Summary
There was a stereotype a long time ago that kickers and punters aren’t “real” athletes. Those who make those arguments are misinformed and can even find out how misinformed they are by playingMadden NFL 24. When the gamer needs to pin the opponent deep or hit a clutch field goal, they’ll be hoping for one of the best in the business to take the field.
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These kickers are some of the highest-scoring players at any position. Fans may not fantasize about playing a punter, but they’ll be jumping up and down when a good one inMadden NFL 24forces opponents into a sack situation. Those who intend to play the game for a long time will find that a superstar in this area is as valuable as a superstar anywhere else.
10Bryan Anger - P - 80 OVR
Bryan Anger led the league in punting yards back in 2013 and made a Pro Bowl in 2021. Having that kind of success over that amount of time means that he’s one of the most consistent players in a position mired with inconsistent players.
Allthe best defensive linemenare capable of capitalizing on bad field position for the offense, something Anger gives the teams he plays on regularly. Dallas has the confidence of knowing that even when the offense sputters, Anger will bail them out.
9Logan Cooke - P - 81 OVR
Logan Cooke is finally getting some eyes on him after four years in the league. The Jaguars haven’t been impressive until last season. During his first three seasons, Cooke was fantastic, but it’s hard for a punter to stand out on a team in disarray.
Keeping the ship steady, Cooke and Jacksonville had a breakout year and made it into the playoffs this last season.The top linebackers in the businesslove to get sack opportunities and Cooke provides at least a few of them every season.
8Johnny Hekker - P - 81 OVR
Johnny Hekker has some awesome pieces of history in his four-time Pro Bowl career. Aside from his Super Bowl win with the Rams, he also has the longest punt in Super Bowl history, reaching an astonishing 65 yards. He also has the highest net average punting yards in a season with 46.
When players notice things going right for Los Angeles, they may notice having one ofthe best cornerbacks around. This is true, but do consider that defenses are in a much better position thanks to the way Hekker punts the ball away.
7Jake Elliott - K - 81 OVR
Many will remember Jake Elliott’s first season. He still owns the records for longest field goal by a rookie (61), longest field goal by a rookie in the playoffs (53), and longest field goal by a rookie in the Super Bowl. He and the Eagles won that Super Bowl to cap off one of the best rookie campaigns by a kicker ever.
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Yet Elliott has proved that the first year was no fluke. His accuracy has increased since then and he still regularly kicks field goals in the middle 50s. Having made a Pro Bowl since then, Philadelphia has seen Elliott have a successful career in the league so far.
6Ryan Stonehouse - P - 82 OVR
Although Ryan Stonehouse is on this list, there is every reason to say that having him at this OVR is way too low. He set an NFL record with 53.1 yards per punt this last season. That season, incredibly, was his rookie year. Breaking an all-time record in year one should have turned more heads.
Yet, somehow, he didn’t even get a Pro Bowl entry. Having the most games averaging 50+ yards per punt in a single season ever should have put the league on notice. Regardless, Titans fans are happy this underrated player is on their team.
5Tommy Townsend - P - 83 OVR
If it feels like Patrick Mahomes andtop-tier tight endTravis Kelce are always in pretty fortunate situations, that’s no accident. Tommy Townsend pins opposing offenses back, allowing the defense to make a quick stop and giving the offense an advantage on the field.
This last season, Townsend won Special Teams Player of the Week and Month, honors usually given exclusively to kickers. The league is recognizing the importance of a punter over a long game and season due to how Townsend helped out his Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
4Graham Gano - K - 83 OVR
Having been in the game since 2009, former Pro Bowler Graham Gano comes up clutch when his team needs him. He’s still kicking field goals well over 50 yards and has an accuracy of over 90% last season. Age has only improved Gano’s abilities.
Gano holds the longest field goal records for two different teams, Washington and Carolina. Yet his most impressive streak was in New York where he kicked 37 straight field goals. The Giants are a team known forelite running backsbut Gano deserves all the praise he gets.
3Daniel Carlson - K - 83 OVR
The Vikings released Daniel Carlson back in his 2018 rookie season. That turned out to be a huge mistake. Carlson has led the league in scoring twice and is currently the third-most accurate kicker in the NFL. Las Vegas is happy that this dominance has been in their favor.
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Kicking over 90% for the last three years, Carlson also set a career-high with a 57-yard field goal. If his range continues to expand and his accuracy remains where it is, the Raiders will be winning most of their close games before too long.
2A.J. Cole III - P - 83 OVR
After a 2021 Pro Bowl season where A.J. Cole III kicked for over 44 yards per punt, Cole managed to have an even better 2022, hitting almost 49 yards per punt. Pro Bowlers getting better at any position is a scary sign of what is to come.
For the Raiders, their disastrous season last year had at least the special teams as a bright spot. They’ve got two of the best in the game and one ofthe top wide receivers in football. With some stability at the quarterback spot, Cole will put his defenses into situations where they can win games.
1Justin Tucker - K - 91 OVR
Justin Tucker is often argued to be the best kicker of all time. While gamers fight about whothe best quarterback in the gameis, very few argue that anybody is better than Justin Tucker. He holds NFL records for accuracy, longest field goal, and most 50+ yard field goals in a game.
If he gets one more Pro Bowl nod, he’ll tie for the most Pro Bowl appearances ever by a kicker. This is a position of extreme volatility and yet fans in Baltimore can depend on Tucker coming through in the clutch no matter how far the goalposts are.
Madden NFL 24will be released on August 18th, 2023 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
