We’re only a few weeks away from the start of the 2015 NFL season and excitement is definitely building for the return of America’s most popular league. As we draw ever closer to that opening kickoff, we have decided that now is the perfect time to unveil the best players in the NFL today. We have whittled down the long list of players and selected the cream of the crop for every NFL position.
[sc:NFL240banner ]There’s no question Dan Bailey is one of the best kickers in the NFL today. He has converted 92 percent (18-of-19) of his field goal attempts between 40 and 49 yards the past three seasons. The league average from this distance during that period was only 79 percent. He also converted 79 percent (11-of 14) of his field goal attempts from beyond 50 yards the past two seasons.
That’s way above the league average that is 64 percent. He is currently second in the NFL in career field goal percentage with an incredible 89.76% clip. He’s never missed an extra point in his career, including a league-leading 56 conversions in 2014.
9. Matt Bryant (Atlanta Falcons)
Who says kickers don’t get paid? The Falcons re-signed Matt Bryant to a three-year, $8.5 million contract extension last February. Bryant remained one of the best kickers in the NFL last season, converting 29-of-32 field-goal attempts (90.6 percent). Since joining the Falcons in 2009, he’s made 148 of 167 field goals attempts (88.6 percent), including 18 of 24 from 50 yards or longer. He is the second-leading scorer in Falcons history with 666 points. He’s 140 points shy of Morten Andersen’s franchise record of 806 points.
8. Matt Prater (Detroit Lions)
Where would the Lions be without Matt Prater? The 31-year-old brought stability to Detroit’s atrocious field goal unit, hitting 20 of his final 23 attempts for the Lions last year. Prior to Prater’s signing last year, the Lions missed eight of their field goal attempts. Prater’s efforts were duly rewarded as the Lions signed him to a three-year, $9 million extension this past March. Prater has made 163 of 200 field goals in his career (81.5 percent) and has also made 11 of 13 field goals in the postseason.
What separates Prater from the other kickers on the list is his clutch play. He has 11 game-winning or tying field goals in his career. He is 54-of-58 on field goals in the fourth quarter and a perfect 4-of-4 on field goals in overtime. His 64-yard bomb against the Tennessee Titans back in 2013 remains the longest field goal in NFL history.
7. Cody Parkey (Philadelphia Eagles)
Cody Parkey was simply superb in his rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles, converting 32 of his 36 field goal attempts last year. What was most impressive for the 23-year-old, however, was his accuracy from long distance. The first-year kicker was a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond 50 yards last year. He set an NFL rookie scoring record with 150 points, breaking the mark set by Kevin Butler with the 1985 Bears.
6. Connor Barth (Denver Broncos)
After missing the entire 2013 season with an Achilles injury, Connor Barth returned with a bang last year, averaging 12.8 points in five games with the Denver Broncos. That’s the highest rate in the league last season. In his sixth year as a professional, Barth notched his career-best field goal percentage, hitting an incredible 93.8 percent (15-of-16) of his kicks. He was impressive from 40 yards or longer, going 6-of-7 (playoffs included) from that distance.
5. Steven Hauschka (Seattle Seahawks)
Any kicker that is on the same team as Russell Wilson is going to get some scoring chances. Steven Hauschka definitely took advantage of that fact, scoring 134 points last year, tied for fifth in the NFL. He has particularly thrived in the 30-39 yard range during his stint with the Seahawks. In the past three seasons, he is a perfect 29 for 29 from that distance. Hauschka needs to improve, however, on his long-range accuracy.
While he has the range for 40-plus-yard kicks, he wasn’t as reliable converting them in 2014, going just 11-of-15 from beyond that distance. His field goal percentage of 83.8 was just good for 18th in the league last season. That being said, you can expect the ever-reliable Hauschka to bounce back strongly this year.
4. Justin Tucker (Baltimore Ravens)
The Baltimore Ravens are fortunate they have Justin Tucker on their side. An undrafted free agent in 2012, Tucker is the most accurate kicker in the league’s history, having made 97 of 108 career field goals (89.8%). Tucker has been clutch for the Ravens, recording seven game-winning field goals in his career. He is the second-fastest kicker in NFL history to score 400 points, achieving the feat in just 48 games.
He made 29 of 34 kicks last season, including 4 of 9 attempts from 50 yards and beyond. One of those kicks was a tremendous 61-yarder against Detroit which remains the longest field goal ever made in a domed stadium. He’s made 14 of 20 kicks from that distance (50+ yards) in his career.
3. Dan Carpenter (Buffalo Bills)
After five average seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Carpenter has turned into a top-notch kicker with the Buffalo Bills. Carpenter ranked second in the NFL last year with 34 field goals made. The 29-year-old converted on an incredible 89.5 percent of his attempts. What makes Carpenter an elite kicker is his uncanny ability from long range. He was 6-for-8 on attempts from 50 or more yards last season. He has made three kicks from 58 yards or deeper, including a career-best 60-yard blast back in 2010.
2. Adam Vinatieri (Indianapolis Colts)
He may be the oldest player in the league right now, but don’t think for a second that Adam Vinatieri is already past his sell-by date. In fact, the 42-year-old Colts kicker doesn’t show any signs of letting up. Last year, Vinatieri hit 30 of his 31 field goal attempts. His 96.8% success rate on field goals last season was the highest in the NFL in 11 years. Over the last two seasons, Vinatieri has connected on 65-of-71 field goal attempts, converting 91.5% of his tries. In addition to that, Vinatieri has not missed an extra point since 2009, hitting 211 extra points in succession. Talk about precision.
1. Stephen Gostkowski (New England Patriots)
Stephen Gostkowski made history back in June when he signed a lucrative $17.2 millon deal with the New England Patriots. He became the first kicker in the history of the NFL to average more than $4 million in annual salary. The contract is well-deserved for Gostkowski, though, who has been a dependable kicker for the Patriots since they drafted him in the fourth round back in 2006.
The three-time Pro Bowler has led the NFL in scoring four times in nine seasons, including the last three in a row. Gostkowski finished first in the NFL with 35 field goals last season. He also came in first in scoring with a whopping 156 points. The Patriots’ all-time leading scorer was 13 of 14 from 40-plus yards last year with a long of 53. In his nine-year career, Gostkowski has hit more than 76 percent of field goals between 40-49 yards. He has also connected on over 76 percent of his field goals from 50-plus yards.
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