#203 K Will Reichard Alabama
Having given up on our getting a DT, this is fine with me. Hope they worked him out kicking NFL extra points :P
Wanted Cam Little more, but it's a kicker, what the hell do I know. And this guy has been through the ringer at Tuscaloosa and has held up well.
Big Tide fan here, luv this pick!!!
I had a big hunch he was going to be a Viking.
Reichard, the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, made 55 of 55 PATs and 22 of 25 field goals, including 5 of 5 from 50 yards and beyond in 2023.
For his career, Reichard made 295 of 297 PATs and 84 of 100 field goals while posting a major college record 547 career points, a school-record 84 field goals made and 10 field goals from 50 yards and beyond.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
StickierBuns wrote:
He's a fucking FG kicking android. He's going to LOVE Minnesota and the staff. This fucker will kick a 54 yd FG at Lambeau Field in January to win the game in overtime and his pulse rate wouldn't move. Make no mistake, this is the Viking's new kicker.
Oh no doubt. I don't think that kicker they got from that other league will be a factor.
Here’s the thing, a great kicker is going to put up points.....when they are most needed
purplefaithful wrote:
Big Tide fan here, luv this pick!!!I had a big hunch he was going to be a Viking.
Reichard, the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, made 55 of 55 PATs and 22 of 25 field goals, including 5 of 5 from 50 yards and beyond in 2023.
For his career, Reichard made 295 of 297 PATs and 84 of 100 field goals while posting a major college record 547 career points, a school-record 84 field goals made and 10 field goals from 50 yards and beyond.
So, 17-20 inside 50. Damn, even Joseph was higher than that :P
I saw something that Vikings fans lost their sh@t over this...I don't see a problem. I watched him at Alabama in college be Mr. Automatic, and I thought to myself...hmmmm, we haven't had someone so reliable in a long time. I was a bit concerned going into the off-season with Mr. UFL being our lone kicker...I feel a lot better with this pick in the books. How many Extra Points did Joseph miss in his tenure in Minnesota? Someone knows that statistic.
Fills a need and the top at his position, anybody bitching about that from a 6th round pick needs a shot of reality. Anything besides special teams in the last 2 rounds are really flyers and jsut practice squad material in most cases so why not a K?
Why isn't Chuck Foreman in the Hall of Fame?
Hey I have a prediction ---
Our 203rd pick of the draft will win more games for the 24 Vikings than our 10th overall pick will :D
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Gotta have a kicker and the truly good ones are hard to come by. We drafted one before and the idiot Zimmer cut him. He’s gone on to be one of the better kickers in the league. These guys will appreciate this guy and hopefully we don’t need to take another for a decade plus.
Thats a good find Stickier...
Kid played for Saban for a 1/2 decade and thats not easy.
Further sharpened in some of the biggest, pressure packed situations you can have in CFB. I think it was a great get. Hopefully he is our kicker for the next 7+ seasons...
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
We needed a kicker, we drafted the consensus top kicker, so he has a chance to not only be our starting kicker this year, but our kicker for a decade. Anyone bitching about investing a 6th rounder on that needs to get a grip.
I was hoping to pick up a UDFA kicker but credit to the team for recognizing that teams were going to draft a kicker and make a move. There was a run on kickers just behind this selection. We needed a kicker and that draft pick was at best likely to be a special teams player vs an everyday contributor. I'm hoping we're actively watching the cutdowns and PS for some reinforcements at IDL and Defensive Tackle which are the positions in most need. There are likely a few gems on other teams with higher level talent than what was available that late in the draft. Hopefully, we can poach another team's PS.
Vikings drafted kicker Will Reichard because of how he handles pressure
He set an NCAA record at Alabama with 547 points, making 84 field goals and 295 extra points in his career
Will Reichard has long been known for his accuracy as a kicker. Not necessarily his power. Yet, when Alabama absolutely needed Reichard to come through from distance this year against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, he converted from 50 yards, then from 52 yards.
He always seems to be at his best when the lights are bright.
“It’s super important to be able to kick well in big-time pressure situations,” Reichard said. “That’s something that I take a lot of pride in.”
That should serve Reichard well as he steps into the pressure cooker that is being a kicker in Minnesota. He was selected by the Vikings in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday largely because they believe he can handle it. That much was apparent to special teams coordinator Matt Daniels throughout the pre-draft process.
“All this guy has done is have success,” Daniels said. “He’s shown how consistent he can truly be.”
The numbers spoke for themselves. Reichard set an NCAA record at Alabama with career 547 points — 84 field goals and 295 extra points. He most recently went 22 for 25 on field-goal attempts and 55 for 55 on extra-point attempts.
As the Vikings studied tape on Reichard, it often felt like they were watching replays. Most of the kicks looked the same, especially as they sailed through the uprights.
“In my personal evaluations, something I borrowed, is called net pattern,” college scout Steve Sabo said. “Where’s the ball hitting the net? You watch a lot of his kicks, and it’s center net, center net, center net.”
That’s a testament to Reichard and his attention to detail.
“The biggest thing that I appreciate within his game is how well he consistently strikes the ball,” Daniels said. “Never really does he have any miss hits. His balls always have good trajectory. He’s never had a field goal blocked, so that says a lot about the operation.”
Though the Vikings had a lot of interest in Reichard, they opted not to bring him for a private workout. Instead, they met with him on Zoom for a couple of hours, putting him on the spot with a bunch of different questions. How does he respond to certain situations? How does he like to be coached? How does he handle himself with his teammates?
“Those were the things that we wanted to dive into,” Daniels said. “Just truly kind of get to know the individual.”
Maybe the biggest thing the Vikings learned about Reichard throughout the draft process was his passion for his craft. He’s literally been preparing for this moment since he was about 8 years old.
“I grew up playing soccer,” Reichard said. “My dad decided that I needed to be a little bit tougher on the soccer field. So, I signed up for football, and when it came for kicking trials, I was the only soccer player on the team. I won the job and found out that I really loved it. Just kind of stuck with it and been training ever since.”
Now he’s here.
“It’s my lifelong dream to play in the NFL, and the Vikings have given me an opportunity to come in and compete,” Reichard said. “I’m super grateful for that.”
https://www.twincities.com/2024/04/28/vikings-drafted-kicker-will-reichard-because-of-how-he-handles-pressure/
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
Kentis wrote:
He’s never had a field goal or extra point blocked.
In fairness, neither have I.
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