Is LSU’s Cade York the Jets’ Kicker of the Future?

The New York Jets can address their kicking struggles in the 2022 NFL draft by picking LSU kicker Cade York, the best kicker prospect in this year's draft class.

Field goal kickers are an afterthought, until they are needed to make a kick. This is why the Jets need to seriously consider selecting LSU’s kicker Cade York in the 2022 NFL draft. 

With the league’s increased parity that sees only four teams lag by, more than two games in the playoff standings headed into this past weekend’s games, things are getting closer and the margins are getting tighter. 

To bring this closer to home, looking back at last season, the Jets played in eight close games and only managed to win only two of them.

Now, with a young quarterback this season and a sputtering offense that is ranked 29th in the league in scoring (17.4 points per game), the team desperately needs someone with a strong and dependable leg, who can consistently put points on the scoreboard. 

While none of the kickers available for the upcoming draft are thought to be high-round selections, York is believed to be the consensus top kicking prospect by various draft publications. 

That of course can change as kickers are extremely finicky, but the point being more than anything, that the Jets need to make a concerted effort to acquire the best kicker in this draft class. York seems to be that guy. 

He is about as clutch as they come, and he is said to have a booming leg. 

CADE YORK FROM 57 YARDS FOR THE LSU LEAD‼️ pic.twitter.com/5DMwrExZiI

— ESPN (@espn) December 13, 2020

This is what Fansided had to say about York: 

The top kicker in the 2022 NFL Draft is LSU’s Cade York. What makes York the top kicker is his leg strength having made 15-19 kicks of 50 yards or more. This included a school-record 57-yard field goal last year against Florida, which was kicked in dense fog and won the game for the Tigers. One of the few downfalls with York is that he does not kick off, which might cause him to slide to the sixth or seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Draftscout.com: 

2021 ALL-SEC SECOND TEAM (COACHES): PK Cade York, LSU,...York, a second team All-America as a sophomore in 2020, connected on 15-of-18 field goals in 2021 including a Tiger Stadium record 56-yarder in the win over McNeese. He went 5-of-7 on field goals of at least 50 yards during the regular season, including a 50-yarder in the win over No. 14 Texas A&M. York, who holds the school record for most 50-yard field goals in a career with 15, extended his LSU record streak of consecutive PATs to 118 during the season going 39-of-39. It's the third straight year York has appeared on the All-SEC team. York earned second team All-SEC honors and Freshman All-SEC honors in 2019, followed by first team recognition in 2020. - LSU Football 

Profootballnetwork.com: 

How do you replace a cult hero like Cole Tracy? With a cult hero like Cade York, of course. LSU has had a remarkable run of kickers who have been able to step up and deliver when needed most. Although he had a shaky start to his Tigers tenure, York demonstrated last season that he could be one of the top kickers in the 2022 NFL Draft.

When evaluating kickers, completion percentage is important. But you also want to know if a kicker can come up clutch when needed. York was one of just three college kickers that hit a 50-plus yard field goal in the final two minutes of a game last season. Is that clutch enough?

Besides the leg strength, the clutch kicking ability and the production at LSU, York’s attitude and preparation has him high on the radar.

York studies every kick he makes. He believes that all kickers and punters must have the ability to key and diagnose any kicking problems that arise. 

“I want to be the best and I think I can be the best,” said York. 

It is no secret the Jets have had their share of kicking woes. The team has gone though seven kickers since 2019, and they are now on their third kicker of the season with Eddy Piñeiro. 

Against the Saints, Piñeiro accounted for all nine of the Jets’ points, but how long will it be before the team falls out of love with him?

While that is open to debate and only time will tell, selecting York might very well finally solve the kicking riddle for the Jets and at the very least, it will provide for an interesting story-line during training camp.

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