Minnesota Vikings sign Jack Podlesny to free agent deal

Jack Podlesny made some big kicks for Georgia over the years. He’ll try to do the same in the NFL.

The Minnesota Vikings Podlesny to an undrafted free agent deal after he was not picked in the 2023 NFL Draft, per Aaron Wilson. The deal includes $15,000 guaranteed He was the Bulldogs’ kicker for the last three years and the primary one for the last two seasons en route to back-to-back national championships.

This past season, Podlesny made 83.9% of his field goal attempts as he went 26 for 31. That was a better rate than in 2021 when he made 22 of 27 attempts — an 81.5% clip. All told, in his three years with Georgia, Podlesny went 61 for 74 from field goal range and made 182 of 184 extra point attempts.

As he declared for the draft, Podlesny made sure to honor two people who couldn’t celebrate with him. Offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy were killed in a fatal car crash in January, and he paid respects to them both in his announcement.

“I say all of this with a heavy heart knowing that there are two individuals I can’t thank,” Podlesny wrote. “Devin Willock will always hold a special place in my heart. His laugh was gentle and soft, but heard by everyone; he had the most contagious smile ever, lighting up any room he walked into. Chandler LeCroy was intentional, positive and a light to this program. I hope to honor both of them and them proud in my future.

“As I embark on the next phase of my football career, I am officially declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. UGA will forever be a part of me, and Athens will always be a place I can call home. Thank you, Georgia.”

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Jack Podlesny

Although Podlesny made a good amount of his field goals at Georgia, he missed two key ones in the College Football Playoff in January. That raised some red flags for NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein, who said Podlesny’s struggles from longer distances could be a cause for concern for teams as they evaluated his chances of kicking in the league.

“Podlesny has kicked in some big games, but he missed two attempts in a narrow victory over Ohio State during last season’s playoff semifinal,” Zierlein wrote. “He also has a poor success rate on kicks from distance. Consistency and power are key, and Podlesny falls a little short in those areas.”