Four special teams players to watch in 2024 NFL Draft

NFL kickoffs are about to look much different. Thanks to recently approved rule changes, special teams players could have more value than ever. Here are four to keep an eye on in the 2024 NFL Draft.

K Joshua Karty, Stanford

Karty made just 66.7% of field goals in his first college season but went 18-for-18 in 2022, including 13 kicks of 40 yards or more. He also had a career-long kick of 61 yards that year, winning the first of two Irving S. Zeimer awards as the team’s most valuable player.

He made 85.2% of field goals last season, with the ninth-most attempts (27) in college football. Karty has been one of the most accurate and consistent kickers in the NCAA over the past two seasons, with leg strength that should keep him in the NFL for years.

P Tory Taylor, Iowa

At 6-foot-4 and 232 pounds, the 26-year-old Australian punter would seem better suited for a rugby field if not for his terrific right leg. A unanimous All-American and Ray Guy Award winner in 2023, Taylor holds the Big Ten record with a career average of 46.3 yards per punt with 40 punts of at least 50 yards. He also set the NCAA single season record with 4,479 punt yards, a mark that stood since 1938.

According to The Athletic's Scott Dochterman, a number of teams have talked with Taylor at the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine. The Pittsburgh Steelers could be a strong possibility for Taylor after releasing punter Pressly Harvin III.

WR Xavier Worthy, Texas

Worthy put the NFL on notice by running the fastest 40-yard dash in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine. His 4.21-second speed netted him 1,041 yards and five scores as a receiver in 2023 and 371 yards as a punt returner, the most in college football.