After signing a three-year deal with Buffalo in the 2017 offseason, Buffalo Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka immediately brought stability to the position in making 29 of his 33 attempted field goals, including a 56-yarder. However, whether it was due to the injury he suffered against the New York Jets in early December or just plain regression, Hauschka went 22-of-28 in 2018. It wouldn’t be out of the question to see a steep drop in performance for the soon-to-be 34-year old in 2019 and beyond. Rather than risk a collapse, the team might be better served looking towards the draft and a young, long-term answer at the position. Here are a few options worth considering.
Tier I
Cole Tracy (LSU)
Matt Gay (Utah)
Tracy didn’t miss an extra point this past season for LSU and made 29-of-33 field goals. His highlight game came against the Georgia Bulldogs, where he went 5-of-5 on mostly middle-range field goals. He also made both of his field goals during the Senior Bowl, including a long of 43. He has a chance to be selected in the draft. Gay went 26-of-31 for the Utes in 2018 and has never missed an extra point in his career. He’s accustomed to attempting long field goals, going 8-of–11 from 50+ yards in his career. Gay also helped his cause by nailing a 47-yarder in the East-West Shrine game in January.
Tier II
Austin Seibert (Oklahoma)
A combination punter and kicker, Seibert’s kicking ability is decent from middle-range, but he has only attempted three kicks longer than 50 yards—going 1-of-3 in the process. Seibert had a poor Senior Bowl, missing a 44-yard field goal and only converting two very short kicks.