The Los Angeles Rams certainly have been pleased with the outstanding contribution of rookie kicker Joshua Karty. After all, the first year for a placekicker in the NFL is that first year. That is not to say that the second year is smooth sailing for everyone. After all, just ask San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody.
He was a special kicker, so special that the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the 2023 NFL Draft in Round 3 with the 99th overall pick. That valuable of an investment is not common in the NFL. In fact, it's unheard of. But this was a solid 49ers roster whose only need seemed to be that lone placekicker to solidify field goal kicking. Jake Moody was the kicker up for grabs in that draft.
Or, was he?
Moody was impressive in his rookie season, plunking 84 percent of his field goal attempts, and 98.4 percent of his extra point conversions. For comparison purposes, the Rams drafted Stanford kicker Joshua Karty with the 209th overall pick in Round 6 the 2024 NFL Draft. Karty kicked 85.4 percent of his rookie field goals in 2024, and just 88.9 of his extra points.
So, what's the problem?
The 49ers may have buyer's remorse. You see, Jake Moody did not improve in his second NFL season. He regressed in a big way. Moody only made 70.6 percent of his field goals in 2024, down significantly from 84.0 percent the previous year. Even his extra point suffered slightly, down to 97.0 percent from 98.4 percent. And at a distance of 40+ yards, Jake Moody's accuracy plummeted from six out of nine to 10 out of 20.
How bad is it? It's so bad that the 49ers are purposefully bringing in competition. That's right, just two years after spending a top-100 pick on a kicker, the 49ers have added someone who may kick Jake Moody out of a job and off the team.
49ers are signing veteran kicker Greg Joseph to a one-year deal, per his agent @TesslerSports.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 16, 2025
Greg Joseph is a bit of an NFL hobo. That is, he travels to wherever the work is. And in his six NFL seasons, he has played for six different NFL teams. He suited up for the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, and New York Jets in 2024, hitting 80 percent of his field goals and 100 percent of his extra points. Now, he's in a kicking competition to win the starting role for the Rams' rivals.
We chortled when the 49ers wasted a Round 3 pick on a kicker in 2023. Wasted, not used. After all, that was the year when the Rams panned for Puka Nacua gold in Round 5 of the same draft.
Every draft is a crap shoot, and I get that. Five kickers were up for grabs in the 2023 NFL Draft with draftable grades, and the Rams were able to sign one of them, N.C. State's kicker Christopher Dunn, after the draft concluded. Only three kickers were drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. Was Moody truly worth a Round 3 investment?
While his NFL career is still going, the first chapter of Jake Moody's NFL experience suggests that the 49ers overbid for him. And now, they are important training camp competition to cut their losses.
As always, thanks for reading. And in this case, for laughing.
