Who Has The Best Kicker In The NFL?

There’s a lot of debate out there about who has the best kicker in the NFL. We’ve looked at the stats and compiled a list of the top five contenders.

Sebastian Janikowski

The Oakland Raiders have had some great success with Sebastian Janikowski. He was drafted in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft and has been with the team ever since. He is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 1,799 points. He is also a two-time Pro Bowl selection and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2008.

Janikowski’s NFL career

Janikowski was drafted in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, 17th overall. He is notable for being one of six kickers to have been drafted in the first round, along with Mike Nugent, Sebastian Janikowski, Jason Elam, Rob Bironas and Greg Zuerlein. He was also the highest-drafted kicker in NFL history at the time.

Throughout his career, Janikowski has been a dependable kicker for the Raiders. In his 18 seasons with the team, he’s missed just 24 field goal attempts out of 198 attempts (88.4 percent), and 27 extra point attempts out of 287 attempts (94.5 percent). He’s also made some game-winning kicks in his career, including a 51-yarder as time expired to beat the Denver Broncos in 2011.

Janikowski is currently a free agent after being released by the Raiders following the 2017 season.

Janikowski’s kicking stats

In his 18 NFL seasons, Janikowski has made 80.4 percent of his field goal attempts (557 of 688), with a long of 63 yards. He’s missed just nine extra-point attempts out of 707 chances, giving him a success rate of 98.7 percent.

According to data from Sportradar, Janikowski’s career field goal percentage ranks seventh among active kickers, and his extra-point success rate ranks sixth.

Justin Tucker

Tucker’s NFL career

Justin Tucker is an American football placekicker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, and was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012.

Tucker had a successful rookie season with the Ravens, setting an NFL record for most field goals made by a rookie in a single season with 35. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team that year. He has also been selected for the Pro Bowl three times and is a two-time First-Team All-Pro. In 2013, he was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Year.

Tucker’s kicking stats

Tucker’s career long is 61 yards, which he hit twice in 2013. He has hit all 10 of his field goals from 50+ yards, with a long of 57 yards in 2014. In his career, Tucker has hit 227 of 237 field goals (95.8%), and 233 of 235 extra points (98.7%). Tucker’s 95.8% career field goal percentage is the best in NFL history.

Matt Prater

Prater’s NFL career

Matt Prater is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at UCF, and was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2006. Prater has also been a member of the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. He holds the NFL record for longest field goal made, kicking a 64-yard field goal against the Tennessee Titans in 2013.

Prater’s kicking stats

In his eight NFL seasons, Prater has made 85.7 percent of his field goals (241 of 282), with a long of 64 yards. He’s also made all but four of his extra points, for a career total of 992 points.

Dan Bailey

Dan Bailey is one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. He’s made 88.2 percent of his field goal attempts, which is the second-best career mark in league history. Bailey also has a strong leg, which allows him to make long field goals.

Bailey’s NFL career

Dan Bailey (born January 5, 1988) is an American football placekicker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). Originally signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Bailey has been selected to two Pro Bowls in his career.

Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Bailey was a stand-out athlete at Southlake Carroll High School in nearby Southlake, Texas. As a senior placekicker and punter, he was named an All-American by multiple publications. After high school, Bailey played college football for Oklahoma State University from 2007 to 2010. He set numerous school records during his time there, and as a senior in 2010, he was awarded the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top placekicker.

Bailey was not selected in the 2011 NFL Draft, but signed with the Dallas Cowboys shortly thereafter as an undrafted free agent. He made his NFL debut against the New York Jets in September 2011 and quickly established himself as one of the league’s best kickers. In his first six seasons with Dallas, Bailey converted 86.5 percent of his field goal attempts (187 of 217), which is the second-highest success rate in NFL history among kickers with at least 200 attempts. He also holds numerous franchise kicking records for the Cowboys, including most points scored in a season and most consecutive field goals made.

Bailey’s kicking stats

Bailey has been one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history. He has converted 85.6 percent of his field goal attempts, which is the second-highest career percentage in NFL history (min. 300 attempts). Bailey is also one of only four kickers with a career field goal percentage of 85 percent or better.

Graham Gano

Gano’s NFL career

Graham Gano (born April 9, 1987) is an American football placekicker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State University, and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Gano has also been a member of the Las Vegas Locomotives, Washington Redskins, and New York Giants.

In 2010, his first full season in the NFL, Gano made 24 out of 35 field goal attempts (68.6%), with a long of 53 yards. He improved in 2011 with thirty successful field goals out of thirty-eight attempts (78.9%), but missed two extra points. In 2012, Gano had his most accurate season as a professional kicker yet, nailing thirty-three out of forty field goal attempts (82.5%), with a career-long 58 yard make against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. He also set a franchise record with fifteen consecutive made field goals during the 2012 season.

Gano’s kicking stats

Graham Gano of the Carolina Panthers is widely considered to be one of the best kickers in the NFL today.

In 2017, Gano made 29 out of 30 field goal attempts, for a career-high 97.0% success rate. His long for the season was 58 yards, and he also made all 34 of his extra point attempts.

Gano’s impressive kicking stats led the Panthers to a 11-5 record and a spot in the playoffs. He was also named to the Pro Bowl for his efforts.