The Baltimore Ravens knew the end of the line for long-time veteran punter Sam Koch was coming into view when they used a fourth-round draft pick on Penn State punter [autotag]Jordan Stout[/autotag] in the 2022 NFL draft. It is almost unheard of to use a draft pick that early in the draft on a kicking specialist, but it may have been a calculated move by the Ravens to go against the standard norms of the draft. As it turns out, the drafting of Stout may have already paid off for the Ravens.
Koch announced his retirement from the game on Thursday, thus paving the path to transition to Stout with quick access for the rookie punter. With Koch’s retirement, Stout has already been placed in a starting position for the Ravens for the 2022 season. And, fortunately for Stout, Koch will remain a part of the Ravens organization as a special teams consultant. Having Koch around to bounce questions off of and learn from an established veteran in the league will be of a great benefit for Stout in his rookie season.
Stout took to Twitter to congratulate Koch and express his gratitude for having the opportunity to work with and learn from him.
I just wanted to send out a huge congratulations to Sam Koch on a legendary career. Looking forward to the opportunity to learn from @Sam_Koch4
— Jordan Stout (@JORDANSTOUT92) May 19, 2022
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