Sleeper Watch

Last year, owners who drafted San Diego’s Nate Kaeding to handle their kicking duties wound up with a pretty solid return on a minimal investment. The rookie racked up 114 total points to finish among the top ten kickers, ahead of tried-and-true options such as John Carney or Jay Feely. This season, another rookie PK looks poised to make his mark on the NFL right away: Ohio State’s Mike Nugent.

Nugent’s collegiate performance was nothing short of spectacular. As a sophomore in 2002, he set a record with 24 consecutive field goals and kicked off a string of three straight seasons with just three misses per year. He wrapped up his Ohio State career by winning the Lou Groza Award in his senior campaign, connecting on 20 of 23 field goal attempts.

Nugent has both range, as shown by his five 50+ yarders in 2004, and uncanny accuracy. At this point, he should probably be considered a slightly better prospect than Kaeding was last year, although Nugent’s value will certainly depend on the team that lands him in the draft. That team won’t be able to afford to wait too long; Nugent should be off the board by the end of the draft’s first day. One possible destination seems particularly enticing: Minnesota could be in the market for a new kicker, and even a Moss-less Vikings squad should again be able to pile up impressive point totals.