{"id":45712,"date":"2025-05-02T10:12:58","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T10:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=45712"},"modified":"2025-05-02T10:12:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T10:12:58","slug":"ravens-new-kicker-facing-most-pressure-of-rookie-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=45712","title":{"rendered":"Ravens’ New Kicker Facing Most Pressure of Rookie Class"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
The Baltimore Ravens’ late-round specialist has the biggest challenge ahead of him among not just his fellow classmates, but arguably any 2025 draftee in the league.<\/div>\n
\n
\"Feb<\/picture><\/figure>\n
Feb 26, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Arizona place kicker Tyler Loop (PK05) kicks a field goal during workouts at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images \/ Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/div>\n
\n

erhaps no rookie in the NFL has a taller or tougher task ahead of them than Baltimore Ravens sixth-round kicker\u00a0T<\/a>yler Loop\u00a0out of Arizona. As strange as that sounds for a late-round specialist to be under just as or arguably more pressure to perform than someone like first overall pick Cam Ward, the new franchise quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, it’s true nonetheless.<\/p>\n

Ward is supplanting a former second-round bust in Will Levis under center for the lowly Titans who have finished last in the AFC South in each of the past two seasons and are multiple years away from being viewed as a contender. Meanwhile, Loop will be tasked with following in the footsteps of an all-time great and future Hall of Famer in\u00a0Justin Tucker\u00a0on a roster of the two-time defending AFC North champions who are among the top Super Bowl caliber teams in the league.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Whether he has to beat out or gets to just supplant Tucker who is facing\u00a016 allegations\u00a0of inappropriate sexual behavior, Loop still has to deal with the pressure that inevitably comes with having to replace a franchise legend. Not only has the 13-year veteran been the gold standard for the position for the past decade, but he still holds the mantle as the most accurate of all time despite coming off the worst season of his otherwise illustrious career in which he missed a career-high 10 kicks.<\/p>\n

“I think it’s really exciting more than pressure, just because it gives you something to shoot for, right? We always want to be improving. We always want to be chasing perfection and learning how to adjust well and make kicks,” Loop said during his introductory press conference. “Getting to follow in the footsteps of a guy like [Justin Tucker] who’s been so elite and get to compete with him and maybe learn from him, that gets me fired up. I’m ready to get up there and start competing and finding ways to win games and make kicks.”<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Loop has been admiring and looking up to Tucker and admiring his game since before the former undrafted gem made a name for himself in the league as the greatest kick in NFL history.<\/p>\n

“Justin Tucker is from Texas, and I was a [Texas] Longhorn fan growing up, so there’s elements of guys like that who have had success in the League and have been regarded as the elite place kickers in the NFL,” Loop said. “I admire a lot of parts of their games, but it’s one of those where it’s like, ‘Hey, I’ve got things that I can do to learn from them, but I’ve also got my own style and my own kicking.’ Just figuring out what’s going to work to be successful in Baltimore and make kicks and win games, what that looks like is just stacking days and learning and taking input and just competing every day.”<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

In order to usurp Tucker in the same way he did as a rookie in 2012 when the Ravens’ incumbent at the position was former Billy Cundiff who was just one year removed from a First Team All Pro season, Loop will have to prove he can be a consistent technician when it comes to mechanics and results.<\/p>\n

“I’d say the one thing that I hang my hat on is being a student of craft,” Loop said. “Guys in golf and baseball, you have a swing coach, because we’re doing the same thing, trying to hit the same ball every time.”<\/p>\n

The Lucas, Texas native started working with professional kicking coach Morgan Lineberry through Kohl’s Professional Camp starting in his sophomore year when he led the Pac-12 in field goal percentage by making all 12 of his attempts.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

“That’s something that I really enjoy, because there are days where you don’t feel good,” Loop said. “There are days where you’re not in a groove, and if you’re not feeling it, you can always fall back on your mechanics to be successful and make kicks, and so that gets me excited, knowing that that’s just something that I enjoy is the mechanics of the game and how kicking works.”<\/p>\n

Although his efficiency stats went down in each of the next three seasons, part of it was a result of an increase in his volume of attempts and degree of difficulty. Loop was especially impressive from long distances in 2024, making 6-of-9 from 50-plus yards out including a career-long 62-yarder that he drilled with ease.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n