1999 NFL draft
Scouting reports:
As published in Pro Football Weekly's 1999
Draft Preview
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Buchsbaum's top 5
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No. 2 kicker prospect
Jeff Hall
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Editor's note:
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E — Height, weight and speed are estimated.
e — Only the 40-yard-dash time is estimated.
On all positions, 40-yard-dash times are curved to take conditions into account. For
instance, a 4.4 40 on a very fast rubber track would be recorded as a 4.52, while a 4.6 on
slow grass would be logged as a 4.5. |
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(Players are listed in alphabetical order)
| P JOSH BIDWELL |
| (6-3, 225, 4.95) Oregon |
| Notes: Option quarterback, kicker and
basketball player in high school. Redshirted in 1994. Oregon’s punter for the next
four years. Had a 36.3-yard average, 34.8-yard net and 10 punts inside the 20 in ’95.
In ’96, punted 56 times with a 41.2-yard average, 37.4 net and 19 inside the 20. In
’97, numbers were 54 punts for 41.0 yards, 39.0 net and 13 inside the 20. In
’98, he averaged 45.8 yards on 47 punts, with a 41.3-yard net, 16 inside the 20 and
eight inside the 10. Also had a punt blocked. Won All-Pacific-10 honors and was second in
the nation in punting as a senior. Positives: Nice size.
Big-league leg. Can kick for hang time and distance. Does not have many punts returned.
Negatives: Lacks consistent technique. Has some poor drops from
hand to toe when he goes to punt the ball, causing him to shank the kick. Also makes some
terrible punts.
Summary: Better technique and more consistency are the keys. |
Top of page
| PK MARTIN GRAMATICA |
| (5-8, 160) Kansas State |
| Notes: Grew up playing soccer in
Argentina. Played one year of high-school football in Florida. Enrolled in 1994 and made
6-of-9 FG attempts with a long of 40 yards and 38-of-39 extra points. Was 7-of-10 in
’95, but his longest kick was just 32 yards, and he missed three extra points
(43-of-46). Tore his right anterior cruciate ligament (caught cleats in turf while
running) prior to the ’96 season and redshirted. Came back very strong in ’97,
making 37-of-38 extra points and 19-of-20 FGs, with a long of 55 yards. Won consensus
All-America honors and the Lou Groza kicking award in 1997. Hit 69-of-69 PATs and 22-of-31
FGs with a long kick of an NCAA, no-tee record 65-yarder during the ’98 regular
season. Won some All-America honors in ’98. However, for the second year in a row, he
did not kick as well in Kansas State’s bowl game. Positives: Good
leg strength. Quick to and through the ball. Can place his kickoffs. Has kicked in a lot
of big games and bad weather. Poised and mature and seems to handle pressure well, at
least during the regular season.
Negatives: Has a good leg but not the cannon you would expect
from somebody who kicked a 65-yarder. Does have some kicking slumps and tailed off late in
the 1998 season.
Summary: Best PK prospect in this draft and should be
drafted. |
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| PK JEFF HALL |
| (5-11 1/2, 190) Tennessee |
| Notes: Has been Tennessee’s kicker
since his freshman year, when he was a second-team All-Southeast Conference pick. All-SEC
in 1998 and made some All-America teams. Hit on 47-of-49 extra points and 16-of-25 FG
attempts with a long of 49 yards in ’95. In ’96, 47-of- 49 and 10-of-18, with a
long of 46, while kicking with a bulging disc in his back that required surgery after the
season. Came back in ’97 to make 47-of-49 and 16-of-22, with a long of 49 yards. His
senior season was his best, as he hit 47-of-47 and 19-of-24, with a long of 47 yards,
including game-winning kicks vs. Syracuse and Florida. Positives: Adequate
leg strength, range and kickoffs. Has become more consistent and did not miss an extra
point in ’98 after missing two in each of the previous three seasons. Handles
pressure well.
Negatives: Does not have a great leg. Accurate, but not
"money-in-the-bank" accurate.
Summary: One of the top three placekickers in the country and
has NFL potential. |
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| P HUNTER SMITH |
| (6-1 3/4, 212, 4.85e) Notre Dame |
| Notes: Has been Notre Dame’s punter
since his freshman year. Averaged 36.4 yards on 38 kicks in 1995, 43.3 on 44 in ’96,
42.6 on 50 in ’97, and 41.7 on 42 in 1998. Has also been the team’s holder and
emergency quarterback. Also has kicked off. Positives: Good
size. Athletic. Handles bad snaps and can run or throw if he has to. Has a very strong leg
and Ray Guy-type leg extension. Can bring rain with some of his kicks. Will hit the
50-yarder with 5.0 hang time when he is in a positive groove. Has kicked in bad weather.
Negatives: "At times" is the key phrase, as he is
very erratic. Can kick one 60 yards with a 5.1 hang time, shank the next and then kick a
very returnable line drive on the third.
Summary: Consistency is the key. Has the physical tools to punt
in the NFL. |
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| P RODNEY WILLIAMS |
| (5-11 1/2, 190, 4.6) Georgia Tech |
| Notes: High-school defensive back, wide
receiver and kicker. Also lettered in track, soccer and basketball. Was in five games as a
freshman in 1995 and has done almost all of Tech’s punting since. Had 38.1-yard
average and 32.3-yard net with 11 kicks inside the 20-yard line in 1995, 38.4-36.9-16 in
’96, 45.6-40.6-19 in ’97 and 42.5-40.1-19 in ’98. Won All-Atlantic Coast
Conference honors in ’97 and ’98. Positives: Very good
all-around athlete. Could possibly be a sixth receiver or ninth defensive back. Tremendous
leg strength as a punter. Has some Ray Guy-type kicks. Can kick off.
Negatives: Very erratic punter with poor mechanics. Is not
fundamentally sound. Hang times and distances are all over the board, and you never know
what you are getting. Will shank a lot of his punts.
Summary: Can look like Ray Guy on one kick and like the guy
next door on the next, but he has a great leg and fine athleticism, so he could be a later
pick. |
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You'll find profiles of 6 more kickers in the print edition of Pro
Football Weekly's 1999 Draft Preview book. It's available at bookstores and newsstands
across the country or you can call 1-800-FOOTBALL (1-800-366-8225) to order a copy. |
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