2017 Jaguars rookie minicamp: Nicholas Weiler’s ‘leg strength’ is what sets him apart

The Jacksonville Jaguars will begin their rookie minicamp on Friday and that means 64 draft picks, undrafted free agents, and workout players will be at EverBank Field today trying to make an impression.

One such player is North Carolina kicker Nicholas Weiler, the only placekicker at camp and a guy who has a real shot at making it to training camp. The Jaguars need an extra leg to not overwork Jason Myers.

Inside The Pylon’s Chuck Zodda broke down the top UDFA kickers going into camps this weekend and Weiler made the top five:

5. Nick Weiler, North Carolina – Jacksonville Jaguars

For me, Weiler’s profile has always surpassed his actual talent. While the former Tar Heel will never have to buy a drink in the state of North Carolina after his 54-yard make against Florida State in 2016 (and rightly so), his overall college performance is unremarkable aside from his junior year, where he notched 87% accuracy, though he was just 4-for-6 from 40 to 49 yards during that campaign. In his career, he is just 8-for-12 from that distance, and 3-for-5 from 50+ yards, indicating that the bulk of his superior performance during that junior season came on a greater-than-expected number of attempts from short distance. Weiler is worthy of a camp invite, but the consistency required to be an NFL kicker likely appears out of his reach at this point, but his leg strength makes him a potential developmental candidate.

Weiler could very well make his way onto the training camp roster. Jason Myers was an undrafted player himself and he’s the only other placekicker on the roster or coming to the rookie minicamp, so Weiler could be there to keep the team from overworking Myers’ leg.

Read all of Zodda’s article at Inside The Pylon here.