A top 10 list of the best punters in NFL currently: Find out who tops the list

A top 10 list of the best punters in NFL currently: Find out who tops the list

Ciku Njuguna
updated at July 16, 2023 at 5:44 PM

Skilled punters play a crucial role in a football team pinning the opposing team close to the end zone and leaving their teams some breathing room. A perfectly executed punt kick also gives a team an advantage by earning the defence extra coverage (10–20 yards). Dig in here for a detailed analysis of the best punters in the NFL.

Who is the best punter in the NFL today?
Sean Landeta, (5) New York Giants punter, kicks the ball upfield during the National Football Conference game in the snow against the Denver Broncos on the 10th of December 1989 at the Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado, United States. Photo by Tim DeFrisco/Allsport.
Source: Getty Images

Who are the most successful NFL punters who entered the 2023 season? This article will dive deep into the most recent ranked lists of the best-performing special team players.

Who are the best punters in NFL in 2023?

We have used official NFL stats to compile a list of the most skilled special teamers in the league. Here is a summary of the 10 best punters in the NFL currently with a knack for pinning opposing teams deep into their territory.

Rank

Player

Team

Average yards per punt

Punts

Longest Punt

Yards

10.

Bryan Anger

Dallas Cowboys

44.5

68

83

3291

9.

Johnny Hekker

Carolina Panthers

46.9

81

68

3925

8.

Michael Dickson

Seattle Seahawks

47.7

66

68

3199

7.

Corey Bojorquez

Cleveland Browns

45.9

61

76

2959

6.

Jack Fox

Detroit Lions

43.9

52

66

2525

5.

Jake Camarda

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

53.1

79

74

3859

4.

AJ Cole

Las Vegas Raiders

48.8

59

67

2884

3.

Logan Cooke

Jacksonville Jaguars

50.4

58

70

2862

2.

Tommy Townsend

Kansas City Chiefs

48.5

53

76

2672

1.

Ryan Stonehouse

Tennessee Titans

48.4

90

74

4779

Who leads the NFL in punting yards?
Punter Shane Lechler, #9 of the Oakland Raiders, punts the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium on November 11, 2012, in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo by Rob Carr.
Source: Getty Images

10. Bryan Anger

One of the best Dallas Cowboys punters of all time is 2021 Pro Bowl player Bryan Corey Anger. Anger entered the 2023 season with an average of 48.4 yards per punt and the longest yards of the 2022 season.

9. Johnny Hekker

Four-time All-Pro player, Hekker ranks third among the most skilled punters of all time, having recorded 46.9 average yards per punt in his career. Unmatched kicking skills mark his twelve-year career. In an interview, CBS reporter John Breech spoke on Hekker's performance, saying,

Whenever there is a conversation about the best punters in the NFL, Johnny Hekker’s name always comes up. Since his rookie year in 2012, he has been an absolute weapon for his teams.
Who leads the NFL in punting yards?
Punter Andy Lee, #14 of the Arizona Cardinals, kicks the football during the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on October 10, 2021, in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the 49ers 17-10. Photo by Christian Petersen.
Source: Getty Images

8. Michael Dickson

Seattle Seahawks player Michael Dickson made history in 2018 as a rookie when he became the highest-graded punter in the NFL. Since then, the Aussie football player has maintained a position in the league's leaderboards.

7. Corey Bojorquez

Bojorquez is a special teams member playing as the Browns' 2023 punter. His career began as the all-state punter at Mayfair High School, averaging 46.5 yards per punt, marking his longest kick at 80 yards. In 2020, Bojorquez led the NFL with a 50.8 gross punting average and ranked fourth best in league history.

6. Jack Fox

In 2020, Fox marked 49.0 gross yards and 43.9 net yards breaking NFL records on gross and net yards per punt over the first 100 punts in his career. Impressed by Fox's performance when the Detroit Lions faced off against the New England Patriots in October 2022, one of the greatest coaches of all time, Bill Belichick, told reporters,

“Fox is the best punter in the league. He is a weapon. He punted for accuracy and distance and threw it like a quarterback. That was a long throw, 15 yards deep, good coverage.”
What NFL punters are available now?
Bryan Anger, #19 of the Jacksonville Jaguars, punts the ball against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on October 12, 2014, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Jaguars 16-14. Photo by Wesley Hitt.
Source: Getty Images

5. Jake Camarda

According to BucsNation, Camarda kicked a 74-yard punt, the longest in Tampa Bay history and the third-longest in the NFL in 2022. The Buccaneers' top kicker is known for routinely pinning the opposition behind the 20-yard line with excellent hang time on punts.

