Pro Football Reference Blog
15 Best Kickers in the NFL
Posted by Jackson Michael on September 7, 2023
Today, we look at the best NFL kickers. Although it’s tough to decide who is the best kicker in the NFL, we can certainly put together a list of top NFL kickers. This NFL kicker rankings list will focus on the past few seasons, from 2019-2022. So, if you’re looking for who is a good kicker for fantasy football, this guide will likely help. We will consider field goals, field goal percentage, extra points, kicking range, and Pro Football Reference’s Approximate Value (AV) when comparing the most effective kickers in the NFL.
Justin Tucker
Justin Paul Tucker
Position: K Throws: Right
6-1, 183lb (185cm, 83kg)
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Born:
College: Texas (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 44 (2178th overall since 1960)
2022
Career
17
178
4
56
37
363
43
401
31
413
32
418
Justin Tucker has been one of the best kickers in the NFL for several years. He led the NFL in field goal percentage in 2022 and also stands as the NFL all-time career leader in field goal percentage. He not only had the most NFL kicker fantasy points in 2022, Tucker leads all NFL kickers in fantasy football points since 2019. He also leads all kickers in AV over that span. In 2021, Justin Tucker kicked the longest field goal in NFL history, a 66-yard field goal to beat the Detroit Lions as time expired. An interesting fact about Tucker is that he attended the same high school as two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks: Drew Brees and Nick Foles. He and Foles were teammates at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas.
Daniel Carlson
Daniel Carlson
Position: K
6-5, 215lb (196cm, 97kg)
Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Born:
College: Auburn (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 17 (6174th overall since 1960)
High School: The Classical Academy (CO)
Draft: Minnesota Vikings in the 5th round (167th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Relatives: Brother Anders Carlson
2022
Career
17
78
5
18
34
143
37
162
35
168
36
176
The Raiders’ Daniel Carlson shrugged off some early career misses to become one of the NFL’s best long-range kickers. The former Auburn product was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 but only hit 25% of his attempts, leading to an early exit. The Raiders gave him a chance to redeem himself and he rewarded the Silver and Black by making over 90% of his field goal attempts in each of the past three seasons. Most impressively, he nailed 11 of 13 attempts from 50 yards or more during the 2022 NFL season. Carson’s 2022 AV tied him for the top-rated NFL kicker. He is currently tied with Justin Tucker for the most field goals made since 2019. He led the NFL in field goals made in 2021 and is second only to Justin Tucker in the highest-scoring fantasy kickers category over the past four seasons. Daniel Carlson was named All-Pro in 2022.
Younghoe Koo
Younghoe Koo
Position: K
5-9, 185lb (175cm, 83kg)
Team: Atlanta Falcons
Born:
College: Georgia Southern (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 15 (6677th overall since 1960)
Pronunciation: \YOUNG-way COO\
Career
61
16
122
137
120
126
Younghoe (pronounced YOUNG-way) Koo has proven himself as one of the NFL’s best kickers over the past few seasons. His AV since 2019 is second only to Justin Tucker, and his 119 field goals are the third most field goals in the NFL over that period. Koo connected on 32 of those field goals in 2022, landing him tied for fifth in the league. The Falcons kicker briefly played for the Chargers in 2017 and did not play in the NFL in 2018. Koo has since found a home in Atlanta and cranked out 7 field goals of 50 yards or more in 2022.
Harrison Butker
Harrison Butker
Position: K
6-4, 196lb (193cm, 88kg)
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Born:
College: Georgia Tech (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 20 (5501st overall since 1960)
High School: Westminster (GA)
Draft: Carolina Panthers in the 7th round (233rd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Twitter: @buttkicker7
Career
90
22
164
186
271
289
Harrison Butker is the Kansas City Chiefs kicker who kicked the game-winning field goal in Super Bowl LVII. He also kicked the longest field goal of the 2022 NFL season. That 62-yard field goal against the Bills also stands as the longest field goal in Kansas City Chiefs history. Although Butker only made 75% of his field goal attempts in 2022, the majority of his misses were from 50 yards or longer. Since 2019, he is the fourth-ranked NFL kicker in fantasy points. Harrison Butker has kicked over 100 field goals over that span.
