nfl special teams rankings 2022

Unfortunately for the Chiefs,Tommy Townsendregressed slightly after a strong rookie season. Defense: 13 Myers is a strong kicker at reasonable distances, but just cant be trusted at 40-okys. Buffalo also brings back coverage specialist Siran Neal one of the NFLs truly elite special teams players. This creates something of an unknown in a Cowboys unit that can be incredibly dangerous in the right situation. Our power panel -- a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- has evaluated how teams are stacking up through 14 weeks. Baltimore, 241.5 2. FTN's Dan Fornek ranks all 32 NFL special teams units heading into the 2022 football season. I am pretty aligned with the Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) for my Week 9 fantasy football defense/special teams (DST) rankings. He has three seasons with at least 29 punts downed inside the 20 and has never posted a hangtime below 4.31. New rookies in the league have settled in and are now being plugged into their position groups. From Weeks 12 to 18, Patterson made all 16 of his extra-point attempts while converting 13-of-14 field goals. These two teams may possess the most disappointing offenses this season. We've covered every group on offense and every group on defense. See trending Another asset to the unit will be tight end, Noah Gray. That's the question that has been asked all season and will be asked again once it's over. Kicker: Lirim Hajrullahu, Punter: Bryan Anger, KR: Tony Pollard, PR: CeeDee Lamb. -- Jamison Hensley, Offense: 19 Punter Tress Way, along with returners Dax Milne and Curtis Samuel, also figure to help a Washington team with playoff hopes. He had just a 4.17-second average hangtime and had three punts blocked last season. -- Lindsey Thiry, The Seahawks' offense has been among the most efficient in the NFL thanks in large part to Geno Smith and the passing game. Special teams: 28, What happened to the defense? On defense, the Bolts have been without edge rusher Joey Bosa, cornerback J.C. Jackson and several key defensive linemen -- all of whom are on injured reserve. Lirim Hajrullahu and Brett Maher will compete for the chance to start as Dallas kicker this season after the team released Jonathan Garibay. (Want to see the rest of our position group rankings series? The four-year veteran averaged 25.1 yards per kick return last year and got the first return touchdown of his career. Pollard was exceptional as a kick returner in 2021, averaging 28.8 yards on 17 returns. Defense: 26 FTN's Dan Fornek ranks all 32 NFL special teams units heading into the 2022 football season. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques, The Ravens' offense and defense have similar efficiencies, but they are two sides of the ball going in opposite directions. Meyers hit 93.6% of his extra points but made only 73.9% of his field goals during the 2021 season. The Chargers have allowed the second-most rushing yards . The Patriots will continue to place extra emphasis on special teams rostering three players mainly for their prowess in kick coverage. Graham Ganohas evolved into a great deep kicker during his two seasons with the Giants. A lifelong Chicago sports fan who provides offensive line analysis and general fantasy football advice for FTN. The defense owns a league-worst rank in sacks and pressures, which has hindered the Bears' ability to stop opposing quarterbacks. Joey Slyebounced around the NFL in 2021 before finding a home with the Commanders the last nine weeks of the season. Cincinnati will likely stick with a two-headed approach with their returners by letting Chris Evans handle kick return duties and Trent Taylor field punts. Kicker Cairo Santos is exceptionally talented from inside the 40. You can even blame injuries, as Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow have missed most of the season. Chris Boswell has only gotten better during his last three years with the Steelers. Similarly, Cole has shown the ability to consistently flip the field in the kicking game. Gillikin had a net punt average of 42.0 yards in his first season, pinning 32 punts inside the 20-yard line. The Dolphins also roster two of the leagues best coverage specialists in Brandon Jones and Clayton Fejedelem. Veteran punter Thomas Morstead should be a reliable option and part-time returner Jaylen Waddle has the speed and shiftiness to take the ball to the house from anywhere on the field. Pacheco hasnt returned kicks since his freshman season when he averaged 19.3 yards on 18 returns. 