Once upon a time NFL special-team units were comprised of backups - players not good enough to start. Additionally, he has just two career seasons with fewer than 82.0% of his field goals made. The Bills remain one of the best teams despite some hiccups. With solid contributions from players like Punter Tommy Townsend and electric returner Mecole Hardman, the Chiefs should be able to control the field position battle. Jump to a team: Here is a cheat sheet for fantasy football defense/special teams (DST) rankings for the 2022 NFL season. Defense: 30 Rookie Kyle Phillips will get the first shot at returning punts for the Titans this season. The defense has struggled to get off the field at times, which is reflected in its efficiency, but it has allowed the second-fewest points per game (17). Jason Myers has struggled with consistency throughout his career with the Seahawks, but hes still an effective kicker. Despite posing the lowest average hangtime of his career (4.10), Kern still had a net punting average over 40.0 for the ninth time in his ten-year career. than the offense, and that shows slightly in its FPI rank. So, even despite some valiant individual efforts, what you're about to see shouldn't be much of a shock. Cleveland tookCade Yorkout of LSU in the fourth round of the NFL draft. They've had to carry most of the load, especially of late, as Seattle has seen less production out of running back Kenneth Walker III, who is now sidelined with an ankle injury. Gonzalezs only two misses on the season came from 50-plus yards out, but he still finished the year 3-of-5 from that distance. NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF The Browns decided to overhaul their entire special teams unit heading into the 2022 season, investing cap space and draft capital into all three phases. See trending Veteran kicker Randy Bullock will compete with Caleb Shudak for the starting job to open camp. Punter Blake Gillikin will return after a promising rookie season. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. It's. We've covered every group on offense and every group on defense. Harty had the seventh most kick return yards (690) in the NFL last season. One key to watch for the Seahawks this season will be the play of Jason Myers, who returns to the team after struggling last season. CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND The most notable improvement came on his attempts past 50 yards; Elliot had three straight seasons making 50% or less of his deep kicks before converting all three of those kicks in 2021. As the 2022 NFL season approaches the end, which of these teams remain on the Top 10 NFL Teams 2022 rankings end of season list? He was especially effective from deep, converting 11-of-13 attempts between 40 and 49 yards and hitting 8-of-9 from beyond 50 yards. Chicago hopes rookie punter Trenton Gill and rookie return man Trestan Ebner can join coverage specialist Caleb Johnson in helping to breathe life into this developing unit. Clark: Updated NHL rookie rankings The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. When it comes to the best kicking combination in the league, Las Vegas edges out the field thanks to the high-level consistency of bothDaniel CarlsonandAJ Cole. Whatever the reason, 12 of the Raiders' 13 outings have been one-score games, and they are just 5-8. Special teams: 25, The Bears have seen a considerable uptick in offensive efficiency since Week 7, averaging 25.3 points per game. Bass made all 51 of his extra-point attempts while also improving his accuracy on field goals (87.5%) in his second season. The 49ers also added Ray-Ray McCloud to the team in free agency to serve as their kick and punt returner. Folk has been perfect within 40 yards as a Patriot, is 27-of-31 from 40-49 and is 8-of-12 on kicks beyond 50 yards. For returners, the focus lies on average return yards and explosiveness as a runner. Mitch Wishnowsky continued to provide solid play from the punter position. Thanks in large part thanks to the emergence of kicker Daniel Carlson late last season, the Raiders special teams have the potential to be one of the leagues best next season. The Texans' defense is respectable due to its ability to limit passers, having held opposing QBs to under an 80.0 passer rating seven times this year, which is tied for second best in the league. Former 5th-round pick Matt Gay returns to the defending champs as an underrated kicking option. Last season, Smith averaged 25.6 yards per return and scored a touchdown. 2026; 2025; 2024; 2023; 2022; 2021; 2020; 2019; 2018; 2017; 2016; 2015 Conversely,Brett Kerncontinued the strong play that has defined his career with the Titans. A season ago, the Jets had arguably the worst defense; now it is a legit top-10 unit. The third-year veteran finished with 30.4 yards per return and had a touchdown. 