STRENGTHS: Nate Kaeding has a very strong and accurate leg. He can hit from 50 yards and beyond with consistency. He hit a 55-yarder in each of his last two seasons at Iowa. Kaeding is a clutch kicker who broke the Big Ten scoring mark for a kicker in 2002 with 120 points. He won the Lou Groza Award in 2002 as well. In 2003 he hit on 17 of 18 FG attempts and 36 of 37 XPs. He also ran for a TD on a fake. He has a strong enough leg to kick off as well.
WEAKNESSES: Kaeding will need to improve his kickoffs. While he can put them in the endzone, he needs to be able to do it consistently.
PROJECTION: Kaeding is the best kicker prospect to enter the draft since Sebastian Janikowski and will be the first kicker taken in 2004. He has a chance to be drafted on the first day and should go no later than the fourth round. Kansas City is a team said to be interested in him. Jacksonville is also rumored to be looking for a kicker after Seth Marler struggled as a rookie in 2003.
STRENGTHS: Kirk Yliniemi is an excellent athlete at the kicker position. The former soccer and baseball player has strong legs and good speed (4.69 forty). He has been very accurate as a kicker, especially in the longer kicks (6 of 8 from 40-50 yards, 5 of 6 from beyond 50). He has shown the confidence to kick in clutch situations. Yliniemi is a willing and solid tackler on special teams.
WEAKNESSES: Despite his ability to hit the long field goal, Yliniemi struggles with his kickoffs. He kicks the ball too flat, trying to get distance and does not allow his coverage to get in position.
PROJECTION: Yliniemi will be a good kicking prospect for a team which already employs a kickoff specialist or uses their punter for that purpose. A team could take a chance on him with a seventh-round pick, although Yliniemi will most likely be signed as a free agent once the draft is complete as kickers tend not to demand much interest during the draft.
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