Who is the best kicker in the NFL? Justin Tucker is responsible for one of the longest field goals ever and is widely considered to be one of the best kickers of all time. As we dive into our 2023 kicker rankings, it’s clear there are a lot of greats around the NFL.
While the Baltimore Ravens have the best kicker in the NFL, it is a volatile position. Chris Boswell was near the top of the 2022 kicker rankings, then the Pittsburgh Steelers fan-favorite missed eight field goals last season. It’s one of the most scrutinized positions in the NFL today, so there will be plenty of surprises this fall.
NFL kicking stats 2023
Our analysis of the worst and best NFL kickers was updated on January 21.
2023 kicker rankings: Worst NFL kickers this season
32. Chad Ryland, New England Patriots – Worst kicker in NFL
- Chad Ryland stats: 16-of-25 on field-goal attempts (64%), 24-of-25 on XPAs, 50% from 40+
The Chad Ryland experience was a disaster for the New England Patriots. Selected by Bill Belichick with the 112th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, chosen ahead of players like Pro Bowl wide receiver Puka Nacua, the Patriots’ rookie was a disaster. Ryland was the worst NFL kicker in 2023, missing at least one field-goal attempt in eight starts. After converting the lowest field goal percentage in the NFL, Ryland’s NFL career is in doubt and he’ll be in serious jeopardy of losing a Patriots’ kicker competition at training camp in 2024.
Related: New England Patriots general manager candidates
31. Joey Slye, Washington Commanders
- Joey Slye stats 2023: 19-of-24 on field-goal attempts (79.2%), 32-of-35 on XPAs, 10-of-14 from 40+
In his final season as the Washington Commanders head coach, Ron Rivera stayed true to his reputation by giving jobs on the coaching staff and roster to players he had a good relationship with. It’s why Joey Slye, one of the worst NFL kickers in 2022, returned this past season. The former Carolina Panthers kicker, who only made 79.4 percent of his field-goal attempts in Carolina for Rivera, failed to make 80-plus percent of his field-goal attempts for the second time in his career. Unable to be trusted from 40-plus yards out, Slye will likely be fighting for a roster spot in 2024 with Rivera no longer employed.
Related: Washington Commanders coaching candidates
30. Anders Carlson, Green Bay Packers
- Anders Carlson stats: 27-of-33 on field-goal attempts (81.8%), 34-of-39 on XPAs, 7-of-13 from 40+
The Green Bay Packers knew they were rolling the dice on Anders Carlson in the 2023 NFL Draft. Taken with the 207th overall pick, Carlson made just 68 percent of his field-goal attempts in his final two seasons at Auburn. Packers’ special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia was confident he could fix him. Carlson was awful in training camp, making under 75 percent of his field-goal attempts and finished the regular season with a 78.3 percent conversion rate on his final 23 attempts. Green Bay knew it had a problem entering the NFL playoffs but it stuck with Carlson and he responded by missing two kicks, including a 40-yard attempt that would’ve sent the NFL Divisional Round to overtime.
Related: Green Bay Packers mock draft 2024
29. Brett Maher, Los Angeles Rams
- Brett Maher stats: 17-of-23 on field-goal attempts (73.9%), 13-of-15 on XPAs, 3-of-7 from 50+
Kicking is a mental game and Brett Maher is a perfect example of what can happen when confidence is lost. In the 2022 regular season for the Dallas Cowboys, Maher made a whopping 90.6 percent of his 32 field-goal attempts. He then had the infamous Wild Card round performance, eventually resulting in his release. Maher never regained that confidence. In 2023, he spent the first seven weeks with the Los Angeles Rams and only made 73.9 percent of his 23 attempts. Los Angeles later brought Maher back after his replacement was even worse and Maher missed two kicks in the regular-season finale against the San Francisco 49ers.
Related: Los Angeles Rams mock draft 2024
28. Greg Joseph, Minnesota Vikings
- Greg Joseph stats (2022-’23): 50-of-63 on field-goal attempts (79.4%), 18-of-31 from 40+
The Minnesota Vikings provided Greg Joseph with another opportunity after a disastrous 2022 season. He was just a year removed from drilling 87 percent of his 38 field-goal attempts in 2021, so Minnesota thought he could rebound. After starting the season perfect (4-for-4), Maher converted just 71.4 percent of his next 21 attempts from Weeks 6-13. While he finished the season strong, making 5-of-5 attempts, two down seasons will likely result in Minnesota allowing Joseph to walk in NFL free agency.
Related: Best NFL dynasties ever
Best NFL kickers: Top 6 kickers in NFL
6. Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons
- Previously: 9th in NFL kicker rankings
We’ve already highlighted some of the worst NFL kickers in 2023 who are struggling indoors. That’s not a problem for Younghoe Koo. The Atlanta Falcons specialist and fan-favorite hasn’t missed a field-goal attempt (14 tries) since October 1 and he’s a perfect 10-for-10 on extra-point attempts. The success in 2023 has now made Koo the second-most accurate kicker (89.937 percent) in NFL history.
Related: Atlanta Falcons coaching candidates
5. Nick Folk, Tennessee Titans
- Nick Folk stats (2020-’23): 123-of-134 on field-goal attempts (91.8%), 54-of-65 (83.1%) from 40+
It’s both a wonder why the Patriots let Nick Folk go and why more NFL teams didn’t go after him once it became clear he was on the outs in New England. In his age-39 season with one of the worst offenses in the NFL, Folk was the most accurate kicker in the NFL (96.7 percent field-goal conversion rate) this past season. Poised to become a free agent, Folk should have plenty of suitors even at 40 years old.
4. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
- Justin Tucker stats 2023: 32-of-37 on field-goal attempts (86.5%), 1-of-5 from 50+
It was another down season for Justin Tucker, who held the title of best NFL kicker for years. For the second consecutive season, Tucker made under 87 percent of his field-goal attempts. It comes after a six-year stretch when he was nearly perfect, hitting 196-of-210 field-goal attempts (93.3 percent) for the Baltimore Ravens. He remains both the highest-paid kicker in the NFL and one of the most trusted legs in football. Plus, he ended the regular season with a 93.8 percent conversion rate in his final seven contests.
3. Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys
- Brandon Aubrey stats: 36-of-38 on field-goal attempts (94.7%), 10-of-10 from 50+
The Dallas Cowboys’ kicking woes were magically solved by Brandon Aubrey. He delivered one of the best seasons ever by an NFL kicker, hitting 35 consecutive field goal attempts and entered Week 18 with a 100 percent conversion rate. In Week 18, Aubrey missed the first two field goals in his NFL career and he whiffed on an extra-point attempt in the Wild Card loss to the Packers. Dallas should have a lot of confidence in Aubrey next season, but Brett Maher is an example of how a few missed kicks and a long offseason can dramatically change things for a kicker.
Related: 2024 NFL Draft order, picks by team
2. Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles
- Jake Elliott stats 2023: 30-of-32 on field-goal attempts (93.8%), 7-of-8 from 50+
If the game is on the line or you need a tough kick made, there’s arguably no one better than Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott. Boasting a 90 percent field-goal conversion rate entering December, Elliott is 5-for-6 from 50-plus this season. Incredibly, after his game-tying 59-yard-field goal in the rain, Elliott has now made all three of his field-goal attempts that had a make probability under 25 percent (Next Gen Stats). He’s one of the best there is.
1. Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs
- Harrison Butker stats 2023: 33-of-35 on field-goal attempts (94.3%), 12-of-12 from 40+
He’s back. Harrison Butker had a down year in 2022, converting only 75 percent of his 24 field-goal attempts. Now, he’s enjoying the best season in his outstanding career. After making 90.1 percent of his field-goal attempts from 2017-’21, Butker has now gone 19-for-19 on field goals (6-of-6 from 40-plus) and 24-of-24 on extra-point attempts heading into December.
Related: Top NFL free agents 2024
Who is the highest draft kicker in NFL history?
Charlie Gogolak is the highest-drafted kicker in NFL history. During the 1966 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders selected Gogolak with the sixth overall pick. He lasted just six seasons in the NFL, making 55.9 percent of his 93 field-goal attempts. Four kickers have been drafted with first-round picks in the history of the NFL Draft.
Who is the No. 1 fantasy kicker?
Dustin Hopkins is the No. 1 fantasy kicker in the NFL this season, recording 113 fantasy points (11.3 per game) entering December.
What is a NFL kicker salary?
The average NFL kicker salary in 2023 is $2.449 million, per Spotrac. We calculated the average salary for an NFL kicker based on the listed salaries for all 43 rostered kickers this season.
Who are the top kickers in fantasy football?
Justin Tucker, Daniel Carlson, Harrison Butker, Younghoe Koo, Tyler Bass and Evan McPherson are the top fantasy football kickers in 2023.
Who is the highest rated kicker in the NFL?
Justin Tucker is the highest rated kicker in the NFL and Madden. Tucker received a 92 rating in Madden 24, the only kicker with a 90-plus rating.
Who is the most accurate kicker ever?
Justin Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, converting 90.524 percent of his field-goal attempts. Tucker is the only kicker in NFL history to convert at least 90 percent of his career field-goal attempts.
Has a kicker ever scored 30 points in fantasy football?
Rob Bironas has the record for the most fantasy points ever scored by a kicker in a single game. On Oct. 21, 2007, Bironas converted eight field-goals and made two extra-point kicks. In total, Bironas scored 28 fantasy points that day.
Who is the best kicker to draft in fantasy 2023?
Justin Tucker is the best kicker to draft in fantasy football in 2023. The Baltimore Ravens offense is expected to be one of the best in the NFL and Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history with the strongest leg, too. For those reasons, Justin Tucker is atop our fantasy kicker rankings.
Who are good kickers for fantasy?
Justin Tucker (Baltimore Ravens), Tyler Bass (Buffalo Bills), Harrison Butker (Kansas City Chiefs), Evan McPherson (Cincinnati Bengals) and Jake Elliott (Philadelphia Eagles) are five of the best kickers in fantasy football. You want to target fantasy kickers who are on the best offenses in the NFL.
Has a kicker ever won MVP?
Mark Moseley is the only kicker to ever win NFL MVP. In 1982, Washington Commanders kicker Mark Moseley converted 20-of-21 field-goal attempts (95.2% conversion rate and 16-of-19 extra-point attempts to win MVP. He won MVP in part because it was a strike-shortened season, allowing Moseley to edge out Dan Fouts (17-11 TD-INT, 2,883 passing yards) and Marcus Allen (1,098 scrimmage yards, 14 total touchdowns).
