The Cincinnati Bengals have a new kicker!
Memphis kicker Jake Elliott is joining the Bengals after being a fifth round draft selection by the team in the 2017 NFL Draft. This comes as no surprise as the Bengals desperately need to upgrade their kicking game from last year.
Elliott never missed an extra point in college and had a solid 2016 campaign in which he went 21/26 on field goals, including scoring on 2/3 field goals from 50+ yards. He was perfect on 202 extra points during his entire college career, which is nice to note after the Bengals' disastrous 2016 season filled with missed PATs.
Here are the social media reactions to the pick as well as a video from Elliott’s family as the pick was being announced on live television.
Happy to be a Bengal! Time to get to work!
— Jake Elliott (@jake_elliott22) April 29, 2017
Congratulations to @LTHS_Athletics alumnus Jake Elliott on being drafted by the Bengals! pic.twitter.com/1ThqMdvVnF
— Preps Talk CSN (@CSNPreps) April 29, 2017
#Bengals draft their first kicker under Marvin Lewis: Jake Elliott from Memphis in the 5th round.
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) April 29, 2017
Jake Elliott made 10 field goals from 50 yards (or longer) in college. Career long was 56 yards. Perfect on PATs. #Bengals.
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) April 29, 2017
THE BENGALS TAKE A KICKER. JAKE ELLIOTT
— Connor Howe (@YBConnor) April 29, 2017
Jake Elliott played in horrible weather in college but never missed a PAT 144-144. 22-26 from 50+ both stats better than Gonzalez.
— Bengals Fan Report (@DownwithRyan) April 29, 2017
Pick 153: The Bengals select K Jake Elliott from Memphis. #BengalsDraft
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) April 29, 2017
Only two kickers in CFB forced more touchbacks on kickoffs in 2016
The first kicker taken in the 2017 #NFLDraft is #KohlsELITE kicker Jake Elliott! #Bengals pic.twitter.com/pPOl32pOeh
— Kohl's Kicking Camps (@KohlsKicking) April 29, 2017
Surprised Jake Elliott went over Zane Gonzalez. #KickerTweets
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 29, 2017
Jake Elliott is the 3rd kicker selected in the top 160 overall picks in the last 10 years pic.twitter.com/ZOntXUXiiK
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 29, 2017
Jake Elliott says longest kick he's ever made in practice was out at 70, but that was with "a little wind." Long in college game of 56.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) April 29, 2017
Bengals selected the first kicker of the draft, Memphis' Jake Elliott. Surprised it wasn't ASU's Zane Gonzalez, but Elliott can kick well. https://t.co/3gJ8fWO8n3
— Steve Helwick (@s_helwick) April 29, 2017
Interesting that K Jake Elliott came off the board before Zane Gonzalez.
— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) April 29, 2017
I expected one kicker to be drafted, but it wasn't Jake Elliott of #Memphis. #AZState's Zane Gonzalez should get picked. #NFLDraft
— Ron Clements (@Ron_Clements) April 29, 2017