2022 Best NFL Special Teams Players (0) 2022 . Kicker: Greg Zuerlein, Punter: Braden Mann, KR/PR: Braxton Berrios. The Bills took a flyer on punter Matt Araiza in the 6th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. -- Stephen Holder, Offense: 28 He also set a career-high for punts inside the 20-yard line during the 2021 season (39). Gray offers the Chiefs incredible versatility as one of the few NFL tight ends adept in special teams coverage. More NFL coverage , The Patriots are last in the NFL in offensive red zone efficiency, converting touchdowns just 38.9% of the time. The second-year receiver had just six returns in his first season, but averaged an impressive 12.5 per return. Lirim Hajrullahu and Brett Maher will compete for the chance to start as Dallas kicker this season after the team released Jonathan Garibay. Amari Rodgers had a solid first season as a returner with the Green Bay Packers. Matthew Slater, Justin Bethel and Cody Davis all figure to be major contributors to a unit that is regularly one of the leagues best. Offensively, the Browns have fallen apart since their bye. Berry continued to find success pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line. Which is why Baltimore again finished first in the NFL special-teams rankings compiled annually by Rick Gosselin for the last 43 years. Hekker had just one season with a net punting average below (42.0) and has never had fewer than 20 punts downed inside the 20. They also brought in experienced returner Deandre Carter to give the team a smart, steady influence in the return game. The combination ofGodwin IgwebuikeandKalif Raymondwill likely reprise their duties as the kick and punt returners respectively. Instead of reading my Week 15 fantasy football defense/special teams (DST) rankings, come . During that time, hes logged 62 returns for 751 yards and two touchdowns. Townsend improved his net punt average (47.2) but saw his hangtime drop by over one-tenth of a second (4.34) after his first year. The strongest component of the Jets special teams is returner Braxton Berrios. Hardman has explosive speed and will be a threat to house any kick he can field. Maher made 88.9% of his attempts with the Saints last season. An exceptional talent from inside the 45, Vizcaino should get a real shot to win the role. Chicago will split their return duties between Dazz Newsome and Khalil Herbert. But special teams is surprising. Harty also averaged 9.5 yards per return on punts and muffed just one of 36 attempts. Gillan has seen his hang time all three seasons of his career and hasnt had a net punting average of over 40.0 since 2019. Teams on bye: Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Washington The Lions' D is allowing 403.2 total yards per game and 26.7 points per game, which are both the second-highest marks in the league. Agnew is a dynamic returner and is truly a special team's weapon for the Jaguars. Depth charts for every team With elite talents like safety Camryn Bynum in kick coverage and the underrated Kene Nwangwu in the return game, the Vikings do have the potential to improve this season. The five-year veteran made all 44 of his extra-point attempts and missed just three field goals in 33 attempts. LT Andrew Thomas, New York Giants Second Team: Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers Thomas was the NFL's most consistently excellent left tackle this season, racking up an 89.1 PFF grade over 1,049 snaps. Kicker Zane Gonzalez returns to the Panthers this year after playing 12 games for the club last season. Experienced returner Desmond King II and a coverage unit led by MJ Stewart will look to keep a rebuilding Texans team out of poor field position. D-coordinator Joe Barry likely will take the fall for his lack of innovative game plans and playcalls, but there are others at fault too. Dixon only has one career season with a net punting average above 42.0 yards in his career. 2024 Best NFL Special Teams Players (0) 2024 . And their defensive ranking is based largely on the strength of the pass rush, which has generated 42 sacks. Special teams: 27, It's surprising the Buccaneers are not ranked lower on offense, given that they are not averaging even 17 points per game. Kicker: Greg Joseph, Punter: Jordan Berry, KR: Kene Nwangwu, PR: Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Find NFL defense rushing stats by team. