NFL Kicking Charts - Data Visualization

This page visualizes NFL kicking statistics from the 2025 regular season using three distinct charts, each chosen to reveal a different dimension of kicking performance. Together they build a case for why field goal efficiency - not just volume - is the truest measure of a kicker's value.

Central Argument The best NFL kickers in 2025 combine high accuracy across all distances with the ability to convert long-range attempts. Volume alone is misleading - a kicker who attempts more but misses more costs their team points that matter in close games.

Original Dataset - Top 15 Kickers, 2025 Season

Data source: ESPN NFL Stats. Ranked by field goals made. Range columns show made-attempts.

RK	Name	Team	FGM	FGA	FG%	LNG	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+
1	Ka'imi Fairbairn	HOU	44	48	91.7	57	8-8	11-11	16-16	9-13
2	Jason Myers	SEA	41	48	85.4	57	5-6	14-15	13-15	9-12
3	Cameron Dicker	LAC	38	41	92.7	59	7-7	14-15	12-13	5-6
4	Brandon Aubrey	DAL	36	42	85.7	64	10-10	5-5	10-10	11-17
5	Harrison Butker	KC	33	38	86.8	59	9-9	9-9	9-11	5-8
5	Will Reichard	MIN	33	35	94.3	62	6-6	9-9	7-7	11-13
7	Chase McLaughlin	TB	32	38	84.2	65	6-6	9-11	6-9	11-12
8	Cam Little	JAX	30	34	88.2	68	5-5	9-9	8-10	8-10
8	Tyler Loop	BAL	30	34	88.2	52	10-10	11-11	8-9	1-4
10	Blake Grupe	IND/NO	29	37	78.4	60	9-9	10-12	3-6	7-10
11	Nick Folk	NYJ	28	29	96.6	58	5-5	9-9	7-7	7-8
11	Wil Lutz	DEN	28	32	87.5	57	10-10	11-11	3-5	4-6
11	Joey Slye	TEN	28	35	80.0	58	6-6	6-6	7-9	9-14
11	Eddy Pineiro	SF	28	29	96.6	59	5-5	7-7	10-10	6-7
15	Chris Boswell	PIT	27	32	84.4	60	6-6	2-4	10-11	9-11

Chart Analysis

Chart 1 - Field Goal Percentage by Kicker (Accuracy Comparison)

Insight: Accuracy varies far more than rank suggests This bar chart ranks all 15 kickers by FG% rather than FGM, revealing a dramatically different picture than the ESPN standings. Nick Folk and Eddy Pineiro both sit at 96.6% - the highest in the league - yet they rank 11th by total makes. Meanwhile Blake Grupe, ranked 10th by FGM, posts only 78.4% accuracy. The chart makes visible the gap between volume-based rankings and true efficiency. For a team facing a close game or fourth-quarter field goal attempt, FG% is the number that actually predicts success.

Chart 2 - FGM vs FGA (Volume vs Misses)

Insight: The gap between bars reveals who is costing their team points By placing FGM and FGA side-by-side for each kicker, this chart makes missed field goals immediately visible as the space between bars. Fairbairn leads with 44 made out of 48 attempts - a narrow gap. Grupe attempted 37 but made only 29, leaving 8 misses on the board. Joey Slye had 7 misses. Each miss is worth 3 points; Slye's misses alone represent 21 lost points over a season. The chart reframes "how many did they make" into "how many did they cost their team."

Chart 3 - 50+ Yard Conversion Rate (Long-Range Efficiency)

Insight: Long-range kicking separates elite kickers from the rest strategically This chart converts each kicker's 50+ yard data into a percentage and plots it as a bar. Will Reichard leads at 84.6% (11/13), followed by Nick Folk at 87.5% (7/8). At the bottom, Tyler Loop converted just 1 of 4 attempts (25%). This matters because teams with reliable long-range kickers can attempt field goals from midfield at the end of halves - a strategic option teams with poor long-range kickers simply cannot use. Reichard and Aubrey both received 13+ attempts from 50+ yards, signaling that their coaches trusted them in these high-leverage situations.

Summary

Taken together, these three charts support a clear argument: the NFL rankings by field goals made obscure significant performance differences. The top-ranked kicker by volume (Fairbairn) is also highly accurate - but several kickers ranked by raw makes are masking costly miss rates. For teams evaluating kicker performance, FG% and long-range conversion rate are stronger predictors of strategic value than total makes alone.