Best Yr | Rk |
| 2000 | 1 | 17 | • Sebastian Janikowski, Oak. | 268 | 142 | 2 |
| 2005 | 2 | 47 | Mike Nugent, NYJ | 49 | 110 | 17 |
| 2016 | 2 | 59 | Roberto Aguayo, T.B. | 16 | 98 | 23 |
| 2004 | 3 | 65 | • Nate Kaeding, S.D. | 113 | 146 | 1 |
| 2001 | 4 | 98 | Bill Gramatica, Ariz. | 33 | 74 | 26 |
| 2002 | 4 | 102 | Jeff Chandler, S.F. | 8 | 38 | 33 |
| 2002 | 4 | 109 | Travis Dorsch, Cin. | 1 | 0 | -- |
| 2006 | 4 | 118 | • Stephen Gostkowski, N.E. | 204 | 158 | 1 |
| 2011 | 4 | 120 | Alex Henery, Phil. | 48 | 118 | 15t |
| 2004 | 5 | 137 | • Josh Scobee, Jac. | 168 | 119 | 5 |
| 2019 | 5 | 145 | Matt Gay, T.B. | 16 | 124 | 5 |
| 2021 | 5 | 149 | Evan McPherson, Cin. | ? | ? | ? |
| 2017 | 5 | 153 | Jake Elliott, Cin. | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 2020 | 5 | 159 | Justin Rohrwasser, N.E. | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 2007 | 5 | 160 | Justin Medlock, K.C. | 1 | 3 | 36 |
| 2001 | 5 | 160 | John Markham, NYG | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 2012 | 5 | 161 | Randy Bullock, Hou. | 35 | 130 | 9 |
| 2013 | 5 | 166 | Caleb Sturgis, Mia. | 32 | 128 | 11 |
| 2018 | 5 | 167 | Daniel Carlson, Min. | 2 | 9 | 29 |
| 2000 | 6 | 169 | Neil Rackers, Cin. | 48 | 75 | 25 |
| 2019 | 5 | 170 | Austin Seibert, Cle. | 17 | 105 | 16t |
| 2012 | 6 | 171 | • Greg Zuerlein, Rams | 119 | 158 | 1 |
| 2009 | 5 | 172 | David Buehler, Dall. | 36 | 114 | 10 |
| 2000 | 6 | 174 | • Paul Edinger, Chi. | 80 | 112 | 10 |
| 2012 | 6 | 175 | • Blair Walsh, Min. | 73 | 141 | 4 |
| 2013 | 6 | 177 | Dustin Hopkins, Buff. | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 2007 | 6 | 178 | Nick Folk, Dall. | 46 | 131 | 4 |
| 2008 | 6 | 178 | Taylor Mehlhaff, N.O. | 3 | 18 | 35 |
| 2020 | 6 | 188 | Tyler Bass, Buff. | 16 | 141 | 4 |
| 2006 | 6 | 188 | Kurt Smith, S.D. | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 2007 | 6 | 193 | • Mason Crosby, G.B. | 224 | 141 | 1 |
| 2005 | 6 | 202 | Dave Rayner, Ind. | 14 | 0 | -- |
| 2001 | 7 | 216 | Owen Pochman, N.E. | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 2003 | 7 | 222 | • Josh Brown, Sea. | 80 | 127 | 6 |
| 2017 | 7 | 224 | Zane Gonzalez, Cle. | 18 | 70 | 29 |
| 2014 | 7 | 228 | Zach Hocker, Was. | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 2018 | 7 | 229 | Jason Sanders, Mia. | 48 | 144 | 1t |
| 2014 | 7 | 229 | Nate Freese, Det. | 3 | 15 | 34 |
| 2004 | 7 | 229 | David Kimball, Ind. | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 2017 | 7 | 233 | Harrison Butker, Car. | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 2008 | 7 | 235 | Brandon Coutu, Sea. | 0 | 0 | -- |
| 2005 | 7 | 239 | Paul Ernster, Den. | 17 | 0 | -- |
| 2020 | 7 | 248 | Sam Sloman, LAR | 7 | 42 | 31 |
| 2002 | 7 | 248 | Hayden Epstein, Jac. | 6 | 28 | 35 |
| 2012 | 7 | 251 | John Potter, Buff. | 6 | 0 | -- |
| 2009 | 7 | 256 | • Ryan Succop, K.C. | 80 | 118 | 16 |
—Ian Allan