PFF’s McGuinness: ASU’s Zane Gonzalez could be drafted before 4th round
Mar 26, 2017, 10:23 AM
Arizona State's Zane Gonzalez (5) kicks a field goal from the hold of Matt Haack (26) as Northern Arizona's Maurice Davison (20) arrives late during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Zane Gonzalez’s NFL Draft resume relies on the basic numbers.
The Arizona State kicker broke the NCAA field goal record, appeared on every All-American team imaginable and earned the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s best kicker in 2016.
He’s not only ASU’s most appealing prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Pro Football Focus’ special teams guru, Gordon McGuinness, ranks Gonzalez easily as the top kicker in the upcoming draft, but he goes further than that. McGuinness believes Gonzalez is the best kicking prospect in years.
Make no mistake about it, Zane Gonzalez’s 2016 season was one of the most impressive ever put together by a college kicker. His booming leg makes him a candidate to come off the board by the end of Day 2.
Day 2 of the draft includes the second and third rounds, meaning Gonzalez has the potential to be the highest kicker taken since the Buccaneers took FSU’s Roberto Aguayo in the second round (59th overall) in last year’s draft.
Knocking seven 50-plus-yard field goals through the uprights in 2016, Gonzalez only missed two field goals last season — neither was inside 50 yards. He hit 23 of 25 attempts (92 percent) and made 39 of 40 extra points. Gonzalez tied the FBS record with three 50-plus-yard field goal makes in a game, which included a 59-yarder against Colorado in October.
Gonzalez’s leg strength also came through in his kickoffs. Seventy-five percent went for touchbacks.
He finished his college career with 96 field goals and 494 points.
Gonzalez topped the previous mark of 88 field goal makes early in October.
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