49ers draft K Jake Moody with No. 99 pick

The San Francisco 49ers have drafted Michigan K Jake Moody with the No. 99 overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Career statistics

Moody spent five seasons with the Wolverines. He didn’t become the full-time kicker for Michigan until 2021. He never missed an extra point in college, connecting on all 148 attempts. Moody was an 82.1% career field goal kicker. He was responsible for 192 points in 2021 on 23 of 25 field goal attempts. His final season for the Wolverines saw him hit 29 of his 35 attempts, but scoring a career-high 147 points. Moody’s 355 career points are a new record for Michigan.

How can Jake Moody impact the 49ers in 2023?

The 49ers are expected to have a new face kicking for them this season. Veteran Robbie Gould is no longer with the franchise, and the 40-year-old could be hanging up his cleats for good. Moody now will partake in a training camp battle with Zane Gonzalez, who the team signed in free agency. Gonzalez struggled with injuries last season and was unable to hold onto the starting kicker job for the Carolina Panthers.

Moody has a good shot at being the kicker for San Francisco in 2023, but the high draft pick does come with risk. The 49ers made him the highest kicker drafted since 2016. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, now infamously, had drafted Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo with the 59th overall pick. He only kicked one season before only appearing on practice squads the rest of his career to this point. Moody was selected 40 picks later, but still he needs to be ready to prove that he is worth it.