3. The Cowboys boast one of the NFLs premier punters in Bryan Anger. Santos is 57-for-82 on kicks past 40 yards in his career. Since the 2015 season, Huber has just two seasons with an average hangtime above 4.25. Today, we look to the third part of the game special teams. Everyone knew the offense would struggle after Davante Adams left. Michael Dickson has been one of the best punters in the NFL for the last four seasons. Its possible that in an unforgiving NFC East environment age will become a factor for Gano this year. Gonzalez was his usual reliable self on extra points (94.8%) but set a career-high field goal success rate (90.9%). The four-year veteran has made 20-of-20 attempts from 30-39 yards, 15-of-18 attempts from 40-49 and 10-of-11 from 50-plus yards. Overall, though, the Vikings have produced the NFL's fourth-most negative plays (76). Jones was one of the more prolific kick and punt returners in recent memory at the NCAA level, recording nine total return touchdowns over his four-year career. Defensively, the Bucs can be lights out, when healthy. NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF This service is intended for adult audiences. The Jets decided to bring in Greg Zuerlein to compete with Eddy Pineiro for the starting job. In two seasons with the Giants, Board has averaged 13.0 yards per punt return and 25.2 yards per kick return. Santoso played in four games for the Panthers and Lions last season, converting on just 75% of his extra points and 80% of his field goals. -- John Keim, Offense: 17 In the past two seasons, Carlson has made over 90% of his extra points and 63% of his field goals. These rankings debuted in Junebut have been updated to reflect current situations. Powell was the only returner in the NFL who averaged over 20 yards in both kick returns (26.0) and punt returns (22.2) last season. Thank the running game with Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, who have combined for 1,610 yards. The offense is 25th in red zone efficiency, scoring touchdowns on less than half its trips there. The combination of Carlson and 2021 first-team All-Pro punter AJ Colealong with whats likely to be a solid coverage and return teamcould make for one of the most consistent and reliable units in the NFL. Tyler Bassshowed significant improvement in his second season as the Bills kicker. 38-year-old kicker Matt Prater will return to the Cardinals this season hoping to find more consistency to go along with his big leg. Darden finished the year averaging 19.9 yards per kick return and 7.5 yards per punt return in his first year. Reagor has struggled as a wide receiver but is still an extremely effective kick returner. Last season, McKenzie averaged 24.3 yards per kick return while fielding 25 punts with only one muffed return. Sep 5, 2022. Kicker: Jake Elliott, Punter: Arryn Siposs, PR/KR: Jalen Reagor. Mitch Wishnowsky continued to provide solid play from the punter position. Lamb was primarily used as a punt returner thanks to his ability to secure the ball. Denver let last years primary returner (Diontae Spencer) walk in free agency, so there are questions over who will take over that role. The defense has struggled to get off the field at times, which is reflected in its efficiency, but it has allowed the second-fewest points per game (17). Butker only has two career misses inside of 40 yards (88-of-90). McCloud has historically struggled to secure punts, logging six career muffs in his career. The Ravens have finished in the Top 5 in these rankings in eight of the last nine seasons, also winning in 2015. Sunday's game against the Chiefs was the eighth they've lost by seven or fewer points. Kansas City, 298.5 5. The top special teamers for the Chargers Kemon Hall, Troy Reeder and Nick Niemann will look to continue their standout play. -- Katherine Terrell, Offense: 21 Kicker Younghoe Koo will look to stay in the positive rhythm he found last season and coverage specialist Mike Ford should also be an asset for this developing unit. Expect Dontrell Hilliard to serve as the teams kick returner. He also had a career-low in hangtime last season (4.16 seconds). Former UDFA Jonathan Garibay was considered the favorite to win the job but struggled mightily in camp and was recently cut. One key to watch for the Seahawks this season will be the play of Jason Myers, who returns to the team after struggling last season. Hes done enough in camp to earn the role in the pros, giving him a shot at making the teams 53-man roster. Hopkins missed four total field goals in 2021, three of them from 50-plus yards. Dan Fornek @fornekdf Aug 13, 2022, 8:50 AM EDT Light Mode Our 2022 NFL position group rankings series rolls along. ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN Dan parlayed a career as a mediocre tight end as a high schooler in the Chicago suburbs into a walk-on spot at the FCS level with the University of Dayton. -- Josh Weinfuss, Offense: 31 The defense has started to play better, but blown coverage and an inability to stop the run earlier have led this unit to underachieve. They may have even cost their team a Super Bowl appearance after a shaky showing against San Francisco in the NFC. -- Rob Demovsky, Offense: 22 Tress Wayalso continued to provide a consistent effort flipping the field as a punter in his eighth season as the teams punter. Crosby hit just 73.5% of his field goals and posted below career average conversion rates at distances between 30-39 (69.2%) and 40-49 (50.0%). Defense: 20 UCLA was No. Lee posted the lowest hangtime (4.14) and fewest punts inside the 20-yard line (12) since he became a full-time player in 2013. After converting to guard, he put together a five-year career that included being a three-year letter winner and two-year starter on an offense that averaged 35 points per game. ODonnell has just two years with a net punting average above 40.0. Defensively, however, they aren't great at stopping anyone, either. Sarah Lewis Dec 21, 2022 Two defense/special teams (DSTs) to look at for Week 16 are the Tennessee Titans (currently rostered in only about half of Yahoo leagues) and the San Francisco 49ers. Camp reports indicate that Alex Erickson has the advantage when it comes to returning kicks for Washington, especially since Brian Robinson and Jahan Dotson will have roles on the Commanders offense. The Saints were thrown into a bind at kicker last season when Wil Lutz had a core muscle injury in the preseason that eventually cost him the entire 2021 season. Since Week 9, he has led the NFL in completion percentage, is second in passer rating and is fourth in Total QBR, all while throwing 10 scoring passes and no interceptions. Finally, talents like Daniel Thomas and Chris Claybrooks will all contribute positively to kick coverage. Who has the best and worst units in every aspect of football? Kalif Raymondhas flashed great playmaking ability in the punt return game over his career (9.1 yards per return) and had a great season for Detroit in 2021. Kicker: Evan McPherson, Punter: Kevin Huber, KR: Chris Evans, PR: Trent Taylor. -- Tim McManus, The Chiefs rank second in scoring at 29.5 points per game. Evans had just two kick returns in Week 18 of the 2021 season but showed his dynamism with the ball in his hand by averaging 29.0 yards per return. The defense is tops against the pass (178.7 yards per game) and takeaways (24). View defense & special teams stats for the 2022 NFL season. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Matt Prater continues to deliver consistent production as a placekicker nine years into his career. -- Jeff Legwold, The main reason for the Texans' poor offensive output is their quarterback play, which is one of the worst in the league. The special teams has 15 field goals -- tied for the third least in the league -- and its coverage units have struggled, particularly against the Eagles, with rookie Britain Covey returning six punts for 105 yards in Week 13. Special teams: 19, The FPI efficiencies are an excellent match for the Titans' mediocre 7-6 record. Check out our complete fantasy football rankings. One other player that figures to contribute in a key role is specialist/safety Michael Thomas. They also brought in experienced returner Deandre Carter to give the team a smart, steady influence in the return game. Erickson has averaged 8.1 yards per punt return and 24.8 yards per kick return in six career seasons. The Rams found a hidden gem in returner Brandon Powell last season. Please contact support. The Rams have played at least part of this season missing quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receivers Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson II and Van Jefferson, and most of the starting offensive line. Bullock continued the trend that has taken root during his nine-year career: hes extremely accurate from inside 40 yards and struggles with consistency anywhere deeper than that. In 2020, Blankenship converted 95.6% of his extra-point attempts and 86.5% of his field goals. The Lions had a rotating cast of kickers during the 2021 season, withRiley Pattersonfinishing as the last man standing. Maggio was on the team but didnt have a punt attempt in 2021. Berry set a career-high in net punting average (41.4) despite having a hangtime below 4.37 for the first time in his career (4.12). The four-year veteran has a career net