2022 NFL Draft Snapshot: Cameron Dicker
During the 2017 season, former Texas head coach Tom Herman knew he needed a reliable kicker. Luckily for him, Cameron Dicker, one of the best in the class, was right down the road at Lake Travis High School. The decision to pursue and sign Dicker immediately paid dividends.
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Dicker won the starting kicker job in 2018 and held onto it for his entire four-year career. He forever cemented himself in Texas lore with his game-winning kick in the 2018 Red River Shootout to top Kyler Murray and the Oklahoma Sooners.
As the Longhorns’ kicker, he was money on point-after attempts, missing one per season in four seasons. On field goals, he offered a strong leg and was usually on in the clutch, but sometimes struggled with accuracy. As a kickoff specialist, he booted the ball out of the end zone more often than not, with 68 percent of his kickoffs ending up as touchbacks. Only five ever traveled out of bounds.
Though he held the kicker job for his entire four-year career, his work as a punter might be what intrigues NFL franchises. After Ryan Bujcevski sustained an injury in 2020, Dicker took over as punter, booting eight punts for 43.6 yards per punt. Bujcevski remained on the roster in 2021, but took a redshirt year in order to have additional eligibility wherever he ends up. That meant Dicker had to pull double-duty as Dicker the Kicker and Dicker the Punter.
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His punting work earned him first-team All-Big 12 punter honors. He booted 47 punts, averaging 47 yards per punt. Sixteen were 50+ yards. Eleven were inside the 20-yard-line. Twenty-one were fair caught. Thanks to his work, Texas was eighth nationally in net punting at 43.33 yards per punt.
He had the option to come back for a fifth year thanks to the extra year of eligibility afforded by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He elected, however, to begin his professional football career, leaving Texas third all-time in points scored and first among place kickers in school history.
Considering his position, he is unlikely to be drafted within the draft’s seven rounds. His resume and ability should help him find a home on an NFL roster.
The Athletic draft grade: Round 7 | Position ranking: No. 3 kicker
Measurables: 6-foot-0.875, 220 pounds
What’s working for Dicker
- Strong leg that helped Texas with field position on punts and kickoffs in 2021
- Versatility to cover several specialist spots
- All-Conference level punter
- Hangtime on punts leads to great net punting numbers
- Good enough place kicker to be serviceable at an NFL level in a pinch
- Four-year resume
- Able to boot balls out of the end zone and kick directionally on kickoffs
- Stocky build, not afraid to put on the line to tackle
What’s working against Dicker
- Generational punter is in his draft class in Matt Araiza
- Behind other kicking prospects in his class
- Low-trajectory mishits on place-kicks, kickoffs
- He’s a specialist, and only the elite of the elite get drafted — not in that category
