This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/sexyprimes511172329 on 2024-08-19 05:05:54+00:00.
Punter Position Tiers
Players are ranked within tiers by alphabetical order. I put them in tiers based on what I believe their average position would be if the season was simulated an infinite number of times. Grades are from PFF, thoughts are strictly from my own film analysis.
~Key~
Tier
Player: Team #number 2021 PFF Grade (rank), 2022 PFF Grade (rank), 2023 PFF Grade (rank) (minimum 4 games)
A class of his own. The best.
Rank: 1
AJ Cole: Las Vegas Raiders #6, 84.6 (1), 82.4 (2), 83.6 (3)
Just 5 years into his career, if AJ Cole continues to play at his current level for the next few years, he will be talked about for the HOF. That is not hyperbole. A traditional style punter, he almost never miss hits a ball. Cole is excellent across the board and is recognized by many players and media members as being the best at his craft, notching a first team All-Pro selection in 2021 and 2023 and having a great case for it in 2022. The Raiders punting excellence continues with Cole.
The non-AJ Cole elite punters. Each of these punters has a great case for 2nd best in the league.
Rank: 2-4
Bryan Anger: Dallas Cowboys #5, 74.9 (2), 72.9 (10), 86.9 (2)
A traditional style punter, Anger relies on consistency and elite placement. He has an above average leg in distance with excellent hangtime. Anger is a field flipper, excelling at open field punts. There are no weaknesses to Anger’s game. He has been a Cowboy for years and should continue to hold down the reigns for the foreseeable future.
Michael Dickson: Seattle Seahawks #4, 65.9 (9), 60.1 (25), 80.0 (4)
An Aussie, Dickson utilizes a quick-kick rugby style punt. To anyone who tracks punting, his hunchback pre-snap stance is unique among NFL punters. Dickson excels in many areas but his best work comes in directional scenarios. His knuckleball punts are a nightmare for returners and are oft not fielded. He gives his coverage team a chance to down balls, positioning the defense well. Dickson has elite distance leg strength with above average hangtime and above average placement on his balls. An extremely fun punter to watch, he will likely be in Seattle for some time.
Side note: it was excellent to see a bounce back year from Big Balls after a subpar 2022. He was mediocre and was miss hitting balls left and right. I went into 2023 wondering if he was a cap-casualty and was happy to be wrong.
Brad Pinion: Atlanta Falcons #13, 63.9 (13), 75.7 (5), 88.3 (1)
Pinion is a traditional style punter whose excellence is shown in his consistency and elite accuracy. He places punts extremely well with regularity and has above average distance leg strength with excellent hangtime. He lives on spirals. While being good in directional situations, open field punts are where Pinion shines. After consistency issues plagued him early in his career with SF and TB, he has really found his groove in Atlanta.
Franchise punters. If your team has one, you are set.
Rank: 5-8
Logan Cooke: Jacksonville Jaguars #9, 72.6 (3), 73.4 (9), 77.8 (7)
Cooke is a traditional punter who excels with placement and consistency. His hangtime is above average and his distance leg strength is league average. He is a very good open field as well as directional punter. Jags fans love him and rightfully so. Cooke is not elite at any one thing but instead lacks at nothing. Being incredibly reliable and all around very good is a major plus. Let Logan Cooke!
JK Scott: Los Angeles Chargers #16, N/A (-), 71.2 (13), 78.6 (6)
If hangtime is your thing, JK Scott is the king. The NFL’s leader in average hangtime in 2020, 2022, and 2023 (and would have been 2021 as well if he had qualified), Scott’s leg strength is unlike any other punter. His drop resembles that of traditional punters from the 90s and before. Scott’s distance strength is average. He punts 45 yards nearly every time he gets an open fielder. Accuracy doesn’t really matter when gunners have ample time to get to a returner anywhere on the field. He is not a directional kicker, struggling to control his hangtime and distance in these scenarios. The biggest weakness to Scott’s game is miss-hits. Every game has one but otherwise he is a treat to watch. Scott is not a cold weather punter.
Tommy Townsend: Houston Texans #6, 48.4 (34), 86.9 (1), 65.7 (22)
Tommy Townsend’s career has been a rollercoaster. He was dreadful to begin his career. He had flashes but the miss hits were atrocious early on. Chiefs fans were rightfully angry after cutting Dustin Colquitt. In 2022, TT went lights out. The miss hit balls were gone. His leg strength was exceptional with extremely high hanging balls. In 23, he mixed the heights of 2022 with miss hits, yet again. What is Tommy Townsend? I believe he is a volatile punter whose heights are worth moderate lows. Primarily a traditional style punter, TT excels in open field punting.
