{"id":850991,"date":"2026-04-03T08:02:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T08:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/850991\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T08:02:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T08:02:29","slug":"rookie-punter-option-for-vikings-could-be-a-2nd-rounder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/850991\/","title":{"rendered":"Rookie Punter Option for Vikings Could Be a \u2026 2nd-Rounder?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"GeorgiaGeorgia punter Brett Thorson (99) punts the ball away during the G-Day spring football game in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, April 16, 2022. The black team won 26-23. News Joshua L Jones. \u00a9 Joshua L. Jones \/ USA TODAY NETWORK.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been scoping punters for the Minnesota Vikings in the upcoming draft, the best one might fly off the board in Round 2. He\u2019s Brett Thorson, and there\u2019s a wild new theory about his draft stock.<\/p>\n

Minnesota could use draft capital on a punter if Thorson keeps climbing boards this spring.<\/p>\n

The Vikings almost certainly won\u2019t use a 2nd-Rounder on a punter, but the idea is out in the rumor mill<\/a> as of this week for Thorson.<\/p>\n

Thorson Could Become an Option for Minnesota \u2014 But Not in Round 2<\/p>\n

A 2nd-Rounder on a punter is wild.<\/p>\n

\"BrettGeorgia punter Brett Thorson drives through the football during a combine drill, showcasing hang time and directional control for scouts evaluating specialist consistency and leg strength Feb 25, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the NFL Scouting Combine as teams assessed punting prospects ahead of the 2026 draft cycle. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Report: Teams Could Spend Day 2 Pick on Thorson<\/p>\n

Get familiar with the name Brett Thorson because his draft placement could blow your socks off.<\/p>\n

NFL insider Jason La Canfora quoted an anonymous personnel executive this week<\/a>: \u201cI don\u2019t know that you can justify taking a punter above the third round, but if that\u2019s the threshold then he meets it. Maybe he even goes late second round.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has elite hang time and distance, and a lot of special teams coaches now seem to be getting more into that and not as much solely looking for the directional stuff\u2026 And he can do that too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another source told La Canfora: \u201cIt\u2019s crazy to talk this way about a punter, but the Georgia kid might be kind of special. If you really need a punter, and you have a coach who wants to be able to flip the field, there\u2019s value to having a great punter.\u201d<\/p>\n

La Canfora added personally, \u201cThorson is a native of Australia with a tough-minded mentality and a willingness to throw his body into traffic to make a tackle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can, and has, led to injuries, but teams who have met with him love him and his metrics are off the charts and if nothing else there is a strong sense among teams I spoke to that he will be selected somewhere on the second day of the draft (second and third round).\u201d<\/p>\n

Thorson is evidently a true weapon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Precedent for Round 4 \u2014 but Not Round 2<\/p>\n

In the last half-decade, the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears<\/a>, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have drafted punters in Round 4, picks that drew scorn from the general public because most specialists can be plucked from later rounds or undrafted free agency.<\/p>\n

Taking Thorson in Round 2 \u2014 or even Round 3 \u2014 would take the cake. And yes \u2014 even the men drafted in Round 4 recently were advertised as game-changers, just like Thorson.<\/p>\n

Short and simple: drafting punters anywhere in Round 2 or Round 3 is lousy business. It\u2019s an example of a general manager getting carried away or getting too cute.<\/p>\n

Thorson\u2019s Scouting Report<\/p>\n

The Australian is 6\u20191\u2033 and 240 pounds. The only knock on him might be a lack of experience in poor weather; they don\u2019t really have that in Australia or at the University of Georgia.<\/p>\n

NFL.com\u2019s Lance Zierlein on Thorson<\/a>: \u201cAustralian punter with adequate drive power and above-average hang time. Thorson gets good leg extension and has the ability to generate consistent lift, allowing the cover team to swarm when punts are returnable. He displayed vast improvement in touch with his coffin-corner kicks in 2025 and checks the boxes to be a Day 3 pick.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BrettGeorgia punter Brett Thorson (92) launches a high, spiraling kick in early action as field position battles take shape, delivering a clean strike off his foot in a championship setting Dec 3, 2022, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, during the SEC Championship game with special teams playing a critical role. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports.<\/p>\n

SI.com\u2018s Ethan Hurwitz on the Georgia punter<\/a>: \u201cThe winner of the Ray Guy Award (given to the nation\u2019s best punter) in 2025, and a finalist of the award one year prior, the two-time All-American was invited to the NFL Combine this past offseason and wowed teams with his strong leg. The Australia native regularly pins teams inside their own 10-yard line and can change the game with one swing of his right leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn his college career, Thorson punted the ball 156 times for 7,115 yards. His longest punt went 75 yards and he averaged 45.6 yards per punt. Though he\u2019s still adjusting the NFL-sized fields coming from Australia, he\u2019s continued to get better through the draft process, which included a stop at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vikings Have Johnny Hekker<\/p>\n

Moreover, the Vikings have a new punter; his name is Johnny Hekker<\/a>. Once upon a time, Hekker was the best punter in football, claiming six All-Pros, four Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl to his name. But that was then, and this is now.<\/p>\n

Hekker represented an average punter by the numbers in 2025, and if he takes off in the Twin Cities, it will require a turn back of the clock.<\/p>\n

\"JohnnyLos Angeles Rams punter Johnny Hekker (6) prepares and swings through a punt, sending the ball deep downfield as coverage units sprint into lanes, illustrating veteran technique and field-flipping ability Dec 23, 2018, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, during a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that Hekker\u2019s contractual structure puts him in line to be the primary punter next season. Minnesota would have to swallow a bit of dead cap if it drafted Thorson and cut Hekker. Teams don\u2019t typically keep two punters.<\/p>\n

Thorson might be an option for the Vikings, but if he\u2019s truly a 2nd-Rounder<\/a>, you can rule him out.<\/p>\n

Minnesota\u2019s punter from the last four years, Ryan Wright, left the Vikings in free agency for a large contract with the New Orleans Saints.<\/p>\n

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