NFL teams rarely spend draft capital on kickers. Only 10 have been selected over the past five years, including Alabama’s Will Reichard by the Minnesota Vikings in 2024.
Generally speaking, teams don’t draft kickers just to cut them. The rookie tends to get at least a year to test his mettle in regular-season games before getting booted for a more proven, veteran option.
The Vikings spent a sixth-round pick on Reichard, who was lights-out as a rookie prior to a Week 9 quadriceps injury that landed him on injured reserve. Minnesota signed a hidden gem in former XFL star John Parker Romo, who was nearly perfect over a four-game stretch.