NFL Draft could be Cowboys' only shot at fixing costly problem
In a seven-round mock draft put together by ESPN's Matt Miller, the Dallas Cowboys actually, draft a kicker in the fourth round. Who? Jake Moody, out of Michigan. He's the consensus top kicker of the 2023 NFL Draft class and a quick look at his collegiate stats leaves no doubt about why. In two years as […]
In a seven-round mock draft put together by ESPN's Matt Miller, the Dallas Cowboys actually, draft a kicker in the fourth round.
Who? Jake Moody, out of Michigan. He's the consensus top kicker of the 2023 NFL Draft class and a quick look at his collegiate stats leaves no doubt about why.
In two years as a starter, Moody made 148 extra points out of 148 attempts, per Sports Reference. Absolutely perfect. He didn't do too bad either regarding field goals as he made 52-of-60 attempts (87% efficiency rate). He made 10 conversions from 40+ yards as a senior in 2022, something NFL teams will take note of prior to the Draft.
His play was particularly good in 2021, however, when he was named the Consensus All-America and the Lou Groza Award winner. He finished as a finalist for the award in his last season as well.
The Cowboys could use someone like Moody next season. Although Brett Maher did a decent job throughout the regular season, his performance in the playoffs was concerning enough for the team not to have him on the roster today. But the thing is there might not be someone like Moody besides Moody himself.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler has him graded as a 4th-5th round prospect in his draft guide. He's one of only two draft-graded players, however. Chad Ryland out of Maryland is the only other graded kicker and even he is listed as a 6th-7th round prospect.
If you look at the free agency market as of today in the NFL you'll find a similar lack of safe options at kicker. The simple truth is that the Cowboys might not have another legit shot to bring in a promising kicker for the 2023 season.
It isn't an easy decision though: Other teams could be in a similar situation, leading to Moody potentially being selected as early as the fourth round. And make no mistake about it, those can be valuable picks. And the Cowboys have had success with those in recent memory. Consider some of their recent standout fourth-round draft picks:
- Jake Ferguson (2022)
- Tyler Biadasz (2020)
- Tony Pollard (2019)
- Dorance Armstrong (2018)
- Dalton Schultz (2018)
I'll stop there before I get to Dak Prescott in 2016. You get the point even without me including the quarterback, right? Although there are more valuable positions the team could address with their fourth-rounder this year, the Cowboys are likely in a position in which there are no other safe bets. Even if it's a controversial call.
It might be time to do it.