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. -- Jamison Hensley, Offense: 19 Ranking in the top three on offense is a bit . Jake Bailey has been a solid punter over the past three seasons in New England but struggled in 2021. Defensive back Zech McPhearson and linebacker TJ Edwards are standouts in kick coverage who should help make this unit one of the leagues best. With a career field goal percentage above 90 percent. If the Giants can keep return man CJ Board healthy and get a boost from coverage specialist Cam Brown, this unit could improve on their performance from last season. Welcome to Week 15 of the NFL regular season. Finally, talents like Daniel Thomas and Chris Claybrooks will all contribute positively to kick coverage. Special teams: 10, The numbers make sense with a look at how the Rams' season has played out: They're averaging just 16.8 points per game, by far the worst under coach Sean McVay since he was hired in 2017. That could potentially put an already strong unit over the top. The Vikings are looking to end the revolving door they had at kicker under former head coach Mike Zimmer. The Packers will turn to veteran Mason Crosby as their kicker and former third-round pick Amari Rodgers as the kick returner. Carter struggled as a punt returner last season but has three career punt return touchdowns, so at this point, it is safe to call last years struggles an exception. Kicker Harrison Butker will be looking to maintain his success. Araiza averaged 51.2 yards per punt his last season at San Diego State and had 18 punts travel at least 60 yards. Jacksonville has allowed the second-most receptions to running backs and Austin Ekeler has the fifth-most receptions amongst all players at any position this season.. Rex Ryan is highly disappointed in the Buccaneers and says Tom Brady is not the only one who deserves blame. Dickers longest career field goal was 57 yards. The four-year veteran has a career net average punt of 40.1 and an average hangtime of 4.40. Freddie Swain averaged 8.6 yards per punt return and muffed just one punt in 44 attempts. Tampa Bay will rely on Giovani Bernard in the return game and hope that standout coverage specialist Ross Cockrell can bring stability to a unit that will need to improve if the Bucs are going to make another deep playoff run. Special teams: 14, The Chargers have underperformed this season on offense and defense. This article will focus on all 32 teams kickers, punters and return units to determine the best special team units in the league. Townsend has shown the ability to be a very strong punter, so its too early to say he cant return to that form in his third year. -- Katherine Terrell, Offense: 21 Offensively, the numbers have taken a hit because of Atlanta's recent inability to score or move the ball (fewer than 20 points scored in four of the past five games and fewer than 200 yards passing in all five). Morstead has a career net punt average of 42.2. Full schedule | Standings Special teams: 19, The FPI efficiencies are an excellent match for the Titans' mediocre 7-6 record. In his nine-year career, Gould has only made fewer than 93.0% of his extra-point attempts just once (2016). Special teams: 28, What happened to the defense? Jake Elliotthad an excellent bounceback season after a rough 2020. Neither player is an explosive returner, but both are dependable options on special teams. -- David Newton, Simulate your own scenarios and check the latest playoff picture. Olszewski has averaged 23.2 yards per kick return and 12.6 yards per punt return during his three-year career in New England. He has converted 108-of-116 extra-points and 53-of-61 field-goal attempts. In two years with the Broncos, Martin is averaging 42.4 net yards per punt and 26.5 punts inside the 20. The Baltimore Ravens have been known to have great special teams talent over the years. Defense: 32 Defense: 26 -- Rob Demovsky, Offense: 22 He also had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Week 12. Since 2019, the veteran punter has never had a net punt average (the net distance on the field from where the ball is punted to where the returner is tackled) under 39.5 yards. Our 2022 NFL position group rankings series rolls along. Conversely, Rigoberto Sanchez has been one of the most dependable punters in the NFL in his five seasons with Indianapolis. Those takeaways have prevented teams from finishing drives that could have changed the outcome of games. 