From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Iowa P Tory Taylor.
#9 TORY TAYLOR, P, IOWA – (SENIOR) 6035, 229 POUNDS
Senior Bowl Invite
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Tory Taylor | 6035, 229 | 9 1/4 | 32 | 78 3/8 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| DNP | DNP | DNP |
THE GOOD
— Possesses good size and a big frame for the position
— Has good hand size (9-1/4 inches) to handle the snap
— Experienced after starting for Iowa the last four seasons
— Has a clean operation from catching the ball to punting it away
— Gets his punts off cleanly and quickly
— Has a powerful leg that can send the ball 60-plus yards before a roll/bounce
— Can directional punt well with his Aussie-style of kicking
— Does a good job coffin-corner punting to pin opponents near their end zone
— Placed 126 punts inside the 20-yard line during his college career
— Flashes impressive hangtime on deep punts
— Steadily improved performance with each season, playing exceptionally in 2023
— Has experience holding on field goal units
THE BAD
— Will turn 27 before his rookie season
— Can outkick his coverage, leading to good returns on his long punts
— Can be more consistent with his hangtime
BIO
— Senior prospect from Melbourne, Australia
— Born July 10, 1997
— Sport and recreation management major
— Played Australian football as a youth, but did not play high school
— Participated in Pro Kick Australia after high school to learn how to punt
— Created “Punting Is Winning” T-shirts that were sold for Count the Kicks, a charity that supports awareness to help moms track their baby’s movements to prevent stillborn children
— Earned the starting job in 2020 and punted 40 times for 1,765 yards (44.1 avg) with a long of 61 yards and 18 pinned inside the 20-yard line
— Punted 80 times in 2021 for 3,688 yards (46.1 avg.) with a long of 69 yards; landed 38 inside the 20-yard-line, recording 13 touchbacks with 27 going over 50 yards or more
— Had 82 punts in 2022 for 3,725 yards (45.4 avg.) with a long of 70 yards; landed 38 inside the 20-yard-line, recording 11 touchbacks with 27 going over 50 yards or more
— Had 93 punts in 2023 for a school-record 4,479 yards (48.2 avg.) with a long of 67 yards; 40 went 50-plus yards with 32 landing inside the 20-yard line
— Has the most punting yards in a season with 4,479 and the highest career average punting yards (46.3 yards) in FBS history
— Ray Guy Award (2023), unanimous All-American (2023), 2× Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year (2020, 2023), 2× first-team All-Big Ten (2020, 2023), third-team All-Big Ten (2022)
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Coming at you with our first punter scouting profile, this one on Iowa’s Tory Taylor, a prolific special teamer who won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best punter in 2023. Taylor came over from Melbourne, Australia, after earning a scholarship with the Hawkeyes and won the starting job shortly after arriving on campus. He ended up becoming a weapon for the Hawkeyes on special teams, being recognized as their best player thanks to the difference he can make in the field-position battle throughout a game.
When you pop in the tape on Taylor, you see a big-legged Aussie who can boom punts into another dimension. He had 103 punts go 50-plus yards during his college career, including his career long against Michigan in the Big Ten Championship game last season. He sent this punt, 67 yards, which was the second-longest punt in the game’s history. Taylor catches the ball on his own goal line and booms it to the opposing 40-yard-line, getting a favorable bounce at the end to add to the already strong kick.
Not only does Taylor have a strong leg, he also is very accurate with his directional punting. He sets up his punts to drive his kick to where he wants it to go on the football field, showcasing a blend of power and finesse. Take a look at these punts below against Penn State and Western Michigan this past season. He booted both punts inside the 5-yard-line, having both downed near the 1-yard line, putting the opposing offense in a bind thanks to Taylor flipping field position.
As mentioned above, Taylor has good control and accuracy to go with the power in his leg. He does a good job angling for that coffin corner punt like in the clip below against Rutgers, sending the kick high into the air with no returner back for the Scarlet Knights, having the ball roll out of bounds near the 5-yard-line.
Taylor’s power and accuracy also don’t alter much throughout the game as he’s a pretty consistent punter throughout the contest. This consistency was imperative for Iowa’s success, the Hawkeyes having a struggling offense but a stout defense that could keep games close when the opposing offense had to drive the length of the field. A good game showcasing Taylor’s impact as a punter came on Oct. 9, 2021. Taylor punted nine times for a 44.2 yard average, including six downed inside the 20 (three inside the 5), helping No. 3 Iowa defeat No. 4 Penn State.
CONCLUSION
Tory Taylor is one of the best punter prospects that we have seen in recent memory. He has the powerful leg as well as the accuracy and consistency to help whatever team he’s on win the field position battle on special teams. He can flip a field with ease and can pin opposing offenses deep in their own territory. That puts the defense in position to be aggressive with the opposition pinned against their own goal line and having to drive the length of the field.
When coming up with a pro comparison for Taylor, Shane Lechler came to mind as one of the best punters in the 2000s, standing 6-2, 230 pounds with a similar body type and dominance at booting the ball. Lechler was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round back in 2000 and played 18 years in the league, routinely placing opponents inside the 20 and flipping the field for the Raiders and later the Houston Texans.
Taylor is capable of making that kind of impact in the league and thus could command a pick as early as the third or fourth round in this year’s draft. It seems like a high price to pay for a punter who will be 27 when the 2024 season starts. After releasing Pressley Harvin III, the Steelers should have Taylor in their crosshairs as they look to find a difference maker at the position and improve a punting game that has struggled the last several seasons.
Projection: Early Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.5 Rotational Player (Fourth Round)
Games Watched: at Penn State (2023), vs Michigan (2023), vs Western Michigan (2023), at Rutgers (2022), vs Penn State (2021)
