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People don't talk enough about kickers. I mean, they talk about them when they miss kicks or they talk about the elites of the elite like Justin Tucker, but there really isn't enough discussion about how different kickers rank compared to their peers.
We're going to change that here by power-ranking the top 10 NFL kickers heading into the 2024 season.
Let's power rank the top 10 kickers in the NFL.
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NFL Kicker Rankings -- Nos. 10-6
No. 10 – Greg Zuerlein (NYJ)
Remember back when it felt like every NFL kicker was 40 years old? Those days are mostly over. Last season, 18 qualifying kickers made at least 85% of their kicks and just two of those players were 35 or over. One of those was Greg Zuerlein, who made 92.1% of his attempts. It was a bounce-back year for the veteran kicker, who hadn't made 85% or more of his kicks since the 2018 season with the Rams. Can he repeat his 2023 success this season? It's a big ask considering how the seasons leading up to 2023 went, but Zuerlein has proven in the past that he can be an elite kicker.
No. 9 – Nick Folk (TEN)
The other 35-plus kicker to make 85% of his attempts last year was Nick Folk. In fact, Folk was the guy with the best field-goal percentage in the NFL, as the 39-year-old made 29 of his 30 field-goal attempts. And it's not like Folk was just kicking a bunch of 30-yarders, as he was 5-of-6 from 50-plus yards. This is now three times in the last four years that Folk has made at least 90% of his field-goal attempts. There will be a fall-off at some point, but Folk deserves a top-10 ranking even though he's nearing the end of his NFL career.
No. 8 – Evan McPherson (CIN)
Maybe this is low for Evan McPherson. While he only converted on 83.9% of his kicks last season and has never been over 85% in a season during his three seasons in the league, a big part of that is because McPherson attempted 12 kicks of 50-plus yards, going 7-of-12 on those. McPherson has a big leg, which leads to the Bengals trusting him on longer kicks. Think of him like a pull-up three-point shooter. His percentage isn't as high as someone who only spots up, but the fact he can pull up from the logo makes him incredibly dangerous. But enough with the cross-sport analogies. McPherson is a high-risk, high-reward kicker.
No. 7 – Jake Moody (SF)
The 49ers drafted Jake Moody in the third round last year. They got their money's worth as the rookie was 21-of-25 on field goals and led the NFL in extra points made, going 60-of-61 on those attempts. There's room for improvement, as he missed three field goals from inside of 50, but Moody looks like he could be one of the NFL's best kickers for the next decade or more.
No. 6 – Cameron Dicker (LAC)
A mic'd up Jim Harbaugh shares that kicker Cameron Dicker hasn't missed once all offseason (which he confirms with STC Ryan Ficken).
"Can't jinx this guy!"
All-Pro season on deck for Dicker the Kicker? pic.twitter.com/vTOsFN5Gko
— Tyler Schoon (@tylerjschoon) June 18, 2024
Cameron Dicker had a lot of hype behind him after a strong college career at Texas, but his NFL career was almost over before it began, as he was waived by three different teams before latching on with the Chargers in November 2022. He played in 11 games that season, with 10 of those during his time with the Chargers. He made 95.5% of his field-goal attempts, the best in the league. That earned him the full-time kicker role in 2023 and he responded with another strong season, going 31-of-33 and finishing fifth in the NFL in field-goal percentage.
NFL Kicker Rankings -- Nos. 5-1
No. 5 – Brandon Aubrey (DAL)
Last year was a good season for rookie kickers. In addition to Moody's success in San Francisco, another rookie kicker had even more success in Dallas. Brandon Aubrey went undrafted out of Notre Dame but ended up winning the starting job with the Cowboys. He made the Pro Bowl in his first season, leading the NFL in field goals made with 36. He was a perfect 10-of-10 from 50-plus, which helped him have a 94.7% conversion rate on field goals.
No. 4 – Ka'imi Fairbairn (HOU)
Ka’imi Fairbairn is good from 56 yards in pregame. pic.twitter.com/hOMwe2lGfr
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 7, 2024
As a longtime Houston Texans fan, Ka'imi Fairbairn's ranking this high is a surprise. After he made just 78.9% of his kicks in 2021, it looked like Fairbairn's days in Houston might be numbered. Then he saved his job in 2022 by making 93.5% of his field-goal attempts and all 24 of his extra points. Following that, Fairbairn solidified his spot as one of the top NFL kickers in 2023 by making 96.4% of his field goals, going 27-of-28 overall and 21-of-22 on extra points. Two consecutive seasons making 90% or more of his kicks earns Fairbairn a top-5 spot in the power rankings.
No. 3 – Jake Elliott (PHI)
Now we come to the really elite kickers. Right now, there are three NFL kickers who feel like they stand out from the rest. We start with Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, who went 30-of-32 last season on field-goal attempts, the second time in the last three seasons that he's converted at a rate over 90%. Elliott's a reliable kicker who has been really, really good in six of his seven NFL seasons. Every NFL team minus the two employing the top two on this list would love to have Elliott on fourth down.
No. 2 – Harrison Butker (KC)
Harrison Butker had a pretty notable dip in 2022, hitting a career-low 75% of his field-goal attempts. He bounced back in a big way in 2023, though, hitting 33 of his 35 field goals while also going a perfect 38-of-38 on extra points. He might not have the history of Justin Tucker, but Butker is still a top-2 NFL kicker.
No. 1 – Justin Tucker (BAL)
If Justin Tucker lined one up from another zip code, I’d back him to make it.
This was from 70! #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/RxoOLjPUJj
— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) July 17, 2024
Look, Justin Tucker wasn't as good in 2023 as we're used to seeing Justin Tucker be, but it's hard to knock him out of the top spot here based on his career-long track record. Tucker brought his streak of 85% seasons alive, bringing it to eight consecutive years. His 86.5% rate on field goals might not have been the best of his career and might have only ranked 15th in the league, but that doesn't change the fact that every NFL team would be elated to have Tucker out on the field.
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