The 2023 NFL Draft is not over after the high glitz and high profile first round on Thursday night.
A lot of high-quality players are drafted on the second day of the NFL Draft, but rarely are they kickers.
Kickers tend to be an afterthought that are drafted very late or are signed over the summer as undrafted free agents.
That was not the case on Friday night as the San Francisco 49ers took the plunge and in the third round with the No. 99 overall pick, took a kicker.
He is Michigan’s Jake Moody, and Rich Eisen could not have been happier.
Eisen is the NFL Network host and Michigan alumnus who could not get done singing Moody’s praises as people expressed surprise at the 49ers using an “early” pick for a kicker.
What Eisen Said
In addition to lauding the 49ers’ front office personnel for being smart people, Eisen proclaimed Moody as the best kicker to come out of Michigan since he became a fan in 1986.
🚨 KICKER ALERT 🚨@jmoods13 | @49ers
📺: 2023 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/D3EqkrKLy4 pic.twitter.com/qDX27n1NRV— NFL (@NFL) April 29, 2023
Moody could slide right into the starting job since veteran Robbie Gould opted to leave the 49ers in free agency and remains unsigned.
The #49ers just drafted a KICKER in the third round. Jake Moody. A kicker. … So, that pretty much means free-agent Robbie Gould is unlikely to return to San Fran.
Know any good fits for Gould, the #Bears’ all-time leading scorer? #NFLDraft
— David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) April 29, 2023
Moody Is An Upgrade Over Gould
The 49ers definitely are getting an upgrade from Gould to Moody.
To be fair, Gould is 40 years old and has enjoyed a great career, but the 23-year-old Moody has more range and is accurate.
He made every extra point in his five-year college career; that is equal to 148.
Moody missed only 15 field goals, going 69 of 84.
He opens the field to more scoring opportunities for the 49ers.
I appreciate the success the Robbie Gould era provided.
But, Jake Moody makes field goals from a distance that the 49ers would punt from.
This kid has a boot #FTTB
— Leo Luna (@LeoLuna93) April 29, 2023
The other place that Moody can serve as an upgrade is on kickoffs.
Moody was viewed as one of the best on kickoffs.
Jake Moody has big FG shoes to fill… but the 49ers think they just solved their recurring problem of Kickoff Coverage…
Robbie Gould was 26th in the NFL in touchbacks… Jake Moody was one of the best kickoff guys in college football
— Guy Haberman (@GuyHaberman) April 29, 2023
Moody And Gould Know Each Other
Both kickers have the same agent and know each other.
Robbie Gould texted Moody after the 49ers selected him.
Jake Moody said that he's actually built a good relationship recently with Robbie Gould, who just texted him
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) April 29, 2023
Conclusion
Some will view this as a garbage pick because the 49ers could have selected a different position player, who in their view, would make a bigger impact.
However, teams also need the clutch kicker to score lots of points and win games for them, and if Moody can do that, he will be a hero in San Francisco.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
