Jake Moody proving why the 49ers drafted him so highly

To say eyebrows were raised when the 49ers used their second pick of the draft on a kicker is putting it mildly.  When Jake Moody was selected 99th overall by San Francisco, it made him just the second kicker selected in the top 100 in the last 15 drafts. It was a pick that divided […]

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Jul 27, 2023; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers placekicker Jake Moody (4) stands on the field during training camp at the SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

To say eyebrows were raised when the 49ers used their second pick of the draft on a kicker is putting it mildly. 

When Jake Moody was selected 99th overall by San Francisco, it made him just the second kicker selected in the top 100 in the last 15 drafts.

It was a pick that divided opinion, with many severely questioning the value of spending a third-round pick on a specialist.

But Moody has a leg to silence the doubters, and he showed it off in spectacular fashion during Tuesday's training camp practice.

Though Moody missed a kick from 43 yards, he rounded off practice with what was later confirmed to be a remarkable 60-yard effort that cleared the crossbar with plenty of room to spare.

San Francisco drafted Moody to give them a kicker who can consistently convert the kicks from 50 or more yards that were more of a lottery with veteran Robbie Gould last year.

Moody clearly has that upside. Asking him to regularly split the uprights from 60 yards may be a bit much, but knowing he has such kicks in his locker vastly increases the area of the field that can be considered scoring range for the 49ers in 2023.

The draft status of Moody will quickly be forgotten should he continue to make such low-percentage kicks with ease.

Featured Image Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports