The Baltimore Ravens turned heads when they selected Arizona kicker Tyler Loop in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.
ESPN insider Jamison Hensley questions if the team could keep Loop and cut Justin Tucker, who struggled last season and is the subject of sexual misconduct allegations.
“A month ago, Ravens president Sashi Brown said the team would wait for the NFL to finish its investigation on the allegations of sexual misconduct against Tucker before determining his future in Baltimore,” Hensley wrote.
“But the Ravens made a momentous move Saturday when they drafted a kicker for the first time in their 30-year history. When the Ravens selected Tyler Loop in the sixth round, it was the first sign that Baltimore is preparing for life after Tucker.”
Selecting Loop is certainly a sign that the team could move on from Tucker. Since 2020, 11 kickers have been chosen in the draft. All but one made their initial 53-man roster out of training camp.
The Ravens had 11 picks to work with this year, which is a lot, so using one on a kicker who may not make the team is also a possibility as well.
Tucker has been one of the league’s top kickers since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He’s been the only kicker the Ravens have trotted out onto the field in that time, holding stability on a position that is constantly changing around the league.
However, the struggles from last season (a career-low 73.3 percent conversion rate on field goals), and the sexual misconduct accusations could lead to the end of Tucker’s tenure with the team.
Loop will have to perform well in training camp to win the job, but the message has been made clear: Tucker’s spot on the roster is anything but safe.
