2023 NFL Draft: Special Teams Rankings
P Rankings:
1
Michael Turk
School: Oklahoma
Ht/Wt: 6’0”, 234 lbs
Strengths:
Turk has a booming leg. You don’t need to look past his 85 yard punt to see that. But really, it is the consistency that matters. He is someone that can flip the field any and every time you send him out there, even pinning the opposing team back when punting from his endzone. The strides he has made with his technique and directional punting are encouraging signs for the future.
Weaknesses:
The fine points of the game are what Turk has had some trouble with. One issue was out-punting the coverage on a regular basis. Doing this will allow teams the opportunity to get big returns. Also, he can still improve on his pooch kicks and directional punts. Making sure he pins teams deep when punting from the opposition’s side of 40, as opposed to kicking touchbacks. And touchbacks weren’t actually an issue for Turk, but just in general, it is the finer points he needs to work on.
Summary:
Turk has the ability to flip the field, which is always something you want from your punter. He is not a perfect prospect, and will have to learn how to keep better control of his punts. But the improvements he has made are encouraging.
| Grade: 80.6 | Round Grade: 7th |
2
Bryce Baringer
School: Michigan State
Ht/Wt: 6’2”, 216 lbs
Strengths:
Baringer has an absolutely booming leg. He can crank out 60 yard punt quite consistently, and has obvious field flipping ability. For a punter he is quite athletic. In one game, they were down to their backup long snapper, and Baringer had to deal with multiple snaps way above his head. He corralled one of them with a single hand, and almost did so with the other.
Weaknesses:
Hang time is the biggest issue for Baringer. Too often, he way out-punted his coverage. On some of those occasions, their special teams unit allowed a big return. He also has a couple of shanked punts, in my exposures.
Summary:
Baringer has clear upside thanks to his leg strength and ability to flip the field from anywhere. However, in order to make it as a starter, he will need to prove that he can keep his hang time consistently higher. He will also need to cut out the shanks. The talent is there, just needs a little bit of work. The question is, does he get a chance to learn on the job, or does he sit on a practice squad while they continue to work with him?
| Grade: 79.8 | Round Grade: 7th |
3
Brad Robbins
School: Michigan
Ht/Wt: 6’1”, 199 lbs
Strengths:
Robbins punts with tremendous hang time, something you don’t always see from college and young NFL players. This is important, as it allows your kick coverage a sufficient amount of time to make their way down the field. He is generally accurate with his placement, even if wanting to punt to a specific area, without it relating to pinning the ball near the goalline.
Weaknesses:
Overall leg strength isn’t top tier. He can do the job fine, generally speaking. That said, he isn’t someone who will be consistently flipping the field when you are left stranded deep in your own territory. Also, his technique is a bit elongated, and he takes a split second longer getting rid of the ball.
Summary:
Robbins isn’t your flashy punter, the kind that has become popular in recent years. He doesn’t have that huge leg that can pin the other team in their territory from inside your own 10. However, his placement ability is advanced, and he has great hang time. Robbins will be a fit for a team more interested in a higher floor and good technique, over someone with a much higher ceiling, but also a lower floor.
| Grade: 79.0 | Round Grade: UDFA |
4
Adam Korsak
School: Rutgers
Ht/Wt: 6’1”, 187 lbs
Strengths:
Korsak is an Australian punter with a clear rugby background. He is a very good finesse punter. Pinning teams near the goalline is something that he excels in. Overall, he is able to punt with good accuracy and control.
Weaknesses:
Korsak has the finesse stuff down, but does not have the raw traits that wow you. Leg strength is probably about average, and his hang time didn’t look great. As well, he punts with the runup that you often see from Australian punters in college football, as it is something they carry over from Australian football. He will have to eliminate that from his technique, or he risks the punt being blocked.
Summary:
Unlike the other two guys I have graded at punter, Korsak doesn’t have the booming leg. But he is much better at placing the ball accurately in a certain spot, which is usually near the goalline or atleast inside the 20. He doesn’t have that true field flipping kind of leg, so I don’t think I see him getting drafted. But if he can fix his punting technique, teams will give him a chance and possibly be won over by his accuracy as a punter.
| Grade: 69.1 | Round Grade: UDFA |
K Rankings:
1
Jake Moody
School: Michigan
Ht/Wt: 6’1”, 209 lbs
Strengths:
Moody is generally a reliable kicker. He has been close to automatic from shorter-mid distances. He has played in several big games, and has made some big kicks. This experience in pressure situations has got to make you feel good about how he’ll handle these situations in the NFL. For the most part, his technique is clean, and he gets good trajectory on most of his shorter kicks. There shouldn’t be too much worry about leg strength. He has kicked from distance before (including a 59 yarder), and once again showed it with a great week at the East-West Shrine Game.