4. AJ Cole III

One of the best NFL special-teams performers is Las Vegas Raiders'number 6, AJ Cole III. According to Pro-Football-Reference, the 2021 All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl awardee has made 234 kicks totalling over 11,000 yards in 66 regular season games throughout his career.

Who is the top punter in the draft?
AJ Cole, #6 of the Las Vegas Raiders, punts during the second half of the 2022 Pro Hall of Fame Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 04, 2022, in Canton, Ohio. Photo by Nick Cammett.
Source: Getty Images

3. Logan Cooke

Jags' punter, Logan Cooke, has been hailed as the best special-teams player in the team's history. Since then, the player who entered the NFL in 2018 with a 42.9 net punting average has made over 330 kicks totalling over 15,000 yards for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

2. Tommy Townsend

Over the course of his career, Tommy Townsend has been the recipient of two AFC Special Teams Player of the Month awards, one Pro Bowl, and one Super Bowl championship. Entering the 2023 season, Townsend marked career-high stats with 50.4 yards per kick, 45.6 net yards per kick, and the longest 76-yard kick across 17 games.

Who is the best punter in the NFL today?
Tommy Townsend, #5 of the Kansas City Chiefs, punts against the Tennessee Titans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on November 6, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri. Photo by Cooper Neill.
Source: Getty Images

1. Ryan Stonehouse

Ryan Stonehouse has established himself as the best punter in NFL right now, according to the league's official ranking. As a rookie, the Tennessee Titans special teams player broke an 84-year-old league record averaging 53.1 yards per punt, surpassing Sammy Baugh's 51.4 record.

The best punters in the 2023 NFL Draft

Who are the top 10 punters in the 2023 NFL Draft? Former Illinois and Michigan State college football player Bryce Baringer tops all draft prospect lists for the season as one the best NFL Draft picks of 2023. Scroll down for a summary of the best 10 kickers drafted in the NFL.

Rank

Player

School

10.

Paxton Brooks

Tennessee

9.

Andy Vujnovich

Wisconsin

8.

Joe Doyle

Memphis

7.

Ty Zentner

Kansas State

6.

Lou Hedley

Miami (FL)

5.

Brad Robbins

Michigan

4.

Ethan Evans

Wingate

3.

Michael Turk

Oklahoma

2.

Adam Korsak

Rutgers

1.

Bryce Baringer

Michigan State

Who is the best punter in NFL?
Jack Fox (3) kicks against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half of an NFL football game between the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings in Detroit, Michigan, USA, on Sunday, January 3, 2021. Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto.
Source: Getty Images

Who are the best punters in NFL history?

Football players such as Los Angeles Raiders' Hall of Famer Ray Guy and Oakland Raiders' number 9 Shane Lechler are widely considered the greatest punters in American football history. Here is a summary of more special teams players who made history in the NFL.

Rank

Player

Teams

Average yards per punt

10.

Sean Landeta

New York Giants

Los Angeles Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Green Bay Packers

Philadelphia Eagles

43.3

9.

Yale Lary

Detroit Lions

44.3

8.

Sammy Baugh

Washington Redskins

45.1

7.

Donnie Jones

Miami Dolphins

Seattle Hawks

St Louis Rams

Houston Texans

Philadelphia Eagles

45.5

6.

Andy Lee

San Francisco 49ers

Cleveland Browns

Carolina Panthers

46.3

5.

Pat McAfee

Indiana Colts

46.4

4.

Glenn Dobbs

Brooklyn Dodgers

46.4

3.

Johnny Hekker

St. Louis Rams

Los Angeles Rams

46.9

2.

Thomas Morstead

New Orleans Saints

47.0

1.

Shane Lechler

Oakland Raiders

Houston Texans

47.5

Although special team players tend to be underestimated, the best punters in NFL disapprove of their critics. The players, who are rightly referred to as secret weapons, aid in a team's defence.

READ ALSO: What is the best football team in the NFL right now? Ranking the 10 best NFL teams at the moment

Sports Brief recently published an article outlining the greatest NFL teams of past and recent history. The report includes a detailed analysis of the best-performing football teams in the NFL and an analysis of the regular and playoff performances. Click on the link above to learn about the top squads dominating the NFL this season.

Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.