One can rather confidently say Tory Taylor will go down in history as one of the best collegiate punters. He has the stats to prove it: He is the all-time NCAA leader in total punt yards.
His right leg was a weapon for the Iowa Hawkeyes during his tenure. He constantly paired a booming leg with pinpoint accuracy, which helped set up the defense for great success.
Taylor declared for the NFL draft, and punters in the draft are a curious situation. Yes, they are a position of need and a good one can change a game, but the question is how high to draft one.
As Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register pointed out, the highest a punter has been picked since 2010 was No. 110. That is where the San Francisco 49ers selected Mitch Wishnowsky in 2019’s fourth round. Most punters that get drafted are taken in rounds five, six or seven.
Here is the list of punters drafted since 2010.
In the past 11 NFL Drafts, the highest-drafted punter went #110 overall. https://t.co/jQh2zMx2Ox pic.twitter.com/3uJmqO2P9q
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) December 19, 2023
There is a belief Taylor will be selected in the 2024 NFL draft, but it will likely be on the final day of the draft if history tells us anything.
NFL Mock Draft Database tracks all mock drafts for prospects and has done so for Taylor. There is a consensus he is going to be drafted, but differing opinions on the round.
Of the 10 mock drafts Taylor has been listed in, six have him drafted in the seventh round, three in the sixth round and one in the fifth round.
Oddly enough, there seems to be a link to keep Taylor in the black and gold in the NFL. Five of the 10 mock drafts see Taylor landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Two drafts put Taylor close to home with the Chicago Bears. The other three send him to the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants or Cincinnati Bengals.
Tory Taylor remains a prospect on NFL draft boards and rightfully so. His 2023-24 average of 48.2 yards per punt would already be tied for 12th in the NFL. Taylor had 32 punts downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line this year in 14 games. That would be fifth in the NFL in three fewer games.
When and where Taylor gets drafted is an unknown, but one thing can be certain: punting can be winning in the NFL.
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