Let’s laugh at the three teams who drafted kickers not named Rodrigo Blankenship

There were actually three teams who passed on drafting Colts rookie stud Rodrigo Blankenship in favor of other kickers.

As tough of a decision as it was, the Indianapolis Colts’ front office ultimately made the right call when they opted against re-signing veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri last offseason in favor of rolling with some fresh legs at the position.

In puzzling fashion, however, Vinatieri’s heir apparent wasn’t identified during the 2020 Draft this past April. Knowing that they could wait until after the annual showcase to nab their man, Indianapolis used their draft capital to upgrade other areas of the roster before signing Georgia stud Rodrigo Blankenship as an undrafted free agent.

Through 10 games, the 23-year-old rookie has been a revelation in the kicking game for the Colts, and he was rightfully named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after sinking Green Bay with a game-winning field goal in overtime.

In light of the tremendous success Blankenship has enjoyed in the early stages of his career, it’s only right that we laugh at the three teams who decided that other eligible kickers were more worthy of being drafted.

That’s right, folks: the Patriots, Bills and Rams all drafted kickers not named Blankenship and they, for the most part, are suffering the consequences.

New England used a fifth-round pick on Marshall product Justin Rohrwasser. After losing the kicking battle in training camp, he’s spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad.  If you recall the controversy that surrounded him for his “Three Pecenters” tattoo — which has since been removed — you’ll come to the realization that he’s done plenty more harm than good since entering the NFL.

Buffalo, meanwhile, spent a sixth-round selection on Georgia Southern star Tyler Bass. That move actually hasn’t been a travesty, but he’s still no Blankenship. For the season, he’s converted 76% of his field goal attempts (19-of-25) and 96.7% of his point-after tries (29-of-30).

Like the Bills, Los Angeles used a sixth-rounder on Miami (Ohio) product Sam Sloman, who appeared in seven games before he was released in light of his glaring inconsistency. During that span, he hit field goals at a 72.7% clip and extra points at an 85.7% clip.

Blankenship is in the clear when it comes to being compared to those three rookies. For the season, the former Bulldog has drilled a ridiculous 88.5% of his field goal attempts and an equally-impressive 92.6% of his extra point tries.

Listen closely, ladies and gents, because we’re only going to say this one more time: respect the damn specs!

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