Complete NFL Draft Rankings – K:
You are currently viewing the best kickers in the 2021 NFL Draft. Our top kicker prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the best place kickers in college football. Even though no more than 3 will get selected in the draft, several more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite. Find who might be worthy of a draft pick, and who is nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft sleepers, draft stars, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.
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(Last Updated: April 19, 2021)
1. Evan McPherson, JR, Florida
Evan McPherson is the rare kicker prospect to enter the draft early. The junior kicker has long been destined for the NFL, having been rated the top kicker in high school before joined a Gator program which always focuses on special teams play. McPherson started right away as a true freshman, hitting 17-of-19 attempts each of his first two seasons. His stats dipped a bit this past season, but he has a very powerful leg with consistent mechanics.
2020 Stats
52/52 XP, 17/22 FG, 4/4 inside 30 yards, 7/7 from 30-39, 2/4 from 40-49, 4/7 from 50+ yards, 55 long
2. Jose Borregales, SR, Miami (FL)
Jose Borregales is from another school which focuses heavily on kicker. Before his solid showing at the senior bowl, Borregales had a stellar 2020 campaign which saw him tabbed as a first team All-American. Despite him small stature, he has plenty of leg and hit a 57 yard attempt this past year. While his accuracy was lower during his time at Florida International, his mechanics are consistency and the ball always looks right coming off his foot.
2020 Stats
37/37 XP, 20/22 FG, 5/5 inside 30 yards, 6/6 from 30-39, 7/9 from 40-49, 2/2 from 50+ yards, 57 long
3. Alex Kessman, SR, Pittsburgh
Alex Kessman is a late riser on my boards, and I’m embarrassed I didn’t see him sooner. Plain and simple, he has the strongest leg in this draft class, and that’s even considering that McPherson hit a 60 yarder as a high schooler. Kessman can hit 60 yard attempts effortlessly, and has shown solid consistency from 50+ in college, including a 58 yard attempt this past year. Accuracy definitely needs to be improved, but his kicks have a high launch angle that is difficult to block, and his power is not easy to teach.
2020 Stats
31/32 XP, 23/29 FG, 9/9 inside 30 yards, 5/6 from 30-39, 5/9 from 40-49, 4/5 from 50+ yards, 58 long
4. Riley Patterson, SR, Memphis
Riley Patterson got his shot with some coaches thanks to his combine invite, and got to show that he’s a better kicker than he displayed on the field in 2020. 15-for-22 is less than ideal, but again, he has plenty of power in his leg. Some kickers have high percentages because they only take chip shots, but Memphis would seemingly trust Patterson with an 80 yarder if they needed to. His 15 attempts from 40+ was the most in the class this past season, including a 47-yard walk off winner.
2020 Stats
36/37 XP, 15/22 FG, 4/4 inside 30 yards, 3/3 from 30-39, 5/7 from 40-49, 3/8 from 50+ yards, 56 long
5. Luis Aguilar, SR, Northern Arizona
Aguilar is participating in Spring football and I’m not sure about his NFL plans, but the FCS star had a dominant 2019 season where he hit 22-of-25, including 10-of-13 from 40+. He has exceptional leg strength and gets the ball away quickly, and has looked just as consistent on field goals to start his spring season. One notable concern for Aguilar is his kickoffs, where he has knocked two out of bounds in his last 5 games.
2020 Stats
Playing in the spring.
Complete 2021 K draft rankings
| RANK | NAME | SCHOOL | AGE | HT | WT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evan McPherson | Florida | JR | 5'11" | 185 |
| 2 | Jose Borregales | Miami (FL) | SR | 5'9" | 205 |
| 3 | Alex Kessman | Pittsburgh | SR | 6'3" | 190 |
| 4 | Riley Patterson | Memphis | SR | 5'10" | 185 |
| 5 | Luis Aguilar | Northern Arizona | SR | 6'3" | 200 |
| 6 | Jake Verity | East Carolina | SR | 6'1" | 200 |
| 7 | Blake Haubeil | Ohio State | SR | 6'3" | 230 |
| 8 | Keith Duncan | Iowa | SR | 5'10" | 180 |
| 9 | Chris Naggar | SMU | SR | 6'1" | 195 |
Overall Opinion of the Kickers
It can be tough to scout kickers when you don’t see their private workouts, and this year will be more difficult than ever. There aren’t too many kickers in the draft this year since many seniors returned to school, and it currently looks like a three or four man show at the top of the class. A couple more kickers have the leg strength necessary to maintain an NFL career, but will likely need a big day at their pro day since not everyone had a season.