Jason Myers
Jason Myers
Position: K
5-10, 190lb (178cm, 86kg)
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Born:
College: Marist
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 22 (5060th overall since 1960)
High School: Mater Dei Catholic (CA)
Career
120
25
195
227
280
307
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers made the NFC Pro Bowl roster in 2022. Myers booted 34 field goals, the most in the NFC. In 2020, he banged home 100% of his field goal attempts, including a 61-yarder that stood as the longest in the NFL that season. In 2022, he was a perfect 6-for-6 from 50 yards or more. He also scored the most points in the NFL in the 2022 NFL season.
Greg Zuerlein
Greg Zuerlein (Greg the Leg, Legatron or Young G.Z.)
Position: K
6-0, 191lb (183cm, 86kg)
Team: New York Jets
Born:
College: Missouri Western St.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 26 (4383rd overall since 1960)
High School: Lincoln Pius X (NE)
Draft: St. Louis Rams in the 6th round (171st overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Pronunciation: \ZURR-line\
Career
168
32
294
358
367
383
Known as “Greg the Leg,” Zuerlein is noted for his long-range field goals. He owns the franchise record for the longest field goal for two teams: the Rams and the Jets. He knocked home a 61-yard blast for the Rams in 2015 and a 60-yard shot for the Jets in 2022 to set those franchise benchmarks. Zuerlein has proven highly consistent on extra points, making over 95% of his attempts during his career. Although he doesn’t own one of the highest field goal percentage rankings (he has made just over 82% of his career attempts), he is still recognized as one of the top kickers in the NFL.
Matt Gay
Matt Gay
Position: K
6-0, 232lb (183cm, 105kg)
Team: Indianapolis Colts
Born:
College: Utah (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 14 (6931st overall since 1960)
Draft: Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 5th round (145th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Twitter: @MGtweetymonster · Instagram: mgtweetymonster
Career
57
15
101
115
138
145
Utah native Matt Gay made over 90% of his field goals in both 2021 and 2022. He placed fourth overall in the NFL in field goal percentage in 2022. His last-second field goal at Tampa Bay in the 2021 NFL playoffs lifted the Rams into the NFC Championship Game. He followed up that performance by nailing two fourth-quarter field goals in the NFC Championship, including the game-winner with less than two minutes remaining in the game, helping to pave the way for the Rams’ victory in Super Bowl LVI. Gay also made the Pro Bowl that season. His AV of 5 tied him for first place among all NFL kickers in 2022.
Eddy Pineiro
Eddy Pineiro
Position: K
5-11, 177lb (180cm, 80kg)
Team: Carolina Panthers
Born:
College: Florida (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 9 (8593rd overall since 1960)
High School: Miami Sunset (FL)
Career
38
9
64
71
66
71
Eddy Pineiro might be one of the best up-and-coming NFL kickers in today’s game. He played the 2019 season with the Chicago Bears and missed all of 2020. He returned to the NFL in 2021 to kick in five games for the Jets, hitting on all eight of his attempts. Pineiro next joined the Carolina Pathers and kicked 33 field goals during the 2022 NFL season, the fourth most in the league. More impressively, he had the highest field goal percentage of all NFL kickers with more than 25 attempts. The ex-Florida Gator is worth keeping tabs on, especially considering he has yet to miss a field goal attempt of 50 yards or more in his NFL career.
Cameron Dicker
Cameron Dicker (Dicker the Kicker)
Position: K
6-1, 216lb (185cm, 97kg)
Team: Los Angeles Chargers
Born:
College: Texas (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 3 (12282nd overall since 1960)
High School: Lake Travis (TX)
Career
11
3
21
22
24
24
Cameron Dicker was the official NFL field goal percentage leader during his rookie year of 2022, hitting on 21 of 22 attempts for a shiny 95.5%. He also knocked home all 24 of his extra-point attempts. The two accomplishments provided a graceful landing to Dicker’s roller-coaster rookie season. The ride started on the Rams roster, but he was released by mid-August. The Ravens signed him but soon became the second team to release Dicker during a cruel August. He signed with the Eagles in October but only saw action in one game, in which he hit both of his field goal attempts and made good on two extra-points. Philadelphia released him before the end of October, but he soon signed with his fourth NFL team of the season when he inked a deal with the Chargers. He rewarded Los Angeles by making 19 of his 20 field goal attempts. Now that he appears to have finally found a home, Dicker is another NFL kicker to watch moving forward.
