The 49ers are taking veteran Greg Joseph to camp, and I half wonder if he might actually be their kicker. Jake Moody really struggled in the second half of last year, making only 11 of his final 20 field goals.
Joseph is nothing special; he’s an 82 percent kicker. He hit 80 percent last year while filling in for three different teams. Previously, he played for the Vikings (who moved on to Will Reichard last year).
But Moody has struggled, and I don’t know how long the 49ers will be willing to wait for him. He hit a credible 84 percent as a rookie, but his struggles last year were substantial. They were probably at least somewhat tied to a midseason ankle injury (he went 13-14 at the start of last season). But he can’t afford to have a lesser camp, I think.
San Francisco selected Moody in the third round of the 2023 draft. They may contribute to them being reluctant to give up on him. But they’ve been pretty terrible at drafting kickers all along. In the Super Bowl era, they’ve drafted 10 kickers, and none of the previous nine have stuck around long enough to kick in a third season. (So if Moody is their opening day kicker, he’ll be No. 1 in longevity).
In the 32-team era, 54 kickers have attempted at least 40 field goals in their first two seasons. Only three of those guys were less accurate than Moody in their first two seasons, and none stuck in the league for long – Brett Maher, Cade York and Billy Cundiff.
(The guy just ahead of Moody, on the other hand, resurrected his career with the other Bay Area team.)
Moody in his final two season at Michigan made 87 percent of his field goals, along with all 116 of his extra points. I expect he’ll at least be starting his third season, but let’s check his form in August. (Not a guy I will be drafting.)
| FIELD GOAL ACCURACY, FIRST TWO SEASONS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | G | FG | FGA | Pct |
| 2022-23 | Cameron Dicker | 28 | 52 | 55 | 94.5% |
| 2012-13 | Justin Tucker | 32 | 68 | 74 | 91.9% |
| 2017-18 | Harrison Butker | 29 | 62 | 69 | 89.9% |
| 2012-13 | Blair Walsh | 32 | 61 | 68 | 89.7% |
| 2011-12 | Dan Bailey | 32 | 61 | 68 | 89.7% |
| 2023-24 | Brandon Aubrey | 34 | 76 | 85 | 89.4% |
| 2014-15 | Chandler Catanzaro | 32 | 57 | 64 | 89.1% |
| 2011-12 | Alex Henery | 32 | 51 | 58 | 87.9% |
| 2021-22 | Riley Patterson | 24 | 43 | 49 | 87.8% |
| 2015-16 | Chris Boswell | 27 | 50 | 57 | 87.7% |
| 2015-17 | Travis Coons | 19 | 35 | 40 | 87.5% |
| 2014-15 | Cody Parkey | 19 | 35 | 40 | 87.5% |
| 2012-13 | Kai Forbath | 24 | 35 | 40 | 87.5% |
| 2008-09 | Dan Carpenter | 32 | 46 | 53 | 86.8% |
| 2007-08 | Nick Folk | 32 | 46 | 53 | 86.8% |
| 2017-18 | Aldrick Rosas | 32 | 50 | 58 | 86.2% |
| 2017-18 | Ka'imi Fairbairn | 32 | 57 | 67 | 85.1% |
| 2020-21 | Tyler Bass | 33 | 56 | 66 | 84.8% |
| 2020-21 | Rodrigo Blankenship | 21 | 43 | 51 | 84.3% |
| 2016-17 | Wil Lutz | 32 | 59 | 70 | 84.3% |
| 2015-16 | Dustin Hopkins | 31 | 59 | 70 | 84.3% |
| 2005-06 | Robbie Gould | 29 | 53 | 63 | 84.1% |
| 2021-22 | Evan McPherson | 32 | 52 | 62 | 83.9% |
| 2017-18 | Jake Elliott | 31 | 52 | 62 | 83.9% |
| 2023-24 | Blake Grupe | 34 | 57 | 68 | 83.8% |
| 2004-05 | Nate Kaeding | 32 | 41 | 49 | 83.7% |
| 2005-06 | Mike Nugent | 32 | 46 | 55 | 83.6% |
| 2023-24 | Anders Carlson | 24 | 40 | 48 | 83.3% |
| 2012-13 | Greg Zuerlein | 32 | 49 | 59 | 83.1% |
| 2015-16 | Jason Myers | 32 | 53 | 64 | 82.8% |
| 2014-15 | Cairo Santos | 32 | 55 | 67 | 82.1% |
| 2018-19 | Jason Sanders | 32 | 41 | 50 | 82.0% |
| 2006-07 | Stephen Gostkowski | 32 | 41 | 50 | 82.0% |
| 2009-10 | Ryan Succop | 32 | 45 | 55 | 81.8% |
| 2003-04 | Josh Brown | 32 | 45 | 55 | 81.8% |
| 2015-16 | Josh Lambo | 32 | 52 | 64 | 81.3% |
| 2014-15 | Brandon McManus | 31 | 39 | 48 | 81.3% |
| 2002-03 | Matt Bryant | 27 | 37 | 46 | 80.4% |
| 2019-20 | Matt Gay | 23 | 41 | 51 | 80.4% |
| 2013-14 | Randy Bullock | 32 | 56 | 70 | 80.0% |
| 2002-02 | Jay Feely | 16 | 32 | 40 | 80.0% |
| 2007-08 | Mason Crosby | 32 | 58 | 73 | 79.5% |
| 2019-20 | Joey Slye | 32 | 54 | 68 | 79.4% |
| 2005-06 | Rob Bironas | 32 | 45 | 57 | 78.9% |
| 2004-05 | Lawrence Tynes | 32 | 44 | 56 | 78.6% |
| 2002-03 | Jeff Reed | 22 | 40 | 51 | 78.4% |
| 2013-14 | Caleb Sturgis | 32 | 55 | 71 | 77.5% |
| 2023-24 | Chad Ryland | 30 | 44 | 57 | 77.2% |
| 2004-05 | Josh Scobee | 32 | 47 | 61 | 77.0% |
| 2018-19 | Daniel Carlson | 28 | 36 | 47 | 76.6% |
| 2023-24 | Jake Moody | 31 | 45 | 59 | 76.3% |
| 2018-19 | Brett Maher | 29 | 49 | 66 | 74.2% |
| 2022-24 | Cade York | 23 | 33 | 45 | 73.3% |
| 2002-03 | Billy Cundiff | 31 | 35 | 48 | 72.9% |
—Ian Allan