Kicker Joshua Karty could end up being an incredible steal for Rams

When it comes to the role of placekicker, have the LA Rams ever had one of the best of all time? Well, you certainly have to mention Greg 'The Leg,' Zuerlein, the man who helped to propel the team to Super Bowl LIII. And of course, there was another placekicker named Matt Gay who helped the team win Super Bowl LVI. So it appears that if the team is serious about competing in and winning the next Super Bowl, they must find their next elite kicker. Per NFL Analyst, Gil Brandt, the Rams have only had one of the best NFL kickers of all time in 1990 when the team had K John Carney on the roster.

But the times they are a' changing. And with changes come new players, new faces, and new upsides. Many Rams fans are fully aware that this is a new chapter on defense, and we will have plenty to talk about throughout the summer as we pivot to the group overall and to individual players. But the talk so far has been about the retirement of All-Pro DL Aaron Donald, and how the Rams can manage to compete without him in 2024. Some players and even GM Les Snead continue to suggest to the media that the team is happy to welcome him back if he decides to unretire this year.

But are we missing an important changing of the guard elsewhere?

There are many positions where the team seeks a boost to the talent level, and one that needs to be discussed right off the bat is the team's kicker role. This team has done very well when the team has a solid kicker on the roster. When the kicker seems to struggle, so too does the team.

The Rams recent history of success has been linked closely with an elite kicker, so it falls to reason that if the Rams hope to enjoy success in the 2025 NFL Playoffs, then finding a solid kicker must be factored in as part of the equation. Did the Rams accomplish their mission to find their next 'elite' kicker? Let's investigate.

First day of OTA and Karty is already standing out

With the 209th overall pick in Round 6 of the 2024 NFL Draft, the LA Rams selected former Stanford kicker Joshua Karty. While it was almost a given that the Rams would draft a kicker, there were no guarantees that Karty would be on the draft board when the Rams felt sufficient value in addressing the position.

Karty is a rookie prospect, yes. But by almost all accounts, he is one of the best kicking prospects to emerge from the college ranks in the past 5 to 10 years. Those are not my words, those are the words of the Senior Director of the Reese Senior Bowl, Jim Nagy, and several draft specialists he had consulted with in evaluating kickers.

That was confirmed quickly by the first reports out of Rams OTAs by commentators J.B. Long and DeMarco Farr. The LA Rams commentators get right to it with rookie kicker Joshua Karty at the 3:20 mark, as J.B. Long is quoted as saying that he loved Joshua Karty at Stanford and that he will like him even more in Horns.

What did he have to say about Karty's kick?

"1...2...Thump. (snaps fingers) It is a nice easy swing."

J.B. Long about K Joshua Karty

DeMarco Farr chimed in with his accolades, describing his delivery and kick as one that gets the ball up into the air quickly, making it an almost impossible kick to block. And they both commented on the speed of his motion, that interval that is so rapid that opponents will have almost no chance of breaking through the offensive line to get a hand on the football.

While still very early in the process, these are incredibly positive signs for a team that is desperate to get a solid kicker in house for years to come. Desperate or not, the Rams have landed one of the best in the 2024 NFL Draft. That bodes very well for the 2024 NFL season ahead.

Karty can kick

Surely every website is talking about their rookie prospects, and touting qualities that make them ideally suited for a long and successful NFL career. This article, in comparison, is likely no different on the surface than many other articles you may read or notice. So what makes this article, and this player, so different?

For starters, Joshua Karty is no ordinary run-of-the-mill kicker. A former soccer player, Karty converted to football in high school and has been kicking the pigskin ever since. While many younger fans may not realize this, the NFL kicking position experienced a huge boost when the side-kicking soccer style was embraced in the NFL. Prior to that conversion, kicker booted the ball head on. But soccer players brought more power and accuracy by focusing on kicking the football with the ball of the foot (the part of the foot between the toes and the arch).

Karty kicks with the ball of his foot, but that is not all that he does.

Even before the 2024 NFL Draft, we gave the nod to Karty as the best kicking prospect in this draft, both from an accuracy and power standpoint. The thrilling part, as with any rookie arrival in his first OTA with the LA Rams, is that his draft profile has already been confirmed by his early performance. at OTAs.

Could Karty be 'the one'? So far, so good. I'm certain that as all rookies do, he will have some inconsistency this season. But if he can pull off making those long field goals with accuracy, the Rams will certainly be in the driver seat this season in terms of post-season competition.

If he lives up to the brochure, he will join the ranks of Greg Zuerlein and Matt Gay as superb NFL kickers for GM Les Snead and HC Sean McVay.