Weaknesses:
Moody did go through a stretch where he missed a few kicks. There were instances where his technique got a tad bit away from him. In these instances, some of his kicks hooked on him a little bit. It didn’t occur often, but still want to keep those hooking kicks as far away from you as possible.
Summary:
Moody is a quality kicking prospect. Aside from a few blips, he was generally accurate, and showed that he can kick with velocity and consistent trajectory. His MVP performance at the East-West Shrine game only cemented his name as the top kicker in the draft. He’ll be starting for a team this coming season.
| Grade: 87.1 | Round Grade: 5th |
2
Chad Ryland
School: Maryland
Ht/Wt: 6’0”, 190 lbs
Strengths:
Ryland has shown nice improvement from his early seasons. Accuracy has gotten better, as has the trajectory of his kicks. He’s got solid leg strength. I wouldn’t say it blows me away, but he can kick from the mid 50’s.
Weaknesses:
I would like to see him improve his consistency further. His statistics are now in a fine place, but he still can go on these stretches of misses. He needs to maintain clean technique over a large period of time, and not let little poor stretches creep in.
Summary:
Ryland should be a starter in the NFL. He has enough leg to kick from 50+, and his accuracy and ball trajectory has continuously improved over his long college career. As he makes his transition, he has to continue to strive for consistency, and eliminate little stretches where mistakes may pile up.
| Grade: 83.1 | Round Grade: 7th |
LS Rankings:
1
Robert Soderholm
School: Virginia Military Institute
Ht/Wt: 5’11”, 242 lbs
Strengths:
Wouldn’t say his punt snap velocity is high end, but he seems to be decent enough. It is good enough on field goal snaps. He is accurate in both cases. Soderholm is a good athlete. Following each punt, he gets down the field in a hurry, and is usually there in time to make the tackle if he needs to. When called to make a tackle, he has been up to the task.
Weaknesses:
The only legitimate issue with Soderholm is his frame and his strength. Coaches typically look for bigger bodies, as the protection aspect is such a huge part of the process. He will be questioned as to whether or not he can do it at the next level, or if he is too small.
Summary:
Soderhold typically snaps the ball with enough velocity, and his snaps are accurate. He flies down the field to make tackles on special teams, but his lack of mass will still be questioned. The question is whether or not he can hold up in protection during field goal and punting plays. After all, it is such a crucial part of the play, and teams can’t afford to have someone sneak through.
| Grade: 79.9 | Round Grade: UDFA |
2
Alex Ward
School: UCF
Ht/Wt: 6’4”, 240 lbs
Strengths:
Ward has a big body and good strength to handle field goal and punt protection duties. Also to make tackles in special teams coverage when he needs to. Effort is strong when running down the field. He gets decent velocity on his field goal snaps.
Weaknesses:
The velocity on his punt snaps leaves some to be desired. Looks a bit on the slow side. His accuracy is also a bit off from time to time. Ward isn’t the fastest guy when getting down the field in coverage. Effort somewhat makes up for it, but I wouldn’t say he is all that fast. Nor is he very bendy, which would help if he needed to adjust quickly to secure a tackle.
Summary:
Ward doesn’t blow me away, really. Snap velocity is a bit underwhelming and accuracy can be a bit off in some instances. Still, his snaps are good enough to be worth a look as a UDFA, and from there, he might be able to earn a spot. Teams should value his effort in coverage and strength in protection.
| Grade: 79.7 | Round Grade: UDFA |
P Rankings:
- Michael Turk (80.6, Rd 7)*
- Bryce Baringer (79.8, Rd 7)*
- Brad Robbins (79.0, UDFA)*
- Adam Korsak (69.1, UDFA)*
Not Graded: Paxton Brooks
K Rankings:
- Jake Moody (87.1, Rd 5)*
- Chad Ryland (83.1, Rd 7)*
Not Graded: Anders Carlson, Jake Podlesny
LS Rankings:
- Robert Soderholm (79.9, UDFA)*
- Alex Ward (79.7, UDFA)*