average punt of 40.1 and an average hangtime of 4.40. Kicker Jake Elliott one of the most consistent in the league from inside of 45 yards will look to maintain the success hes had thus far in his career. Carter has averaged 26.2 yards per return during his eight years as a returner. Isaiah Rodgers was successful as the Colts kick returner in 2021, averaging 26.4 yards per return. Hekker had just one season with a net punting average below (42.0) and has never had fewer than 20 punts downed inside the 20. Dicker served as the Longhorns kicker and punter during the 2021 season. Of players who had at least 10 punt returns, Raymond finished seventh in average yards per punt return (11.2). Nyheim Hines has been the Colts punt returner since the end of the 2019 season. No guarantees are made for any specific outcome. Kansas City will once again useMecole Hardmanas the primary punt returner. The Dolphins have plenty of explosive players on their team, but Jaylen Waddle figures to get the first shot at return duties. Kicker Harrison Butker will be looking to maintain his success. Defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne have combined for 36 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. The Rams also added a rookie kicker, Cameron Dicker, from the University of Texas. To combat his struggles, the Packers didnt attempt a field goal past 39 yards between Weeks 12 and 18. He leads a coverage unit along with Akeem Davis-Gaither and Clay Johnston that could be one of the stronger groups in the league this season. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage . Defense: 24 2022 NFL Special Teams Rankings | StatMuse 2022 NFL special teams rankings Explore Who is the all-time NFL rushing leader? Carolina also went into free agency to get Johnny Hekker in free agency after nine excellent seasons with the Rams. Welcome to Week 15 of the NFL regular season. Kicker: Rodrigo Blankenship, Punter: Rigoberto Sanchez, KR: Isaiah Rodgers, PR: Nyheim Hines. Kicker: Dustin Hopkins, Punter: JK Scott, KR/PR: DeAndre Carter. New Orleans, 299.5 6. -- Michael Rothstein, Sure, the defense is the Raiders' weak link -- giving up a 98-yard drive to Baker Mayfield 48 hours after he joined the Rams is an all-time collapse -- but the high-powered offense is not without blame, either. The defensive-minded head coach traditionally values consistency at the kicking position over a big leg. The Vikings are looking to end the revolving door they had at kicker under former head coach Mike Zimmer. Rodgers finished top 20 in kick return yards (501) despite recording the second-fewest return attempts of the players on that list (19). than the offense, and that shows slightly in its FPI rank. It's been an adventure on special teams, but even that unit seems pointed in the right direction. (1:02). Special teams: 14, The Chargers have underperformed this season on offense and defense. Joseph set career highs in extra points (90.0%) and field goal (86.8%) accuracy in his first season. Since joining the team, Folk is 84-of-92 on extra points, 76-of-84 on field goals. On defense and special teams, the Panthers are about where they should be: playing at a high level. With a career field goal percentage above 90 percent. Injuries have decimated the depth chart; Denver has led the league in players on injured reserve and salary-cap dollars for players on IR for most of the season. Evan McPherson was one of many Bengals who made a name for themselves during the 2021 postseason. -- Jenna Laine, Offense: 13 Last season, Smith averaged 25.6 yards per return and scored a touchdown. Return man Rondale Moore will look to take a step forward in his second season with the club. QB Deshaun Watson, after an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL personal conduct policy, has led the Browns to just one offensive TD in two games. Another asset to the unit will be tight end, Noah Gray. Week 14 ranking: 3 Offense: 3 Defense: 6 Special teams: 1. Kicker: Mason Crosby, Punter: Pat O'Donnell, KR/PR: Amari Rodgers. Defense: 16 Jake Elliotthad an excellent bounceback season after a rough 2020. Buffalo Bills (10-3). Jacksonville will go into 2022 with a massive question mark at kicker. Gill finished his collegiate career with 45.8 yards per punt (173 attempts). Though his placekicking counterpart has yet to be singled out. Pittsburgh also has one of the stronger kick coverage units in the league. -- Brooke Pryor, Offense: 11 Zuerlein has one of the strongest legs in the NFL, but his accuracy from that distance leaves a lot to be desired (55.4% on field goals from 50-plus yards). 