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 to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Stanford K Joshua Karty.
#43 Joshua Karty/K Stanford – 6017, 207 pounds (Senior)
Senior Bowl/NFL Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Joshua Karty | 6017/207 | 9 1/8″ | 31 1/2″ | 76 3/8″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
The Good
– Good frame
– Shows big leg and routinely hit from distance (50-plus) with room to spare, offense able to squeeze out points at the half
– High arc on kicks and power feels effortless; ball doesn’t struggle to get over crossbar
– Shows repeatable stroke
– Looks comfortable from the right hash
– Experience handling kickoffs
– Productive career with strong numbers
– Low miss rate from inside 50
– Able to bounce back from misses and not stack bad kicks, shows mental toughness
– Can make occasional tackle
The Bad
– Kicks have tendency to drift left, even when they’re good
– Struggles more from left hash and can overcompensate
– Wasn’t often tested in bad weather
– Kicks tend to have a bit of a curve
– Team’s lack of success didn’t always put him in ultra high-pressure situations
– Stance looks a little closed off and upright/stiff
– Had two career kicks blocked
Bio
– Three-year starting kicker for Cardinal
– Career: 72-of-73 on extra points, 51-of-60 on field goals (85 percent, school record), two tackles
– 2023: 23-of-27 (85.2 percent) on field goals
– 2022: Made all 18 field goals
– 11 career makes from 50-plus, career-long of 61 (school record) and second-longest in PAC-12 history (62 yards, Jason Hanson in 1991)
– Once made 26 straight field goals
– Seven-time conference Special Teams Player of the Week
– Averaged 64.7 yards per kick on kickoffs as senior
– Three-star recruit from Elon, N.C., chose Stanford over Georgia, North Carolina, and Appalachian State; called Stanford his dream school
– Father was a rower at Stanford
– Kicked and punted in high school, went 16-of-21 on field goals as a senior (made a 52-yarder as a junior)
– Hit from 70 yards off a tee in a kicking camp
– Played soccer (which he began playing when he was three), tennis, and was on swim team in high school
– Began playing soccer when he was three
– Trained by kicking specialist coach Dan Orner
– Had a 4.56 GPA in high school
– Founder and president of his high school’s Ping Pong Club
Tape Breakdown
I know. The Steelers aren’t drafting a kicker. But it’s the one position we haven’t profiled all draft season. We’ve done punters, fullbacks, and long snappers but no kickers. So we gotta complete the list. And Karty is regarded as one of the draft’s top legs.
Karty’s leg is loud and proud, and he routinely connected from distance. By my count, 11 of his 51 career field goals hit from 50-plus yards. His career-long is a school-record 61-yarder against Cal, a moment criticized by the media as a “give up” by the coaches in the final moments versus Cal. There wasn’t a rush but still, 61 yards is 61 yards. Here are some other kicks from long-range, showing a high arc that allows him to hit from far out with ease.
While Karty was productive, he struggled more from the left hash. Kicks had a tendency to sail right or be mishit and he didn’t look as comfortable as he did on the right hash. He even missed a 32-yarder from left hash in the Senior Bowl. Too many pulled to the right and overall, his kicks have too much of a curve to them. Even when they’re good, sometimes they sneak just inside uprights.
And Karty didn’t have to kick in too many high-pressure situations. Some game-tying/game-winning boots against Colorado this year but because Stanford usually lost (and lost big) there weren’t many critical moments. Kicking in poor weather was also hard to find. There was a rain game versus Hawaii but by the time he had to kick, the showers tapered off.
Conclusion
Overall, Karty has the big leg and production to warrant NFL looks. But he isn’t an elite-end prospect and there’s concerns about his game from left hash. My NFL comp is Graham Gano.
Projection: Late Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 5.9 – Undrafted Free Agent (Priority Undrafted Free Agent)
Games Watched: Various Kicks And Cut-Ups, All Career Misses
