Between now and the 2022 NFL Draft, we will be bringing you a series of pro comparisons for 2022 NFL Draft prospects. Now, this isn’t something that I usually incorporate into my draft analysis. However, some comparisons from the 2022 NFL Draft class — like the one I’m about to share — are too intriguing not to investigate. Can Penn State punter Jordan Stout become the next Johnny Hekker?
2022 NFL Draft Comparisons: Jordan Stout and Johnny Hekker
“They’re telling me that they would love for me to be the next Hekker. That’s the greatest compliment you can get as a punter,” Stout excitedly tells me during a recent sitdown with Pro Football Network. It was an unprompted comparison from the 2022 NFL Draft prospect, merely a response to a question about paying attention to potential landing spots.
Yet, eerily, the answer correlated perfectly to my immediate feelings in the wake of the Los Angeles Rams releasing a player who has been at the forefront of his position since arriving in the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2012. When the announcement was made that the Rams were cutting Hekker, I took to social media and typed out the words: “Jordan Stout landing spot.”
There’s more than just one punter in this 2022 NFL Draft class. In fact, we’re looking at potentially the greatest punting class in draft history. San Diego State’s Matt Araiza is considered a potential Day 2 pick. Georgia’s Jake Camarda is just as likely to hear his name called in Las Vegas at the end of the month.
Alongside Stout, there’s a multitude of punters who have the potential to be drafted. However, the Penn State punter instantly feels like a ready-made replacement for the Rams. The landing spot isn’t simply a product of coincidence or a random name out of the hat. The comparisons to one of the greatest punters of the 21st century are all too clear to see with the 2022 NFL Draft prospect.
Hekker’s pro career sets a high bar for any 2022 NFL Draft comparisons
As Stout enthuses, being compared to Hekker is the greatest compliment that a punter can receive. In many respects, Hekker has broken new ground for the position. Ahead of the 11th campaign of his career, the now-Carolina Panthers punter has established himself as a modern-day great. He’s etched his name into the NFL record books with his punting performances.
The epitome of “going out in style,” Hekker ended his tenure with the Rams as a Super Bowl champion. However, it was a 65-yard punt in Super Bowl LII against the Patriots that put him in the record books. No other punter has hit a longer punt in the Super Bowl than Hekker. Meanwhile, his 44.23-yard average in 2013 remains the best punting season in NFL history.
A four-time first-team All-Pro and two-time second-team All-Pro, Hekker also holds a spot on the NFL 2010’s All-Decade team. The magical punter has a career-long 78-yard punt, showcasing his impressive leg strength. Meanwhile, dropping 39.8% of his punts inside the 20 demonstrates his ability to consistently and accurately pin his opponents.
Despite his sensational career, Hekker was an undrafted free agent coming out of Oregon State. That’s not to say he wasn’t a talented college punter. In fact, he was one of the most prolific punters in Oregon State history. However, as we delve into the comparisons with Stout, there’s a reason for excitement about the NFL outlook for this 2022 NFL prospect.
Making the case for Stout’s 2022 NFL Draft comparison
Making NFL Draft comparisons is an interesting business. What exactly are you comparing? Does a prospect physically resemble a pro player? Is it their play style that draws comparison? Maybe it’s a statistically similar college career that potentially tracks as a pro projection? Perhaps it’s a little bit of everything above with a little bit of something that you can’t quite explain.
At 6’3″ and 209 pounds, Stout is a little shorter than the 6’5″ former Rams punter. Furthermore, Hekker is substantially bulkier than the Penn State product at 241 pounds. However, coming out of Oregon State, Hekker was listed at 221 pounds, so there’s a closer physical resemblance at this stage in their football journey than meets the eye.
Their college career comparisons make for exciting reading for the 2022 NFL Draft prospect. Both punters saw year-over-year growth in their punting average, with Hekker elevating his 39.7-yard punt average from 2008 to 44.0 yards in 2011. Stout’s career average is 44.5 yards per punt, and he posted a similar 5-yard improvement between his first and final year as a punter.
There are eerie similarities in terms of leg strength, too. At Oregon State, Hekker boomed a program record 74-yarder against USC. Stout’s career-long is 76 yards. The six-time NFL All-Pro hit 23% of his Oregon State punts over 50 yards. Meanwhile, Stout hammered 29.47% of his Penn State punts beyond the 50-yard mark.
Anything Hekker can do, Stout can do too
Furthermore, the Penn State prospect downed 44.2% of his punts inside the 20, outstripping Hekker’s 39% college career number. Interestingly, in terms of projecting college success to the NFL, while Hekker increased his yards per punt average to 46.7 in the NFL, his inside-the-20 success rate remains at 39% — the same as at Oregon State.
However, the comparisons involve more than just punting for this 2022 NFL Draft prospect. During his career, Hekker has attempted 23 passes on fake punts. Additionally, he’s been called into action on field goals and extra points. While Stout’s field goal conversion rate of 64.5% isn’t NFL starter-caliber, he holds the Penn State program record with a 57-yarder. Additionally, he wowed college football fans with his arm on a fake punt against Michigan this season.
Anything Hekker can do, Stout can do just as well. While Araiza has the leg cannon and Camarda has impressive consistency and accuracy, no other player can compare better to the former Rams punter in this 2022 NFL Draft class.
It’s no coincidence that Stout was the prospect to come to my mind when the Rams released Hekker. And it’s no coincidence that they’ve already established a relationship with his potential replacement.