NFL Draft K/P breakdown: Experienced options available

The NFL Draft is April 25-27 in Nashville, Tenn. Each day leading up to the first round, the Tribune-Review is compiling a positional preview of the top draft prospects.

Today: Kickers/Punters

Kickers

1. Cole Tracy

LSU, 5-10, 184

After completing a successful college career at Division II Assumption College, Tracy went to LSU as a graduate transfer and became a second-team All-American. He made all 42 extra-point attempts and 29 of 33 field goals in 2018. In his final year at Assumption, he scored 148 points and made 27 of 29 field goals, with a long of 53. He was named the nation’s best kicker outside FBS.

2. Matt Gay

Utah, 6-0, 232

A walk-on at Utah, Gay won the Lou Groza Award in 2017 as the nation’s top kicker. He made 30 of 34 field goals, including 5 of 6 from 50-plus yards, and all 40 extra-point attempts that season. In 2018, he made 26 of 31 field goals — 3 of 5 beyond 50 — and all 45 extra-point attempts.

3. John Baron II

San Diego State, 5-9, 200

A three-year kicker at San Diego State, Baron made 21 of 23 field goals as a sophomore, 12 of 15 as a junior and 17 of 22 as a senior. Last year, he converted all five of his kicks from 50 yards or longer. He did not miss an extra-point attempt in his final two seasons.

4. Austin Seibert

Oklahoma, 5-9, 213

Seibert handled kicking and punting duties during his four years Oklahoma. As a senior, he was first-team all-conference as a kicker and honorable mention as a punter. He was 17 of 19 on field goals, with a long of 42, in his final year with the Sooners. He did not miss an extra-point try in his final two seasons.

5. Justin Yoon

Notre Dame, 5-10, 187

Yoon handled the kicking for Notre Dame the past four years. In his senior season, he made 17 of 20 field goals, but he missed his lone attempt from 50-plus yards. His career long was a 52-yarder in his freshman season. Questions abound about his leg strength; he had only 47 touchbacks on 133 kickoffs in his final three seasons.

PUNTERS

1. Mitch Wishnowsky

Utah, 6-2, 218

The Australia native spent a year at a junior college before landing at Utah after a year away from football. In 2016, he won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter when he led FBS with a 44.6 net average. He was a finalist for the award in 2017 and was named a second-team All-American in 2018. He induced 25 fair catches on 59 punts, but he also had three blocked.

2. Jake Bailey

Stanford, 6-1, 200

Bailey started as a kickoff specialist at Stanford but was the team’s punter his final three seasons. He averaged 43.8 yards per punt, had 54 punts that traveled at least 50 yards and placed 76 balls inside the 20-yard line. He had a school-record 84-yard punt as a senior.

3. Jack Fox

Rice, 6-2, 213

Fox also handled kickoffs at Rice, putting 111 out of 200 attempts into the end zone. Fox had 74 career punts placed inside the 20 and forced 71 fair catches. He increased his average from 40.7 yards in his sophomore season to 45.5 as a senior.

4. A.J. Cole

N.C. State, 6-4, 214

A four-year punter at N.C. State, Cole had a 42.4 average as a senior and placed 22 of his 49 punts inside the 20 and forced 16 fair catches. He posted similar numbers as a junior, averaging 43.7 yards and placing 23 of 54 inside the 20 with 14 fair catches.

5. Tyler Newsome

Notre Dame, 6-3, 218

Newsome never looked back after emerging as Notre Dame’s punter in 2015, his redshirt freshman season when he also was used on kickoffs. Devoting all his time to punting in 2016, he had averages of 43.5, 43.6 and 44.7 yards over his final three seasons. As a senior, he placed 19 of 53 punts inside the 20 with nine touchbacks.

Homegrown

Billy Kinney

West Virginia, 6-4, 221

Kinney did not get invited to the NFL Combine after averaging 41.0 yards as a senior, when he had 13 balls inside the 20 and drew 17 fair catches on 41 attempts. He never averaged less than 40.9 yards in any of his three seasons. Kinney also handled kickoffs for West Virginia for two seasons.

Best fit for Steelers

Matt Gay

Utah, 6-0, 232

If the Steelers want a strong-legged kicker to challenge Chris Boswell, they might want to take a flyer on Gay in the late rounds or as an undrafted free agent, if he is available. It’s more likely the Steelers will bring in a punter to compete with Jordan Berry. Any of the five top prospects listed above would make sense.