If the kicking game wasn’t as bad as it was last season, the New England Patriots probably wouldn’t have been in a position to select quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The team is obviously thankful to land a new franchise quarterback, but when reviewing the abysmal kicking stats from last season, it’s clear that something needs to change moving forward.
Chad Ryland, who was taken in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, faltered with the unreasonably high expectations set for him as a rookie. The Patriots shouldn’t have taken him as high as they did. His high draft spot, along with being thrown into the fire right away, seemingly contributed to his overall struggles on the field.
Film room guru Brett Kollmann recently pointed out that the Patriots’ lowly 64.0 field goal kicking percentage would have been tied for 181st among college FBS and FCS programs last season.
That’s bad—really, really bad.
Fun fact – the Patriots only made 64% of their field goals last season.
We rag on college kickers all the time, but that would have been tied for 181st among all FBS + FCS programs last year…right next to Montana, Brown, and Lindenwood.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) May 26, 2024
The Patriots’ new regime obviously realize the kicking game is an issue. They recently signed veteran kicker Joey Slye to the roster as legitimate competition for Ryland.
Keep in mind, Ryland only has one NFL season under his belt, and he could still turn things around in his second year. With a little more confidence, who knows what could happen?
But the Patriots have ensured their security if the inconsistencies from last season continue to haunt the young kicker.