Name: Jake Moody

School: Michigan

Year: rSr

Position: Kicker

Measurables: 6’1”, 209 lbs.

Stats: 

Courtesy of Sports-Reference.com

General Info:

Northville, Michigan native Jake Moody committed to the University of Michigan without a scholarship in February 2018 before quickly earning one in June 2018. Though he received a scholarship offer from Central Michigan, Moody decided to play for his childhood favorite team, saying of the decision, “I've always been a Michigan fan growing up… It just kind of felt right.”

Moody’s most accurate season as Michigan’s placekicker was in 2021, when he made 92% of his kicks. Though his field goal percentage dipped in 2022, Moody achieved a career-long 59-yard field goal against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl—the longest field goal in College Football Playoff history. Jake Moody finished his career in Ann Arbor as the Wolverine’s all-time leading scorer.

Positional Skills:

Strengths

Jake Moody is an accurate kicker, especially within 50 yards. Moody succeeded on all 148 of his career extra point attempts, and his field goal percentage of 82% is among the best in recent years. No stranger to clutch kicks, the former Wolverine regularly delivers in crunch time.

As demonstrated by his 59-yard field goal in the Fiesta Bowl, Moody’s leg strength is above average. Because of his powerful leg, Jake Moody was tasked with kickoffs in all five of his seasons with the Wolverines. He finished top 5 in NCAA touchbacks in each of his last two seasons, and his 66 touchbacks in 2022 were a substantial improvement from his 43 in 2018. Moody’s impressive hang time on kickoffs allows the specialists time to track down the kick returner. A former third baseman and scout team quarterback, Jake Moody’s athleticism also provided an edge for the Wolverines in kickoff coverage.

Weaknesses

The main criticism Jake Moody receives is of his accuracy on long kicks. Moody tends to pull left when a field goal is longer than 50 yards, and his accuracy drops below 70%. In the NFL, kickers are asked to consistently convert field goal attempts in the 50-yard range. The former Wolverine will need to improve in this area to last at the next level.

Fit with the Packers:

Based on recent comments from General Manager Brian Gutekunst, the Packers seem content to move on from 16-year veteran Mason Crosby. Gutekunst said of re-signing the kicker, “We would never close the door. We’ll see where that goes… He had a good year this past year. We’re limited a little bit financially but would never say never.” Not quite a ringing endorsement of an aging kicker whose leg strength has diminished in recent years.

If the Packers choose not to re-sign Mason Crosby, they may look to the draft to find their replacement. Brian Gutekunst has shown a willingness to select specialists in the NFL Draft if he believes there is a quality player at a position of need (see JK Scott and Hunter Bradley). Jake Moody is the top-rated kicker heading into Thursday, but he may not hear his name called this weekend. If the Packers are not confident in their ability to sign Jake Moody as a free agent, they may select him on Day 3 to plug this roster hole.