The Baltimore Ravens special teams unit was underwhelming last year. The offense didn’t get much help from the return game, but the kicking struggles were at the forefront of it. All-time points leader in Ravens history Justin Tucker was below average, one of the factors that led to his eventual release.
Baltimore drafted former Arizona Wildcat Tyler Loop in the sixth round to replace Tucker. Eric DeCosta and the coaching staff had high praise for him coming out of the draft, and he’s already proving them right in OTAs.
Tyler Loop is the next great Ravens kicker
Loop came out of the gates firing. According to Ravens editorial assistant Justin Robertson, the rookie kicker made all six attempts during Friday’s practice. One of these included an impressive make from 60 yards out. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh mentioned that none of these makes are flukes either, and they were all “down the middle.”
Loop’s powerful leg should bring exactly what Baltimore was missing. Tucker struggled to hit from a distance and was inconsistent overall last season. If Loop can continue to show off this range and stability, it would be a breath of fresh air for Baltimore’s offense.
In college, the 23-year-old finished his tenure, hitting 83.8 percent of his 80 attempts. The longest of his 67 makes was from 62 yards, which is a school record. He was also near-perfect on extra points, missing just two over his four years playing at Arizona. Consistency is key, and the Ravens might have added another strong element to contribute to their scoring barrage and should be unstoppable in 2025.
The Ravens also have had a long history of success at the kicker position, so it should be no surprise if Loop has a productive NFL career. Before Tucker had his Hall of Fame-worthy tenure in Baltimore, Matt Stover was the definition of success for 13 seasons with the team. Several other eventual great kickers have worn a Ravens uniform over the last couple of decades including Steven Hauschka, Graham Gano, and Wil Lutz. Baltimore has a kicking factory in the Harbaugh era, and Loop could be next in line.
Once the pads go on and the special teams units go head-to-head in camp, fans and analysts will get a better glimpse at the player Loop is. He’s played in some big games at Arizona, including a 2023 win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl, where he nailed all three field goal attempts and was perfect on extra points.
Senior special teams coach Randy Brown has always done a great job developing kickers, so Loop should be able to translate his college production to the NFL. However, game pressure in the league is an entirely different animal. If he can remain unphased with defensive units lining up in front of him and rowdy crowds ringing in his ears, then he should do just fine in Baltimore.
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