Ka’imi Fairbairn
John Christian Ka’iminoeauloameka’ikeokekumupa’a Fairbairn
Position: K
6-0, 183lb (183cm, 83kg)
Team: Houston Texans
Born:
College: UCLA (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 16 (6428th overall since 1960)
High School: Punahou School (HI)
Pronunciation: \kuh-EE-mee\
Career
94
18
148
173
185
201
Ka’imi Fairbairn of the Houston Texans was one of the NFL’s top kickers in field goal percentage in 2022. His field goal percentage of over 93.5% was the second-highest field goal percentage in the AFC, behind only Cameron Dicker. He also made all of his extra-point attempts. Most notably, Fairbairn made 15 of his 16 attempts from 40 yards or more and was a perfect 6 for 6 from the 50-plus range. He finished the year tied for first among all kickers in AV. Fairbairn went undrafted out of UCLA but has proven himself as a dependable kicker for the Texans. He led the NFL in field goals in 2018.
Tyler Bass
Tyler Royce Bass
Position: K
5-10, 183lb (178cm, 83kg)
Team: Buffalo Bills
Born:
College: Georgia Southern (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 9 (8593rd overall since 1960)
High School: Dutch Fork (SC)
Draft: Buffalo Bills in the 6th round (188th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Career
49
9
83
97
156
160
Tyler Bass of the Bills has overcome Buffalo’s harsh winters to stay perfect from under 30 yards in his career thus far. Bass has been one of the NFL’s leading scorers in each of his three seasons. Tyler Bass has also been a top-scoring kicker from a fantasy perspective, finishing as a top 10 fantasy kicker every year of his career. He was the AFC’s extra point champ in 2022, with 48 extra points.
Jake Elliott
Jake Elliott
Position: K Throws: Right
5-9, 167lb (175cm, 75kg)
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Born:
College: Memphis (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 17 (6174th overall since 1960)
High School: Lyons Township (IL)
Draft: Cincinnati Bengals in the 5th round (153rd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Career
96
19
138
163
226
237
Jake Elliott makes this list of best NFL kickers due to his extra-point accuracy. He banged home 51 extra points in 2022, the highest mark in the NFL. The previous year, he made good on all 44 of his extra-point attempts, helping him win Pro Bowl honors. Although drafted by the Bengals in the 2017 NFL Draft, Elliott has thus far played his entire NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jason Sanders
Jason Thomas Sanders
Position: K
5-11, 197lb (180cm, 89kg)
Team: Miami Dolphins
Born:
College: New Mexico (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 16 (6428th overall since 1960)
High School: Villa Park (CA)
Draft: Miami Dolphins in the 7th round (229th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Career
82
17
126
152
175
181
Jason Sanders proved himself as one of the top kickers in the NFL in 2020, a year in which he tied for the NFL’s lead in points scored. Sanders continues to excel for the Dolphins, knocking home 12 of 13 field goal attempts in the 40-49 yard range in 2022. Sanders is another dependable extra-point converter, hitting on nearly 97% of his career attempts.
Nick Folk
Nicholas Alexander Folk
Position: K
6-1, 222lb (185cm, 100kg)
Team: Tennessee Titans
Born:
College: Arizona (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 29 (3905th overall since 1960)
High School: Notre Dame (CA)
Draft: Dallas Cowboys in the 6th round (178th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft.
