Vikings Encounter a Difficult Balance with Key Special Teams Player

Sinking a pick into a kicker means that there’s a high level of belief in that specialist’s ability to succeed.
The Vikings drafted Will Reichard in the 6th Round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Alabama kicker came into the NFL and smashed expectations, at least initially. A midseason quad injury cost him four games and may have contributed to some on-field struggles. At the very least, Reichard wasn’t as automatic at the end of the year. How should Minnesota proceed with the young specialist?
The Vikings & The Balance with Will Reichard
Being an NFL kicker is an inherently pressure-filled job. Unlike an interior lineman or linebacker who can sometimes get lost in the chaos of a play, the kicker is the one who demands all the attention when he’s on the field.
At first, Reichard looked like he had ice water in his veins, seemingly unflappable no matter the distance that Kevin O’Connell demanded of him. Reichard’s longest kick of the season went for 58 yards, a distance that is outside of the range of many NFL kickers. On numerous occasions in the season, O’Connell explained that he had a very high confidence level in his rookie kicker. The willingness to let him boot the ball from a mile away certainly corroborates the coach’s words.

One of the greatest reasons for optimism with Reichard is that he finished his season having gone 38/38 on extra points. A small detail, perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, but nice that the team’s touchdowns always finished off with the added point.
On kickoffs, Reichard sent the ball back for a touchback 83.8% of the time. Again, leg strength isn’t an issue. There was the notable booted ball out of bounds in Week 18 that contributed to Detroit getting some points late in the half, but Reichard was generally good in this area of his game.
What’s most concerning is that he finished the season at 24/30 on field goals. A trio of those misses came from 50+, partly explaining the more modest overall percentage. Kicking from long distance is always going to be more difficult, so some misses from that range should be expected.

Otherwise, there were a pair of misses from 40-49 and then a miss from the 30-39 range.
Crunch the numbers and Will Reichard went 80% on his field goals and 100% on his extra points.
The 80% FG conversion rate comes in at 27th among qualifying kickers (ironically, in a tie with Greg Joseph). Obviously, finishing at 100% for extra points leaves Reichard in a tie for 1st, so just note that the NFL offered thirteen kickers who were perfect in this area of the game. Only a single kicker — Will Lutz — was perfect with his extra points while kicking more (Lutz went 46/46).
The offseason is going to involve figuring out how to push Will Reichard higher. It’s the question the kicker is asking himself and the challenge the team is putting in front of the soon-to-be sophomore. Does part of the equation involve bringing in offseason competition?

Again, it’s a pressure-packed position. Making a kicker earn his job on a yearly basis – even if the franchise has signalled a high degree of confidence by using a draft pick on him – seems like a prudent move.
Let him face the pressure of direct competition in training camp; overcoming the challenger will only make him a better player, one who is better suited for what the job demands on Sunday. Last season involved Parker Romo being brought in to compete. Does Romo or someone else get a look to go toe-to-toe with Reichard?
Will Reichard is 24. In an ideal world, he’ll be the Vikings’ K1 for the next decade.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.

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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.