The Observer ranks the top 5 specialists in the NFL draft
The Observer’s top five specialists available in the 2016 NFL draft:
1. Roberto Aguayo
College: Florida State.
Position: Kicker.
Ht.: 6-foot-0. Wt.: 207.
Projected round: 3rd.
Comment: Most accurate kicker in NCAA history could be first kicker in 10 years to go in first three rounds.
2. Tom Hackett
College: Utah.
Position: Punter.
Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 198.
Projected round: 6th.
Comment: Looks to join growing trend of Australians who are punting in the NFL.
3. Ka’imi Fairbairn
College: UCLA.
Position: Kicker.
Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 183.
Projected round: 6th-7th.
Comment: Last year’s Groza Award winner as nation’s top placekicker led nation with 64.4-yard kickoff average.
4. Drew Kaser
College: Texas A&M.
Position: Punter.
Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 212.
Projected round: 7th-priority free agent.
Comment: Strong-legged punter did not have any punts blocked during his career.
5. Riley Dixon
College: Syracuse.
Position: Punter.
Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 221.
Projected round: 7th-priority free agent.
Comment: Athlete who threw a game-winning TD in overtime vs. Villanova on a fake FG, and also ran for 42 yards on a fake punt vs. Notre Dame.
Panthers’ perspective
Carolina needs a punter after Brad Nortman went to Jacksonville in free agency. The Panthers signed a pair of free agents in Michael Palardy and Swayze Waters, the former CFL standout. Adding another punter to the competition makes sense, although it likely will be an undrafted free agent.
Local connection
Duke’s Ross Martin (5-10, 185) was Rivals’ top kicking prospect coming out of high school in Ohio. He finished his Duke career as the school’s record-holder in seven categories, including field goals (78), field goals attempted (93), field goal percentage (.893), field goals of 50 yards or more (8) and extra points (196). Martin could be a late-round pick or a priority free agent.
Sleeper
Campbell long-snapper Danny Dillon has a good chance of joining a team in need of a snapper as an undrafted free agent. Dillon snapped in an NFL-style punt formation for Camels coach Mike Minter, the former Panthers safety.
Worth noting
In addition to Martin, former Duke punter Will Monday also could be on an NFL roster this spring. Monday, who grew up playing soccer in Georgia, had nearly half of his punts downed inside the 20 last season. ... Hackett, the Utah punter, played two years of Australian Rules Football at a prep school in Melbourne before joining Utah as a walk-on. ... Sam Houston State’s Lachlan Edwards is another Australian punter hoping to join Hackett in the NFL.
Joseph Person
This story was originally published April 24, 2016 at 4:53 PM with the headline "The Observer ranks the top 5 specialists in the NFL draft."