1 here were it not for a poor performance against the Chiefs, but it does still lead the league in many traditional categories. This article will focus on all 32 teams kickers, punters and return units to determine the best special team units in the league. The league's 32 teams are ranked in 22 kicking-game categories and assigned . Jake Bailey has been a solid punter over the past three seasons in New England but struggled in 2021. Defensively, the Bengals are sixth in fewest red zone touchdowns allowed. At kick returner, rookie sensation Isiah Pacheco is slated to serve as the teams kick returner after being taken as a seventh-round pick in 2022 out of Rutgers. What team has the best record as an underdog since 2018? JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN But special teams is surprising. Not having top cornerback Adoree' Jackson has been crushing. Since joining the Giants, Gano has improved his accuracy past 50 yards, converting on 12-of-16 attempts. The league's 32 teams are ranked in 22 kicking-game categories and assigned points according to . The 2022 NFL season is right around the corner, and training camps are quickly approaching. The Jaguars also saw continued success from Jamal Agnew as a returner in his first year with the team. Our 2022 NFL position group rankings series rolls along. DISCLAIMER: This side and the products offered are for entertainment purposes only, and there is no gambling offered on the site. Offensive Line | Quarterback | Backfield | Pass-Catcher | Defensive Line | Secondary | Linebackers), (* Denotes a rookie. Board is projected to serve as the teams kick and punt returner in 2022. He has one career punt return touchdown. Araiza may already have the strongest leg in the NFL without having taken a single snap. -- Turron Davenport, Everything you need this week: David Mayoone of Washingtons best players in kick coveragerounds out what could end up being a solid unit should Slye find success. 1 in the NCAA in team punt returns last season thanks to a 22.6 yards per return average by Phillips. Meanwhile, the Fins are among the worst teams in the league at returning and defending returns. Blankenship hasnt shown the ability to convert 50-yard field goals during his career (1-for-4), but he can be trusted at shorter distances. Defense: 29 Standout coverage specialists Chris Westry and Sam Franklin Jr also figure to be major contributors. Carter is less surehanded as a punt returner (four career muffed punts) but is just as dynamic (9.2 yards per punt return), Kicker: Robbie Gould, Punter: Mitch Wishnowsky, KR/PR: Ray-Ray McCloud. Special teams: 30, The FPI efficiencies show what's been obvious on the field all season: Collectively, the Steelers are an average to below-average team. When it comes to the best kicking combination in the league, Las Vegas edges out the field thanks to the high-level consistency of bothDaniel CarlsonandAJ Cole. Prater is one of the best long ball kickers in the NFL today, and next year shouldnt be any different. Bullock had a career-low 61.5% success rate on field goals between 40 and 49 yards this season. Special teams: 23, The Saints simply haven't been good in all three phases of the game, and their offense has struggled badly at times to put up points. Koo has been especially effective as a distance kicker in his last two years, making 26-of-29 kicks from beyond 40 yards. The third-year veteran finished with 30.4 yards per return and had a touchdown. Their defense blew three fourth-quarter leads early in the season, but Baltimore has allowed the second-fewest points (13.4) since acquiring middle linebacker Roquan Smith in Week 9. Punters come down to the ability to put together a strong net punt average as well as hangtime (for context: a good hangtime for a punter is 4.30 seconds). Sanders has been excellent on extra points (97.8% conversion rate), but now has two seasons above a 90.0 success rate on field goals and two seasons below a 77.0% success rate. NFL Football Player Stats & Stats Leaders - Special Teams Total Tackles Who's your favorite NFL team? Given the Buccaneers' offense, Succop needs to keep being good from short distances to remain effective. As of now, Austin Seibert seems to hold the edge in training camp after going 10-of-12 in field goals last season before hitting injured reserve. The Falcons have some flexibility with their kickoff and punt returners that depends on Cordarrelle Pattersons role on offense. They've had to carry most of the load, especially of late, as Seattle has seen less production out of running back Kenneth Walker III, who is now sidelined with an ankle injury. Special teams: 10, The numbers make