Minnesota Vikings select Will Reichard in 6th round of 2024 NFL Draft

Alabama kicker Will Reichard has been selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, taken with the No. 203 overall pick.

He was remarkably consistent for five years with the Crimson Tide, emerging as one of the best kickers in the nation. And he came through in big spots countless times.

As a senior in 2023, Reichard managed to go 22-of-25 on field goal attempts, hitting a long of 52 yards. He finished as the NCAA’s career point leader with 547 points, making 84 field goals and 295 PATs.

He finished as a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.

During his entire career at Alabama, Reichard finished 84-of-100 on field goal attempts, with that long of 52 yards, which he made multiple times. He also occasionally punted, something that undoubtedly raised his NFL Draft profile in the eyes of multiple teams.

Prior to enrolling at Alabama, Will Reichard was a three-star prospect and the No. 1,237 overall recruit in the 2019 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

He also checked in as the No. 1 kicker in the class and the No. 44 overall player from the state of Alabama, hailing from Hoover (AL) Hoover.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Will Reichard

The only real knock on Reichard is his leg strength. While it’s not bad, it’s not necessarily on the plus side for an NFL kicker.

Still, with the kind of accuracy Reichard brings to the table he can almost certainly find a way to remain on NFL rosters for a long time.

Here’s what the NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein had to say in evaluating Will Reichard:

“Highly experienced in high-level matchups inside the SEC and in the College Football Playoff. Reichard kicks with consistent lift. He’s as close to automatic as you will find under 40 yards and can make 50-plus yard kicks with a high success rate but has average leg strength by the standards of today’s NFL.

“Reichard needs to prove he can plant a higher percentage of kickoffs as touchbacks, but his accuracy and talent should give him a strong chance at being drafted in the middle rounds and becoming a starting NFL kicker.”