2022 NFL Special Teams Rankings | StatMuse 2022 NFL special teams rankings Explore Who is the all-time NFL rushing leader? Tyler Bassshowed significant improvement in his second season as the Bills kicker. One note about the defense: The sterling ranking is due, in part, to feasting on lower-level QBs. Ryan Succop has been a solid kicker since joining the Buccaneers before the 2020 season. Special teams: 18, The FPI reflects what the Browns are -- a bottom-half team across the board. Tyler Bass, meanwhile, has the kicker position all but locked down. Micah Parsons is scary good but that doesn't mean the Cowboys DST is in the same category fantasy-wise. Koo went 30-for-30 on extra points and made 27-of-29 field goes in his third season with the Falcons. Today, we look to the third part of the game special teams. Since joining the Giants, Gano has improved his accuracy past 50 yards, converting on 12-of-16 attempts. That is one of several key categories on offense in which they have struggled, and it has contributed to them being unable to complement the defense and special teams -- both of which have made more game-changing plays. The veteran kicker ended his 2021 season making 47-of-49 extra points and 30-of-37 field goals. Kicker: Ryan Succop, Punter: Jake Camarda*, KR/PR: Jaelon Darden. Rondale Moore struggled to get on the field on offense for the Cardinals last season, but he flashed his game-breaking ability plenty as a returner for the Cardinals. Kicker: Matt Prater, Punter: Andy Lee, KR/PR: Rondale Moore. Sanders has been excellent on extra points (97.8% conversion rate), but now has two seasons above a 90.0 success rate on field goals and two seasons below a 77.0% success rate. The Falcons will be turning to a new punter in 2022, giving Dom Maggio his first opportunity to kick at the NFL level. Do you like rankings? But it cannot be overlooked. The constant is the traditionally strong special teams, led by one of the best kickers in NFL history, Justin Tucker. He muffed just one punt in 28 opportunities. The Chargers hope to get above-average production out of their kicking and punting this season. Santos is 57-for-82 on kicks past 40 yards in his career. A strong punterJack Foxand an underrated return man in Kalif Raymond who makes up for his diminutive size with elite quickness should also help lead the unit to success. Defense: 10 While we are at the point of the season where the rankings stay largely consistent week to week, we do have teams that made the biggest jump up and down the list. The same defense that once carried the team has allowed 27 or more points in four of the past six contests. Butker only has two career misses inside of 40 yards (88-of-90). Camarda averaged 45.8 yards per punt throughout his four-year career. Look for linebacker Chris Board and defensive back Jerry Jacobs to lead the kick coverage units when healthy. The starting punter will be Brett Kern, entering his 14th season with the Titans. Quarterback Justin Herbert played multiple games despite feeling the effect of fractured rib cartilage. Our power panel -- a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- has evaluated how teams are stacking up through 14 weeks. Dallas decided to move on fromGreg Zuerleinafter consecutive disappointing seasons as the teams kicker. -- Jordan Raanan, There's no denying that the Lions' offense is capable of putting up big numbers on any team in the league -- scoring at least 30 points in seven games this season. Bullock continued the trend that has taken root during his nine-year career: hes extremely accurate from inside 40 yards and struggles with consistency anywhere deeper than that. Waddle averaged 17.6 yards on kick returns and 7.0 yards per punt return. Who has the most career 150 rushing yard games? Thank the third-down offense (51-of-89 since Prescott's return). Despite this experience, the coverage unit could struggle without top-tier special teams talent outside of depth safety AJ Moore. -- Rich Cimini, It's not surprising that defense is Washington's best unit; it ranks among the top 10 in multiple key categories, including third downs (third), yards per game (fourth) and scoring (eighth). Kicker: Cade York*, Punter: Corey Bojorquez, KR/PR: Demetric Felton. Buffalo Bills. Harvin had a net punt average of 38.0 and an average hangtime of 4.28, both of which are underwhelming. Their FPI rankings on defense and special teams are in the top half of the league, and that feels like an accurate reflection of what we've seen on the field. Gonzalez was his usual reliable self on extra points (94.8%) but set a career-high field goal success rate (90.9%). McKenzie, on the other hand, poses a threat to pick up huge yardage any time he returns a kick. Duvernay averaged 24.1 yards per kick return and 13.8 yards per punt return last season for Baltimore. Gould entering his 18th NFL season has shown his age in recent years and will look for a return to form. Punter Cameron Johnston will, however, likely maintain the high level of play the team has come to expect of him. Miami lost its fastball over the past two games, but it can hang with, or beat, any team in the NFL if it regains that offensive punch. Nwangwu had the most kick return touchdowns in the NFL (2) and finished 13th in return yards (579) despite having six fewer returns than anybody ahead of him on the list. Brandon McManuswill return to Denver for his ninth season in 2022. Denver will also haveSam Martinas their punter for the third straight season. Meanwhile, the defense has been outstanding against the run (81.3 yards allowed, third best), but the pass defense is allowing 283.7 yards per game, the second worst in the league. -- Jake Trotter, The Panthers have been much more efficient since interim coach Steve Wilks took over and committed to the running game. ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN New Head Coach Mike McDaniel will be hoping to get the most out of talented though inconsistent kicker Jason Sanders. Maggio recorded 101 career punts inside the 20-yard line in college and averaged 46.8 yards per punt his senior season. The rookie will compete with veteran Matt Haack for the starting job this season. Abdullah has a career kick return average of 25.4 yards and finished last season with 29 returns for 646 yards while playing for both the Vikings and Panthers. Taylor also has experience returning his punts from his time in San Francisco and holds a 9.3 yards per return average in his career. The Las Vegas Raiders slid five spots after giving up two late touchdowns in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday. Most concerning, the punter lost 0.3 seconds off his hangtime (4.24), which gave teams a better chance to return the ball. Defensively, the Bengals are sixth in fewest red zone touchdowns allowed. The more surprising stat is their defense, which has fallen from a yearly top-five unit to middle of the road, mostly due to a once-stout run defense not being as good as it was when Dennis Allen was the D-coordinator instead of the head coach. Gill finished his collegiate career with 45.8 yards per punt (173 attempts). This defense can travel, and punter Johnny Hekker has been useful. Wild Card weekend . Pollard was exceptional as a kick returner in 2021, averaging 28.8 yards on 17 returns. While they rank 11th in Pass DVOA, this is a spotty secondary that allowed a 100-plus QB rating five times during the regular season and it ranks 18th in pass-rush win rate (40%) with the. Kansas City's special teams are usually outstanding, but not this season: They've fumbled three punts, and their field goal rate of 77.8% is the fourth worst. The Rams found a hidden gem in returner Brandon Powell last season. Weve covered every group on offense and every group on defense. Hes done enough in camp to earn the role in the pros, giving him a shot at making the teams 53-man roster. It's so bad that the team used a two-quarterback system against the Cowboys to generate a spark. If they decide to run it back, then expectTony Pollardto serve as the primary kick returner andCeeDee Lambto be the punt returner. A 2021 first-team All-Pro, Gray is one of the leagues top 3 players in kick and punt coverage. Defense: 24 After spending years as the leagues premier unit behind legendary returner Devin Hester, the Bears are in something of a special teams rebuild. The Seahawks allowed the sixth-most rushing yards to running backs. Few kickers have been more dependable than Robbie Gould throughout his career. Jaelon Darden served as the teams kick and punt returner in his rookie season. He leads a coverage unit along with Akeem Davis-Gaither and Clay Johnston that could be one of the stronger groups in the league this season. They are Mike Clay, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Eric Karabell and Eric . Igwebuike had the sixth-most return yards (697) in the NFL despite returning the ball fewer than 30 times. Kicker Jake Elliott one of the most consistent in the league from inside of 45 yards will look to maintain the success hes had thus far in his career. Logan Cooke has been an extremely consistent punter during his four seasons with the Jaguars. Kalif Raymondhas flashed great playmaking ability in the punt return game over his career (9.1 yards per return) and had a great season for Detroit in 2021. At kick returner, rookie sensation Isiah Pacheco is slated to serve as the teams kick returner after being taken as a seventh-round pick in 2022 out of Rutgers. Find out who the leaders are in standard scoring formats and see which players are available in your fantasy football league. The Bears have been at the top of the league on kickoff returns, but they rank in the bottom 10 on punt returns, having only one of 20-plus yards. They are not a completely hapless team devoid of talent.
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nfl special teams rankings 2022