Career
211
37
353
426
458
473
The ageless Nick Folk is going into his 16th year but is still one of the best NFL kickers entering the 2023 NFL season. He made 32 field goals in 2022, good enough to tie for fifth in the NFL. His 108 field goals since 2019 tie him for sixth in the NFL over that time span, helping him compile over 350 field goals over his career. From a fantasy perspective, Folk averaged 8 points per game in 2022, and he was one of the highest-scoring fantasy kickers, landing at sixth overall.
Graham Gano
Graham Gano
Position: K
6-2, 202lb (188cm, 91kg)
Team: New York Giants
Born:
College: Florida St. (College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 30 (3755th overall since 1960)
Pronunciation: \guh-KNOW\
Twitter: @GrahamGano
Career
184
38
313
370
376
395
Gano enters his 14th NFL season in 2023 but is also still one of the highest ranked NFL kickers. He made over 90% of both his field goals and extra point attempts in 2022. Gano demonstrated that he still has plenty of power in his leg as well, making 8 of 9 field goals from 50 yards or more, including a 57-yarder that tied the Giants’ franchise record. In 2018, Gano tied the NFL’s record for the longest field goal, when he booted a 63-yard field goal for the Carolina Panthers. That record has since been broken by Justin Tucker.
Although there is no absolute way to answer who is the best kicker in the NFL, Justin Tucker and Daniel Carson are clearly two of the top kickers in the NFL at the moment. Younghoe Koo might be another kicker to include in that debate.
The highest scoring fantasy football kickers over the past few seasons include Justin Tucker, Daniel Carson, Greg Zuerlein, Harrison Butker, and Younghoe Koo. Tucker, Carson, and Koo were among the ten highest-scoring kickers in fantasy football last year, along with Jason Myers, Graham Gano, Nick Folk, Tyler Bass, and Eddie Pineiro.
The highest field goal percentage by NFL kickers in 2022 was 95.5% by Cameron Dicker (for kickers with more than 20 attempts). Eddie Pineiro was the most accurate NFL kicker with more than 25 attempts last season, making good on 94.3% of his kicks. The most accurate NFL kickers over the past four years are Graham Gano, Justin Tucker, Younghoe Koo, and Eddie Pineiro. They are the only four kickers with a field goal percentage of over 90% during that span. Gano leads with 91.8%, followed closely by Tucker at 91.3%.
That is a fantastic question that could result in a number of different answers. Adam Vinatieri owns the NFL record for most career field goals, with 599. Justin Tucker currently holds the record for the highest career field goal percentage, the only kicker in NFL history to hold a career field goal percentage of over 90%. Other kickers that would have to be in the discussion include Morten Andersen and Jan Stenerud, the only two full-time kickers currently inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mark Moseley also deserves some consideration, as he won the MVP award as a kicker in 1982. Moseley was also noted for his knack for making field goals in high-pressure situations. Gary Anderson is another kicker to consider as the best NFL kicker of all time. He is one of only three NFL kickers to make over 500 field goals. Gary Anderson kicked the most field goals of any kicker in the 1990s and the third most in the 1980s.
One thing to remember is that kickers are specialists today; their only role on the team is to kick. They can focus solely on kicking. In previous eras, rosters were smaller in size and so players played other positions on the field. Good examples include Bob Waterfield and George Blanda, who were also their teams’ starting quarterbacks. Cleveland offensive lineman Lou Groza set a single-season field goal percentage record in 1953 that stood into the 1980s. Paul Hornung and Gino Cappelletti were two other star players who also kicked well for their teams.
Join our Sports Reference Community
Of Statheads:
Subscribe to Stathead, the most powerful research tools in sports, and find any player, team, season, game, and any play. With over 80 different search tools for baseball, basketball, football, and hockey, you’ve got infinite answers at your finger tips.
With Our Email Newsletters:
Sign up for our newsletter and get curated stats, recaps, and more from the Pro Football Reference to your inbox every morning. No commitment, unsubscribe at any time.
On Social Media:
Stay connected with Pro Football Reference on social media! Bringing you stats, trivia, and more on all our channels daily.
Twitter – Instagram – Facebook – TikTok – YouTube – Reddit – LinkedIn
Follow the rest of the Sports Reference sites on social here.
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated: Friday, May 1, 2:56PM
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.