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One of the top kickers in the 2018 NFL Draft, Daniel Carlson enters the draft fresh off a stand-out career with the Auburn Tigers.
In his junior season, he made 23 of 24 kicks inside of 50 yards, and nailed four more from 50 yards and beyond. He had his worst statistical season in his senior year, but still made 83 percent of his kicks under 50 yards, and he again connected on four from 50 and farther.
While teams are unlikely to pull an absurd second-round-Roberto-Aguayo type of selection with him, he is arguably the top kicker in the 2018 draft, as well as a big prospect from a big-time program.
Daniel Carlson
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 218 lbs
Position: Kicker
College: Auburn
Projected Round: 5~6 Round
Daniel Carlson
| Team | GP | 0-30 FGM | 0-30 FGA | 0-39% | 40-49 FGM | 40-49 FGA | 40-49% | 50+ FGM | 50+ FGA | 50+% | Lng | FGM | FGA | FG% | XP | XPA | XP% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | GP | 0-30 FGM | 0-30 FGA | 0-39% | 40-49 FGM | 40-49 FGA | 40-49% | 50+ FGM | 50+ FGA | 50+% | Lng | FGM | FGA | FG% | XP | XPA | XP% |
| Daniel Carlson | 13 | 13 | 14 | 93% | 4 | 9 | 44% | 1 | 1 | 100% | 51 | 18 | 24 | 75% | 57 | 57 | 100% |
| Daniel Carlson | 13 | 15 | 17 | 88% | 4 | 5 | 80% | 4 | 5 | 80% | 56 | 23 | 27 | 85% | 40 | 40 | 100% |
| Daniel Carlson | 13 | 17 | 18 | 94% | 7 | 7 | 100% | 4 | 7 | 57% | 53 | 28 | 32 | 88% | 44 | 44 | 100% |
| Daniel Carlson | 14 | 13 | 15 | 87% | 6 | 8 | 75% | 4 | 8 | 50% | 54 | 23 | 31 | 74% | 57 | 57 | 100% |
| Daniel Carlson | 53 | 58 | 64 | 91% | 21 | 29 | 72% | 13 | 21 | 62% | 92 | 114 | 81% | 198 | 198 | 100% |
Important Notes:
- SEC Special Teams Player of the Year and first-team all-conference selection in 2016 and 2017
- Lou Groza Award finalist the past three seasons
- Punted in 2014, averaging 42 yards per kick
Scouting Report Consensus - What to like:
- Only draft-worthy kicker in the 2018 draft class to convert every extra point attempt (198 of 198) in his collegiate career.
- Made 89.7 percent of his kicks on the road.
- Generates good distance on kickoffs, with 70 percent of his career kickoffs going for touchbacks.
- Far surpassed his fellow 2018 draft-worthy kickers, attempting 20 kicks from 50 or more yards over the past three years, making 12 of them.
- Is the biggest kicker in the draft, measuring 6’4” and 218 lbs.
Scouting Report Consensus - What to not like:
- Only made 72 percent of his kicks from 40~49 yards in his career (21 of 29)
- Has not kicked much in cold weather
Conclusion:
Statistically, Carlson comes across as a slightly better version of Jake Elliott, who the Bengals drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft, before incomprehensibly cutting at the end of training camp. Both were perfect on extra points, great long-range kickers, and struggled in the 40 to 49 yard range. Although, Carlson had a better touchback rate, and was better inside of 40 yards.
The 2018 draft features a pair of kickers who are certainly draftable before the last round, in Carlson and Florida’s Eddy Pineiro. If the Bengals are serious about challenging and replacing a mediocre veteran kicker with a good, young kicker, Carlson is about as good as they come in the 2017 draft.
Carlson was great inside of 40 yards, great on long kicks, and great on kickoffs. Just like last year, it will likely take a fifth round pick to ensure the Bengals get their kicker of the future if that is something they are interested in doing.