sense with a look at how the Rams' season has played out: They're averaging just 16.8 points per game, by far the worst under coach Sean McVay since he was hired in 2017. Find out who the leaders are in standard scoring formats and see which players are available in your fantasy football league. Here is a cheat sheet for fantasy football defense/special teams (DST) rankings for the 2022 NFL season. Patterson has eight career kickoff return touchdowns and only two seasons below 28.3 yards per return in his nine-year career. He has been consistent and reliable for the Steelers in his career thus far. Agnew is a dynamic returner and is truly a special team's weapon for the Jaguars. Kicker Robbie Gould will return for another season as the 49ers look to maintain their status as one of the leagues premier teams. Nick Folk has put together three great seasons as the Patriots kicker. Kicker: Randy Bullock, Punter: Brett Kern, KR: Dontrell Hilliard, PR: Kyle Phillips*. Zane Gonzalez was having the best season of his career in 2021 before an injury in Week 14 cut it short. In the return game new signing Jabrill Peppers is likely to compete with Ty Montgomery. Plus, shifty return man Deonte Harty and reliable coverage specialist Zack Baun should help support a unit that boasts one of the premier special teamers in football, JT Gray. McCloud averaged 22.6 yards per kick return and 10 yards per punt return in the last two years. Kicker Zane Gonzalez returns to the Panthers this year after playing 12 games for the club last season. Judging the biggest overreactions from Sunday's games: Brock Purdy better for 49ers than Jimmy G. Duvernay averaged 24.1 yards per kick return and 13.8 yards per punt return last season for Baltimore. Cooke has a career net punt average of 43.2. Slye struggled with consistency in his early stops with Houston and San Francisco, making just 9-of-12 extra points and 11-of-13 field goals. The starting punter will be Brett Kern, entering his 14th season with the Titans. Punter Cameron Johnston will, however, likely maintain the high level of play the team has come to expect of him. Lutz has converted 97.3% of his extra-point attempts and 86.6% of his field-goal attempts in his career. The 49ers also added Ray-Ray McCloud to the team in free agency to serve as their kick and punt returner. NFL Season Long FTN's Dan Fornek ranks all 32 NFL special teams units heading into the 2022 football season. The Buccaneers also invested a fourth-round pick in punter Jake Camarda out of the University of Georgia. -- Eric Woodyard, Offense: 24 Buffalo Bills. The special teams unit has been the most consistent group for Buffalo this year, with kicker Tyler Bass making a career-high 89.7% of field goals, which is especially significant after punter/holder Sam Martin joined just before the season. Since 2019, the veteran punter has never had a net punt average (the net distance on the field from where the ball is punted to where the returner is tackled) under 39.5 yards. 2024 Best NFL Special Teams Players (0) 2024 . That could potentially put an already strong unit over the top. Head Coach Bill Belichick will let inexperienced kicker Tristan Vizcaino compete with veteran Nick Folk for the starting kicking job. The offense has been on a decided upward trajectory since acquiring running back Christian McCaffrey, as San Francisco has averaged 28.7 points per game since McCaffrey took on a full-time role in Week 8, up eight points from before he arrived. Kansas City's special teams are usually outstanding, but not this season: They've fumbled three punts, and their field goal rate of 77.8% is the fourth worst. The veteran kicker has been a lock inside 40 yards throughout his career (97.5% success rate) but has struggled with deeper kicks. Jack Fox will retain his role as the teams punter again this year. The Raiders will use Ameer Abdullah as their primary kick returner andHunter Renfrowas the punt returner. Playoff Machine Mason Crosby struggled mightily as the kicker in Green Bay last season. -- Ben Baby, The Dolphins' defense has picked up since adding linebacker Bradley Chubb at the trade deadline, but Miami can't overcome below-average defensive play. Stout was extremely effective in pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line while averaging 46 yards per punt during the 2021 season. Kevin Huber will enter his 11th season as the Bengals punter during the 2022 season. Defense: 25 Experienced returner Desmond King II and a coverage unit led by MJ Stewart will look to keep a rebuilding Texans team out of poor field position.

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