Tory Taylor made punting history at Iowa. Could he make punting history at NFL Draft, too?

INDIANAPOLIS — Tory Taylor’s agent has a big prediction for the star punter as he prepares for this year’s NFL Draft.

“My agent has told me that I’m probably, more than likely going to be a one of the more-higher-drafted punters of the last couple of decades,” Taylor said Saturday at the NFL Combine.

While agents obviously have a vested interest in promoting their players, Taylor’s agent may have a point following the Hawkeye’s impressive punting career and “high level of consistency.”

“There’s a lot of guys that can get good balls on the driving range, but how good are you out on the course?” Taylor said. “I’ve been really good at being able to do it in the games, when it counts.”

Taylor’s 46.3 yards per punt in his four-year Iowa career was the best in FBS history for punters with at least 250 attempts. (Florida’s Johnny Townsend averaged 47.8 yards per punt, but that was on 240 attempts versus Taylor’s 295 attempts.)

Taylor — the 2023 recipient of the Ray Guy Award, unanimous All-American and two-time Big Ten Punter of the Year — also holds the Big Ten record for career yards per punt among players with at least 100 attempts.

The Australian had the best season of his career as a senior in 2023, averaging 48.2 yards per punt. He had 32 punts inside the 20-yard line versus seven touchbacks.

How that translates to a particular round in the draft remains to be seen. Out of the 49 punters drafted since 2000, 39 have been selected in the fifth round or later.

The highest selection since 2000 was when the Jacksonville Jaguars took Bryan Anger early in the third round in 2012. Only two others during that span were third-rounders — B.J. Sander in 2004 to the Packers and Dustin Colquitt to the Chiefs in 2005.

NFL teams’ appetite for punters in the draft can vary from year to year. Take Michigan State’s Bryce Baringer and Georgia’s Jake Camarda as examples. Baringer, who had better punting averages in his career and as a senior, was a sixth-round pick in 2023. Camarda, on the other hand, was a fourth-round pick in 2022.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the most glaring need at punter although the New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers could be among the other possible fits.

Several teams met with Taylor at the Senior Bowl last month. Steelers general manager Omar Khan told The Gazette the front office “had a really good experience” meeting Taylor at the Senior Bowl.

“It’s a good special team group out there,” Khan said while unsurprisingly not tipping his hand too much about the team’s draft plans. “As you know, we don’t have a punter on the roster right now, so we’re evaluating everything.”

As much speculation as there will be in the next two months while evaluations continue, Taylor is not too caught up with the round in which he gets a call from an NFL team.

“At the end of the day, I’m just trying to be the best punter I can be,” Taylor said. “Whatever team gets me, I just hope they know they’re going to get a really, really good punter, but an even better person.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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