The New York Jets found themselves in an all-too-familiar situation last season, searching for answers at kicker. A position that once looked rock solid going into the year quickly spiraled into a headache the team never fully solved.
Now, the Jets are hoping they’ve quietly found their solution in the form of an undrafted rookie. Among the team’s post-draft free-agent signings was Ole Miss standout Caden Davis, one of the most high-profile kickers in this year’s class.
Davis went unselected over the weekend, but he won’t enter the summer without a real opportunity. He’s set to compete for a roster spot in what could be a wide-open kicker battle in Florham Park.
Veteran Greg Zuerlein and former Packers kicker Anders Carlson remain on the roster, but neither has managed to separate themselves. Davis has a real shot to emerge as the team’s Week 1 starter and finally end the Jets’ search for stability at the position.
NY Jets hope Caden Davis will be their kicker solution
Davis brings a compelling resume to the table. A 2024 first-team All-SEC selection and Lou Groza Award semifinalist, Davis converted 24 of his 29 field goal attempts this past season, including a booming 57-yarder that showcased his elite leg strength.
He made over 80% of his kicks in two years at Ole Miss after transferring from Texas A&M, finishing among the school’s all-time leaders in field goals made and points scored. Davis was widely seen as one of the top kickers in this year’s draft class and has a legitimate chance to stick.
He’ll join a wide-open competition this summer that also includes the aforementioned Zuerlein. Zuerlein was lights out in 2023, converting over 92% of his field goal attempts, but completely fell apart last season.
He made just 9 of 15 attempts, struggled from beyond 40 yards, and missed multiple potential game-winners. The Jets eventually placed him on IR with a knee injury, and while he was briefly activated later in the year, he returned to IR after just one week. Zuerlein remains under contract, but many expect him to be a post-June 1 cut.
Then there’s Carlson, who joined the Jets midseason and appeared in five games. Carlson connected on 8 of his 10 field goal attempts, but missed two extra points, and has a history of inconsistency on short kicks. He has a big leg and could push for a roster spot if he can clean up the PAT issues, but he’s hardly a lock to make the team.
Davis will have every chance to win the job if he can carry over his college consistency to the pro level. The Jets haven’t had true stability at kicker in years, and with Zuerlein’s future uncertain and Carlson unproven, it’s not hard to imagine the undrafted rookie pulling ahead in camp.
He might be flying under the radar for now, but that might not last much longer. If Davis lives up to the hype this summer, the Jets' long-running kicker carousel might finally come to an end.
