Dave Toub on Chiefs' Evaluation of Spencer Shrader, Trusted In-Game Kicking Range

Dave Toub revealed how the Chiefs felt about Spencer Shrader entering the draft, as well as how far his range could extend in a game if KC needed a long kick.

Mar 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame place kicker Spencer Shrader (PK08) during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs' special teams unit took a major hit last week when kicker Harrison Butker went down with a knee injury in practice. The reliable veteran has since had successful surgery on his meniscus but while he's on the injured reserve list, the back-to-back Super Bowl winners are relying on a rookie to get the job done.

One game into his tenure with the team, undrafted free agent Spencer Shrader is a perfect three-for-three on extra point attempts. Although he didn't get to try a field goal in his Kansas City debut, the team is eagerly awaiting him getting that chance. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub, in particular, has supreme confidence in the first-year man.

Much of it doesn't even stem from what Shrader has done since joining the team. It dates back to the evaluation Toub had on him in advance of April's NFL Draft.

"Every year, we rate all the kickers coming out," Toub said. "A lot like Butker, he was our number one guy coming out, we had him number one on our list. He was a guy obviously we targeted, we looked at and we liked him early and then he was on the practice squad, so we took a shot and got him. We’re happy we got him. He’s got a strong leg. We haven’t seen a lot of him but in practice, he’s looked really good.”

Shrader, 25, was a five-year college player at South Florida and Notre Dame. Converting on 156 of 158 extra point tries, he displayed a consistent ability to put the ball through the upright from short range. On the other hand, he made just 68% of his field goal attempts (including the same split during his lone season with the Fighting Irish). Shrader's best kicking season came in 2021, when he went 11-of-13 on field goals and made all 35 extra points.

Last year at Notre Dame, Shrader did make four kicks of 50-plus yards. One was a program record from 54 yards out. Toub says if the Chiefs need an end-of-game or end-of-half boot of 60 or more, he'd be willing to give the rookie an opportunity.

"He's got that in him," Toub said. "He hit a couple of 65-yarders at practice the other day, so he's got a really strong leg. In fact, we had to move him back when we first started out hitting extra points because he was hitting them over the net. We were losing footballs, so we had to move him back. He's got a really, really strong leg. He's young. He's excited to be here and he loves the operation and everything we've got going."

Even at 9-1 on the season, every game remains critical for Kansas City. With Butker required to miss at least three more of them, the club's hope is there won't be much (if any) of a decline with Shrader. That's a tall task for someone who's still navigating life in the NFL.

As evidenced by Toub's eval, though, the Chiefs wouldn't rather have anyone else to replace Butker.

Read More: Patrick Mahomes Explains What Makes Noah Gray So Successful in Chiefs' Offense