Mitch Wishnowsky: San Fransico 49ers #18, 59.7 (20), 73.9 (8), 68.4 (18)
The punter from down under, Wishnowsky is as Aussie as they come. Everything about him screams rugby, which is where he got his start playing Aussie rules (don’t come after me on this kangaroo people, I don’t know the differences between the two). Wishnowsky hits only drop punts, a fact that is made more insane by his ability to do this without sacrificing much distance and maintaining league average hangtime. Wishnowsky excels in directional situations. His knuckleball is the best in the game. His Louis punt is arguably the best as well. The twists and turns of the ball in flight make it a nightmare for even the best returners. Wish has above average leg distance leg strength and above average placement. He is very good across the board and should be punting and running for first downs for the 49ers for a long time to come.
Aging veterans and breakout punters. Many positives to their game, but something is holding them back from the above tier.
Rank: 9-16
Corey Bojorquez: Cleveland Browns #13, 62.4 (16), 71.9 (12), 79.4 (5)
Bojorquez is a razor thin margin away from the tier above. Prone to awful shanks and poor holds through the beginning of his career in Buffalo and Green Bay, Bojorquez has completely turned around his game in Cleveland. A traditional style punter, his distance leg strength is elite and his hangtime is league average. He sometimes struggle with ball placement but this is mitigated by the stadium condition he often plays in and is arguably the best cold-weather punter in the NFL. Bojorquez limited his miss hit balls in 2023 and his grade reflects it. if he can produce at a similar level, he will be firmly entrenched as a franchise punter going into 2025.
Jake Camarda: Tampa Bay Buccaneers #5, N/A (-), 74.6 (6), 68.4 (21)
Camarda is extremely athletic and is a good directional punter. His leg strength lacks and his hangtime is league average. his game is not distance but placement. Camarda is in this tier on projection of improvement going forward. He has flashed at times. Now is the time for him to put it together. A traditional style punter, he is consistent at hitting B balls.
Ethan Evans: Los Angeles Rams #42, N/A (-), N/A (-), 72.7 (12)
Evans is not an Aussie but he punts like one. His drop is very similar to that of Cameron Johnston. The nose drops and he hits it with a short swing. Evans distance leg strength is fantastic but he is league average in hi shangtime. A rookie in 2023, continuing to play well in 24 could vault him upwards but it is too early to make any concrete claims.
Johnny Hekker: Carolina Panthers #10, 64.8 (11), 74.3 (7), 60.2 (28)
Hekker is, in my opinion, the greatest punter to ever play. His run in the 2010’s was magical. Unfortunately, that Hekker is gone. His leg strength is now average at best, limiting his effectiveness, especially on open field balls. Hekker’s body may be diminishing, but his technique is not. He remains elite with his quiver of punts. A traditional style punter, he can hit any ball. His placement on the field is very good and he excels at directional kicking. When he retires, he belongs in the HOF, right next to Ray Guy and Shane Lechler (put him in too damnit).
Thomas Morstead: New York Jets #6, 68.7 (6), 72.9 (10), 72.9 (11)
Morstead’s declining leg strength was his biggest drawback. He struggled when the conditions became poor and in open field situations. In directional punt scenarios, Morstead flourished. His placement is as good as ever and his command on the ball is elite. Morstead is as traditional a punter as they come and is a fan favorite in NY for good reason. The Jets punted a lot last year and he often positioned the Jets defense well.
Jordan Stout: Baltimore Ravens #11, N/A (-), 59.6 (26), 72.3 (13)
Stout was the first punter taken in the 2022 NF draft and initially looked like a bust. A tradition style punter, he miss hit balls early and often and was in danger of being cut. A strong finish to 22 and a much better showing in 23 buys him a longer leash. Stout’s distance leg strength is above average, and he is a good open field punter. He possesses above average hangtime, though too often outkicks his coverage. The arc is upwards, he just needs to continue the trend.
Daniel Whelan: Green Bay Packers #19, N/A (-), N/A (-), 73.9 (8)
An Irishman, Whelan broke onto the scene in 2023 after be…
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