NFL Draft grades: San Francisco 49ers slammed for pick of Jake Moody

Michigan football kicker Jake Moody made waves when he was selected with the No. 99 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but pundits were not as excited as Wolverine fans.

The draft grades are in from across the league with plenty taking shots at the 49ers for taking a kicker in the third round, which is rare. Only four kickers have been selected on the second day of the NFL Draft this century, so it was a polarizing selection.

“He was splitting the uprights on a lot of kicks during his career,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper said on the broadcast. “This is a kid that can be a weapon, because I’ll tell you what, he’s got the ability — if you need a 60-plus, I think he can maybe do it, because he’s shown he can make the 59-yarder.”

Mike Greenberg said: “He is clutch. If you watched Michigan play, Jim Harbaugh coached like he knew if he needed a big kick late, he was going to get it from that young man.”

The immediate reactions were not super positive, however. But that has more to do with the team than it does Moody, who many believe is the best in the class.

Here is a roundup from some of the prominent grades.

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Sports Illustrated: C-

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.

Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report: D

The San Francisco 49ers making Michigan’s Jake Moody the highest-drafted kicker since Roberto Aguayo went 59th overall in 2018 says a lot about where the team stood on special teams and how it views Moody.

At the same time, all the team has to do is look at another kicker on the roster in Zane Gonzalez to see how easily a selection for a kicker can backfire. The Cleveland Browns drafted Gonzalez in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft. He flamed out in less than two seasons.

Moody is an excellent talent, but the position is finicky.

Charles McDonald, Yahoo! Sports: F

No kickers on the first two days of the draft. That’s a hard philosophy. Fail!

Scott Dochterman, The Athletic: C

One of the top kickers in recent Big Ten history, Moody hit 29 of 35 field goals last season and all 60 extra points. It’s easy to pan taking a kicker in the third round, but this is a team challenging for the Super Bowl, and a field goal in cold weather could determine the outcome. Moody is comfortable in those situations. It’s not a bad choice but still a tad too early.

Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: C-

Very accurate and made a lot of big kicks in his career but does not have a huge leg. Round 3 kicker?

Pro Football Focus: Below average

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.

Joseph Acosta, SB Nation: C-

Hey man…he’s the best kicker in the draft but on Day 2…

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: 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.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft took place on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 went on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 began at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcast throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.