NFL Draft Roundup: What experts said about San Francisco 49ers taking Jake Moody in third round
In what might have been the most shocking pick on Day 2 of the draft, the San Francisco 49ers opted to take a kicker with the 99th pick of the draft.
Jake Moody was hands down the best kicker in the draft. He won the Lou Groza Award in 2021 after hitting 92% of his field goals. Moody was 62-for-62 on extra points this past season and had his foot involved in game-winning kicks during his Michigan tenure.
What was shocking about the pick is Moody is the first kicker to be taken during the first three rounds of the draft since 2016. The 49ers have had their share of kicking woes and the hope is Moody will fix those for many years to come.
Of course, draft experts had their opinion on the matter, and here is what was said.
CBS Sports
Chris Trappaso with CBS Sports doesn’t get drafting a kicker in the third round. He gave it a C-minus grade.
Very accurate and made a lot of big kicks in his career but does not have a huge leg. Round 3 kicker?
Sporting News
Vinnie Iyer with Sporting News gave the pick a B.
The 49ers wanted to go for a younger, bigger leg to replace Robbie Gould and he should maintain the accuracy and reliability while giving them much-needed longer range.
Pro Football Network
Needless to say, Ryan Gosling of Sporting News was not a fan of the pick, He gave the 49ers a D-plus.
While there was certainly a chance that Jake Moody didn’t make it through Round 4, it’s a move that is best to let someone else make.
NFL.com
Chad Reuter with NFL.com gave the 49ers a B-minus for their picks.
Moody was my favorite kicker in the draft because of his consistency and leg strength, but it’s tough to give a high grade for selecting a specialist in the third round.
For The Win
For The Win was not impressed. The 49ers got a D.
Uh. It’s a kicker. In the third round. Sure, he’s a good kicker, and the Niners need a Robbie Gould replacement but… THIS was their first pick of 2023?
PFF
PFF gave the pick a below average grade.
Moody produced PFF field goal grades of 90.2 and 91.7 in each of the past two seasons, so the idea that he’s the first kicker drafted makes sense. But the third round is rich for any kicker in this class.
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated gave the selection a C-minus.
Moody needs to become an All-Pro, or this is very early for a kicker. The Niners are getting the best kicker in the draft and someone who kicked through the elements at Ann Arbor, preparing him for the unpredictable weather in San Francisco.
