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6.203 - Will Reichard, K, Alabama - #46


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17 minutes ago, PrplChilPill said:

You believe in a kicker, take him. I like the idea. No idea on the player

yeah. look at the two guys we drafted in the 7th. between them and Reichard, who's most likely to make the team and actually contribute?

K is a good selection. evidenced by two other teams taking the next kickers in line within nine picks of Reichard. the run had begun.

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Reichard no question had to go up in the major moments at Bama that had big time pressure.

 

Was 295 for 297 in extra points over 5 years.  And sure easy to say he only got the record for most points all time because he played five years, his first year at Bama he only kicked in 5 games so not like he had 5 full seasons go produce all of those points.  84 for 100 in his career in field goals, not bad at all either.

 

Sure that Stanford kicked has a stronger leg but it is not all about that and he had little to zero pressure kicking at Stanford.  And that kicker on Arkansas Little, sure he is promising but again did not have near the pressure situations Reichard had and Reichard even had to punt at times in some big games so that is also impressive.  5-5 on 50+ yard field goals for Reichard this past year is impressive, especially for a kicker that is not known as some big leg guy.  I really like Spencer Shrader on Notre Dame and his wow leg strength but he was not nearly as consistent or accurate much less as proven in the clutch.  

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3 hours ago, wcblack34 said:

Do we have any sixth round picks that are even on the roster currently? If he makes it, that’s a huge plus. 

Josh Metellus was a 6th rounder. I'm not sure of anyone else off of the top of my head. 

I have no issues with this pick. He can be an impact starter right away and I actually trust this coaching staff to develop him and be patient if he starts to struggle a bit. Another thing to think about with this pick, is that Reichard is totally used to hostile kicking environments from kicking in the SEC. Not only that, but he is used to kicking in high-stress kicking situations that comes with kicking in that conference also. Hopefully, that translates to the NFL.

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Reichard, listed at 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds, actually had the opportunity to declare for the NFL Draft last spring but opted to stay at Alabama for another year. When asked about that decision, he emphasized developing as much as possible and specifically noted wanting to improve his kickoffs and field goals from beyond 50 yards.

Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels pointed out the high-pressure situations Reichard regularly found himself in, whether in big-time SEC matchups or College Football Playoff games.

"He's a guy that you can count on in the biggest moments," Daniels said, later highlighting the Rose Bowl semifinal game between Alabama and Michigan.

"He had a 50-yarder and a 52-yarder, and those are probably two of the biggest kicks, really, in the entire playoff series," Daniels said. "He went through this process, and what I love most about it is his consistent ball striking – that's probably the biggest thing that I appreciate within his game. Never does he have any missed hits or hits the ground. Balls always have good trajectories, and he's never had a field goal blocked, or a PAT. And so that says a lot about his operation."

Beyond his on-field success, it was clear throughout the scouting and pre-draft process how well-loved and respected Reichard was in Alabama.

"We had a couple Alabama players come through on Top 30 visits, so every time one came through, I'd make sure to peel off and say, 'Hey man, what do you think about Will?' I felt he was a part of that team. He's not an isolated player, like in some programs, the specialists may be isolated, maybe distant and not necessarily connected to the team. I never got that from the sources I talked with at Alabama, or the sources our other scouts talk to at Alabama, and then obviously through our processes too."

https://www.vikings.com/news/will-reichard-nfl-draft-kicker-alabama

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7 hours ago, vike daddy said:

the Vikings never scheduled a private workout or meeting with Reichard because they didn't want to tip their hand to other teams that he was a target in the Draft.

He might not have been first in everyone's board but it's nice that they were able to time it right and start the kicker run

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Commander Reichard: "I was really hoping the Vikings would pick me, because I knew how great an organization it is. Obviously it's inside, very kicker friendly. I'm super pumped up about it, couldn't be more excited. It's my lifelong dream to play in the NFL, and at the end of the day the Vikings have given me the opportunity to come and compete, so I'm super grateful for that."

"I've always felt it's important for a kicker to kick well in pressure situations. It's very challenging playing for Alabama, being in Top 15 games every week, so you have pressure on you all the time. Especially at Alabama as you're under the microscope all the time, so that's something I take a lot of pride in, for sure."

https://www.vikings.com/news/will-reichard-nfl-draft-kicker-alabama?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3l4ie91QygFdNisQMW7llzbUmB0RzvtaxS4t__W1MdJ4itcQh7sIo2i7c_aem_AZsJOrVz9m_z7Zw-vRA1zsaNssRtXfmxPDnv3LBN1DbNeYVQi-nKpgLJuxshKjcBA8Ohc3IkWFsPpCFmjET0ETf1

 

this is a video Q&A with press, so got to see and hear him speak. he's a mature kid, married, respectful, articulate, grateful without being gushy about it. cool headed. knew he could come out a year earlier, and stayed in college another year to improve self perceived weaker parts of his skillset.

soccer player early on as all NFL kickers are and followed Madrid and then Manchester United. pleased the Vikings might be playing in London this year, if so he and his wife will take in some soccer matches. that one's for you, @Heimdallr

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On 4/27/2024 at 4:34 PM, viking said:

He'd have to be the next Justin Tucker for me to be a fan

I don't need him to be a potential HoFer, I just need him to be the next Pete Stoyanovich (the last kicker to be drafted at pick #203)

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  • VikeManDan changed the title to 6.203 - Will Reichard, K, Alabama - #46

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