It was critical for the 49ers to fill the kicker’s position after losing their veteran kicker Robbie Gould this season, and yesterday they did so by selecting Michigan kicker Jake Moody.
Gould played for the team for six seasons, making 33 of his 34 field goal attempts for a success rate of 97.1 percent in the most recent campaign. It was the best single-season mark in team history. However, according to a March report, he will test free agency later this month and kick elsewhere in 2023.
Gould has been replaced by Jake Moody as the 49ers’ kicker
In the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers made an exciting and stunning move on Friday by selecting kicker Moody. The former Michigan player moved up to the 99th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft as a result of the signing.
Following his picks, the kicker became the first kicker selected in the first three rounds since Roberto Aguayo, who was selected by Tampa Bay in the second round in 2016.
With the No. 99 overall pick in the 2023 @NFLDraft, the @49ers select Jake Moody!
📺: 2023 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/D3EqkrKdIw pic.twitter.com/yhJLlB05ks— NFL (@NFL) April 29, 2023
Moody is regarded as the greatest kicker in Michigan history, capping his career with a record-breaking 355 points for the entire team. The GOAT of the University of Michigan set single-season records for successful field goals (29), PATs (60), points scored (147), and field goals of at least 40 yards (10), among other statistics, in 2022.
He won the Lou Groza Award in 2021 and finished with the most points (355), field goals (69), and field goals from at least 40 yards (17), in a career at the University of Michigan.
The 49ers took a risk by parting ways with Gould as they relied heavily on the veteran kicker. Though, it is without a doubt a wise decision for the team to select the former Michigan kicker, the bigger issue is whether the 23-year-old can perfectly replace the 40-year-old and his 18-year expertise as a kicker for the Bears, 49ers, and Giants in the same way.
It will be interesting to see if Moody can fill the void in accordance with the team’s expectations.
