Justin Tucker is possibly the greatest kicker of all time. He spent 13 years with the Baltimore Ravens, earning five All-Pro and seven Pro Bowl team nods. He is also the most accurate kicker in NFL history, nailing 89.1% of his attempts. It is not easy to replace a player of that kind of pedigree, but it might not be as dire a crisis as people are making it seem.
Baltimore has two rookies competing for the starting kicker job in sixth-round pick Tyler Loop and undrafted signing John Hoyland. While the young players could struggle once thrown into the spotlight of the NFL, they have each shown flashes of greatness in offseason activities. They could even be an upgrade over Tucker.
Simply put, Tucker was not great over the past two seasons. He was right around league-average in 2023, making 86.5% of his kicks, and 2024 was a disastrous year for him. While he found a rhythm down the stretch of last year’s campaign, Tucker was fourth-worst in the league among kickers who attempted at least 20 field goals with a success rate of 73.3%.
In a recent article, Baltimore Ravens reporter for ESPN Jamison Hensley put the kicking battle into perspective, describing how the loss of Tucker may not be as significant an issue as people think. He wrote:
“Baltimore is looking to upgrade from a 35-year-old Tucker, who missed a career-worst 10 kicks last season and was 53.3% (16-of-30) from beyond 50 yards the past three years.”
The kicking issue in Baltimore is no crisis
Let’s be clear. There is a kicking issue in Baltimore going into training camp. But it is not a crisis. The two rookies need to settle the battle soon, and we should see one pull away from the other in the coming month. Both have shown promise thus far, and the Ravens should have their heir to Tucker in the building.
Loop was drafted for his booming leg. He impressed scouts with his ability to hit from 60-plus yards, an attribute Baltimore has been missing for the past few seasons. The offseason has seen Loop struggle with consistency, but all the traits are there for him to develop into an excellent kicker.
Hoyland has been the more consistent of the two. Although he went undrafted, he has been keeping pace with Loop and has made it a competition going into training camp. He might not have the leg that his competitor has, but he still has 50-yard range and was automatic from inside 45 yards at Wyoming.
Of course, game pressure is a different animal. If the eventual starter cannot handle that, then Baltimore could have a crisis at hand and be forced to dip into free agency. But, looking at the Ravens' track record of success with developing kickers, they should be just fine.