On Day 3 of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected LSU kicker Cade York with the 124th pick. It was the highest a kicker has been drafted since 2016 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Roberto Aguayo in the second round.
When the Browns drafted York on Saturday afternoon, veteran kickers Chris Blewitt and Chase McLaughlin were still on the roster. On Monday, however, the team released them.
With Blewitt and McLaughlin no longer on the roster, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has announced that York will not face any competition during training camp.
In other words, York is on track to be the Week 1 starter for the Browns.
Over the past two seasons at LSU, York made 84.6 percent of his field goal attempts. In 2020, he made a game-winning field goal against Florida from 57 yards out.
During the 2021 season, McLaughlin made 71.4 percent of his field goal attempts for the Browns. Clearly, the front office felt like it needed an upgrade at kicker.
We’ll find out this fall if York is truly that upgrade at kicker the Browns were looking for.
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