2021 NFL Draft – Punter Rankings

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – P:

You are currently viewing the best punters in the 2021 NFL Draft. Our top punter prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the best special teamers in college football. Even though no more than 3 will get selected in the draft, several will be signed as free agents, and many more will receive a training camp invite. Find who is worthy of a draft pick, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft sleepers, draft stars, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2021 punter prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 20, 2021)

2021:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Pressley Harvin III leads all prospects in gross punt average this past season at a whopping 48 yards per punt. This also isn’t an empty number, as he forced a fair catch almost half the time thanks to much improved hang time in 2020. His accuracy is decent, and he’s shown consistent improvement throughout his four years as a starter at Georgia Tech. While he may not look like a standard punter with his frame, the results on the field should speak for themselves.

2020 Stats

48.0 yards per punt, 18 inside-20, 3 touchbacks, 46.7% fair catch forced

James Smith has been an All-American caliber punter for the past three years, displaying top notch accuracy and above average hang time on his punts. A big punter (6’4" 235) who can hit someone in coverage, Smith forced the highest fair catch percentage in the class (52.5%), and has combined to commit only two touchbacks over the past two seasons. In comparison, he’s pinned the ball inside the 20 yard line 45 times during that stretch. While his approach to punting isn’t prototypical in the NFL, he hasn’t had a punt blocked and has a good feel for the position.

2020 Stats

43.9 yards per punt, 18 inside-20, 1 touchback, 52.5% fair catch forced

Max Duffy had an unreal season in 2019 where he averaged 48.1 yards per punt and was named a 1st Team All-American. He followed it up with a less flashy, but still great season in 2020. While the average was down to 45.1, he improved his hangtime significantly and showed decent accuracy each year. Duffy has a quick kick and has established himself as a reliable punter, which should give him plenty of looks from the NFL.

2020 Stats

45.1 yards per punt, 16 inside-20, 1 touchback, 42.9% fair catch forced

Chrisman had a really good year in limited usage for the Buckeyes, showcasing a good display of distance and hangtime on his punts. He rarely outkicked his coverage, and the power of his leg was well on display. Pinning opponents inside the 20 has been Chrisman’s weakness throughout his career, committing 8 touchbacks in limited punt count during 2019. However accuracy is easier to teach than power, and Chrisman has plenty of that.

2020 Stats

45.0 yards per punt, 11 inside-20, 2 touchbacks, 40.7% fair catch forced

Zach Von Rosenberg is the grandpa of the class, coming in at 30 years of age. This honestly won’t matter much to NFL teams, but it’s important to remember that he likely won’t improve his power or frame at all. Von Rosenberg is a big punter (6’5" 245) with solid strength and accuracy on his punts, and focuses more on hang time than gross yardage. He led the class with 27 punts pinned inside the 20 yard line this past season, and is a consistent albeit low ceiling option.

2020 Stats

43.9 yards per punt, 27 inside-20, 2 touchbacks, 37.3% fair catch forced

Complete 2021 draft rankings – Punter

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2021: | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Every year I fall in love with the punters. It’s one of my favorite positions to scout, and plenty of players stand out each year. This year has been the exception. Only a couple punters impress me, and I haven’t yet found any good sleepers outside the normal top 5. Part of the fun of kickers and punters is that many can be found in lower level competition, except this year there wasn’t a season to scout at those levels. Despite not identifying a sleeper yet, I’m sure there will be a surprise player from this class that we don’t know yet.