The NFL combine and college pro days are a good time for top prospects to increase their draft stock, and that’s exactly what UTSA kicker Jaffer Murphy did at his pro day.
This past Wednesday, Murphy put together one of the most unreal pro days especially for a player at his position. Murphy ran a blazing 4.50 40-yard dash with some clocking him as low as 4.47. That’s good speed for any position in the NFL let alone a kicker.
More importantly, Murphy showed that he’s an accurate kicker with range. In field goal drills, Murphy made 12-of-his-13 attempts including a 70-yard field goal.
The NFL record for the longest made field goal is 68 yards by Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little.
Murphy served as UTSA’s kick off specialist last season. He transferred last season from North Carolina and previously earned regional and conference honors as a kicker at Division II Lake Erie College in 2024. Prior to playing college football, Murphy was a standout soccer player at Drake and Florida Gulf Coast from 2020-2023.
How Many Kickers Have Been Drafted In The First-Round Of The NFL Draft?
Any position can be drafted in the first-round of NFL Draft, except for special teams players (typically.)
It’s rare to see a kicker or punter drafted, with maybe a couple picks through the seven-round draft each year. Not to say the positions are valued less, the talent pool just usually isn’t worth the value of using a first (or even and early) round pick.
Throughout NFL history, only five kickers have been drafted in the first-round of the draft. Only Charlie Gogolak has been drafted in the top-10 as a kicker, being selected 6th overall in the 1966 draft by the Washington Redskins.
Former Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janokowski was the last kicker selected in the first-round, being drafted 17th overall by the Raiders in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Jaffer Murphy likely won’t be a first-round pick (there’s a good chance he goes undrafted), but he has certainly made a name for himself heading into the draft.
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