Ryan Wright Draws Solid Punter Ranking
Nov 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings punter Ryan Wright (14) celebrates after drawing a penalty during the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
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Slowly becoming a fan favorite, bookie Ryan Wright had some great moments in his first season. The Vikings signed him as an undrafted rookie to compete with existing punter Jordan Berry; Amazingly, the novice beat the veteran. Berry was released just days before rosters were reduced to 53 players. Wright is getting credit not only among fans but also in the national media.
Ryan Wright Achieves Solid Punter Ranking
Position and player rankings are classic things to do in the quiet period before training camp begins. Justin Jefferson was recently taken off the top five receivers list and quarterback rankings are always an easy way to stir up some controversy.
 reacts after throwing an incomplete pass on fourth down during the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/USATSI_19640378-edited-788×444.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/USATSI_19640378-edited-1180×663.jpg” decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” width=”2560″ height=”1439″ alt=”Ryan Wright Achieves Solid Punter Ranking” class=”wp-image-113315″ srcset=”https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/USATSI_19640378-edited-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/USATSI_19640378-edited-788×443.jpg 788w, https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/USATSI_19640378-edited-1180×663.jpg 1180w, https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/USATSI_19640378-edited-428×241.jpg 428w, https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/USATSI_19640378-edited-1536×864.jpg 1536w, https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/USATSI_19640378-edited-2048×1152.jpg 2048w” sizes=”(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px”/><figcaption class=)
December 17, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings punter Ryan Wright (14) reacts after throwing an incomplete pass on fourth down during the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at US Bank Stadium. Mandatory credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY SportsAn unusual ranking topic is bookmakers, but it doesn’t stop John Breech from CBS Sports To do it anyway. Vikings punter Wright is No. 10 on his list.
Brecht explained why it’s hard to rank players by position: “Almost every bookmaker in the NFL is asked to do his job differently: Some are asked to kick it out of bounds, some are asked to return the ball. are told to keep it near the sideline without putting…it’s out of bounds, some are told to boot the ball as far as possible while others are told to shoot for a bigger hang time so that the returner is forced to make a fair catch. When kicking near the end zone, some are said to attempt a coffin corner kick, while others will toss the ball high in the air, hoping It happened that it will sit inside 10.
 celebrates with holder Ryan Wright (14) after kicking a field goal in the first half against the New Orleans Saints during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Saints 28-25. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</p>
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October 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings place kicker Greg Joseph (1) celebrates with holder Ryan Wright (14) after hitting a field goal in the first half against the New Orleans Saints during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Saints 28–25. Mandatory credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsNot only is Wright’s leg being praised, but his arm as well. He completed a fake punt when he connected with fellow rookie Jalen Naylor against the Saints in London.
After going undrafted in 2022, former Tulane punter ended up signing with the Vikings and it didn’t happen [take] He was eager to beat out Jordan Berry for the starting job.
In the first six weeks of the season, it became abundantly clear that the Vikings made a smart decision by retaining Wright. In Week 4, Wright proved he could do more than punt when he converted a crucial fourth down with a 13-yard pass that gave Minnesota a first down.
In Week 6 against the Dolphins, Wright punted the ball 10 times, including a 73-yard punt out of his own end zone, a kick the Vikings desperately needed, which they won 24–16.
Another outstanding play was the aforementioned punt against the Dolphins in which the return man covered a full 20 yards. He completely turned the tide and it made some national headlines. However, there was another play right after the Vikes cut Berry. It was the final preseason game and Wright won the opening game. He probably hit the best shot you’ll ever see in your life.
To have the ball stop like that on the two-yard line is an extraordinary play.
Although Wright dropped out of the top 10 in both punting average (47.4) and net punting average (42.5), he made up for it with his ball placement. Not only did the rookie have the lowest touchback percentage in the NFL—he punted only one touchback on 73 punts—but he also ranked fifth with the percentage of his punts inside his opponents’ 20-yard line (44.7%). These are two major categories for the bookie and the fact that Wright is ranked in the top five in both is why he made this list.
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As Brecht explained, punt average should always be taken with caution because field conditions and coaching points vary. However, he produced only one touchback despite having several punts close to the endzone and that touchback was on Naylor who attempted to down the ball inside the five-yard line.
It will be fun to see if Wright can improve and be more consistent in his second season and whether he can add some more highlight plays.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who loves numbers and statistics. The Vikings became his favorite team at the time, despite quarterback Christian Ponder. He is a walking football encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms and classic rock is his musical genre of choice. If you like Vikings, follow them on Twitter: @JanikEckardt
