CBS Sports names Graham Gano among NFL's top kickers
As we inch closer to the start of training camp, members of the media are continuing their season previews by looking at the top players at various positions.
CBS Sports' John Breech recently ranked the top 10 kickers in the NFL, which saw the Giants' Graham Gano land at No. 8.
"Over the past six seasons, there haven't been many kickers better than Gano," wrote Breech. "In three of the past six years, Gano has ranked in the top eight in accuracy, including a 2017 season that ended with him as the NFL's most accurate kicker at 96.7%. In 2022, Gano hit 29 of 32 field goals, finishing as the NFL's eighth-most accurate kicker, but if you look closer at the numbers, Gano was actually better than his percentage suggested. Gano only missed two kicks from inside 57 yards last season (28 of 30) and one of those two misses wasn't even his fault, because it got blocked."
Since joining the Giants prior to the 2020 season, Gano has been as consistent as they come.
The veteran kicker has made 89 of 97 field goals across 50 games the last three years, with five of those misses coming from 50+ yards. His 91.8 field goal percentage ranks as the best in franchise history among kickers who spent more than one season with the franchise. He has also connected on 70 of 74 extra points (94.6 percent).
In just three seasons with the Giants, the 36-year-old has made 20 field goals from 50+ yards, 11 more than any other player in franchise history.
"Gano was especially good from long range in 2022, hitting 8 of 9 field goals from beyond 50 yards," Breech said. "His 88.9% conversion rate was the highest among kickers who attempted eight field goals or more from beyond 50 yards. Hitting long kicks from that distance is something that Gano has thrived at in his career. Back in 2018, Gano hit a 63-yard field goal while playing for the Panthers, which is still tied for the third-longest kick in NFL history. Gano has somehow gotten progressively better with age. During his first full year in 2010, Gano missed 11 field goals, which is wild, when you consider that he's only missed 11 field goals COMBINED over the past six seasons."
Here is Breech's full ranking of the top 10 kickers in the NFL:
- Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
- Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders
- Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs
- Matt Gay, Indianapolis Colts
- Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons
- Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles
- Graham Gano, New York Giants
- Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks
- Eddy Pineiro, Carolina Panthers
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