Cleveland Browns: Re-drafting Day 3 of 2017 NFL Draft
By Cory Kinnan
Round 7, Pick 224: Harrison Butker, K, Georgia Tech
Original Pick: Zane Gonzalez, K, Arizona State
This writer is usually not in favor of drafting kickers, but revisionist history is easy to use when a kicker has been successful through the first two years of his career. Harrison Butker has been a stellar kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, while Zane Gonzalez was cut just two weeks into last year after blowing two straight games to start the season.
As a rookie, Butker made 38 kicks out of 42 attempts, including four out of five from 50+ yards; He also nailed all of his extra points as a rookie. Last year, his number was not called nearly as often as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense torches opposing defenses. Still, Butker made 24 out of 27 kicks and 65 of 69 extra points in 2018.
Gonzalez, on the other hand, has never put it together after being named the nation’s best kicker during his last year at Arizona State University. During his rookie season in Cleveland, Gonzalez made just 75 percent of his kicks, going 15 for 20. He was given another chance to start with the Browns in year-two, but had a potential game-winning kick blocked week one, then missed a game-winner the next week as well.
He went just two-for-five in the first two games of the 2018 season and managed to miss two extra points as well. Later in the season he landed with the Arizona Cardinals, still only converting about 78 percent of his kicks in five games back home in the desert.