Who are the best Punters in the NFL?

The 2024 NFL schedule is fast approaching as the final week of July has arrived and NFL training camps are getting ready to kick off. As the excitement of the upcoming season starts to ramp up among the fans of the NFL as well as the players and coaches, the opportunity to take a look at the best players at each position has arrived. While special teams are often overlooked, especially the punters around the NFL, the overall impact on the game can be flipped with any special teams play from a big kick off return to a punt pinned inside the five-yard line. When you start to look around the best punters landing on the Top 10 Best NFL Punters 2024 Rankings each can pin their opponents deep inside their own field position including Jamie Gillan of the New York Giants.

Gillan who is entering his fifth season in the NFL was a viable weapon for the Giants last season while ranking among the leaderboard of statistics among NFL punters. After a strong first season with the Giants in 2022, the former Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions punter posted career highs in punts, longest punt, punts inside the 20-yard line, a NET average punt yards. Joining Gillan among the best punters in football include AJ Cole of the Las Vegas Raiders, Lou Hedley of the New Orleans Saints, Thomas Morstead of the New York Jets, and Bryce Baringer of the New England Patriots.

Here is a look at the Top 10 NFL Punters 2024 Rankings:

Honorable Mention

Michael Dickson

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Just missing the Top 10 NFL Punters 2024 Rankings list is the Seattle Seahawks punter and former Texas Longhorns special teams standout Michael Dickinson.

Dickinson who was drafted by the Seahawks during the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft has put together a solid punting resume that includes posting at least 25 punts inside the 20-yard line in five of his first seasons including 25 during the 2023 NFL Season.

The Seahawks punter will look to build on 2023 NFL season holding opposing returners to just 6.8 yards per return and a 44.1 NET average per punt mark. Since arriving in the NFL in 2018, Dickinson has averaged at least a 44.1 Net average mark in three of his first six seasons.

Johnny Hekker

Team: Carolina Panthers

The 12-year NFL veteran enters the upcoming 2024 NFL season continuing to rank among the best punters in the NFL.

Hekker, who at times over his career landed atop the list of the best in the game, continues to be a solid option while posting his eighth season with at least 25 punts landing inside the 20-yard line.

Overall, the Carolina Panthers punter finished with a strong 43.0 NET average per punt mark over 82 punts during the season. To go along with those numbers Hekker finished with 25 punts inside the 20-yard line while also holding opposing returners to 6.8 yards per punt return.

Top 10 NFL Punters

10. Riley Dixon

Team: Denver Broncos

Sliding in at number 10 on the Top 10 NFL Punters 2024 Rankings is the Denver Broncos punter Riley Dixon. While the 2023 NFL season presented a down year for the Broncos, Riley Dixon was one of the team’s bright stars helping to flip opposing field positions and ranking among the best punters within the league.

The Broncos punter is coming off a season finishing ranked second in the NFL in Net average yard allowed per punt over 79 total punts during 17 games over the course of the 2023 schedule. Over those 79 punts, Dixon pinned 27 punts inside the 20-yard line while racking up 3,659 punt yards.

In addition, Dixon also finished the season ranked second among punters allowing an average of 6.3 yards per punt return while also recording 27 punts pinned inside the 20-yard line.

9. Tress Way

Team: Washington Commanders

One of the older veterans landing among the best punters in the NFL is the long time Washington Redskins and Washington Commanders punter Tress Way.

Way, who made his NFL debut for the Redskins back during the 2014 NFL season has yet to miss a game during his NFL career appearing in 162 of 162 possible regular season games. Over that stretch Way has averaged 42.5 NET average punt return yards per punt while recording 274 total punts inside the 20-yard line.

The former Oklahoma Sooners punter is coming off another solid season posting 30 punts inside the 20-yard line for the fifth time of his career while averaging 41.1 percent of his 73 total punts inside their opponents 20-yard line mark.

8. Logan Cooke

Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

The importance of special teams revolves around setting up field position, adding points, and making opponents have longer fields to travel.

One of the NFL top punters is the Jacksonville Jaguars Logan Cooke who is coming off a stellar season allowing returners to average just 6.5 yards per return over 61 total punts while only posting four total touchbacks. Cooke, who has been with the Jaguars since the start of the 2018 NFL season is entering his seventh season within the league.

Since arriving the former Mississippi State Bulldogs punter has posted at least 24 punts inside the 20 in five his first six seasons including 29 last season and a career high 37 as a rookie. Even more impressive is the 6.4 average punt return yard mark over his 400 career punts.

7. Corey Bojorquez

Team: Cleveland Browns

Entering his seventh NFL season, the Cleveland Browns Corey Bojorquez has developed into a strong punter ranking among the best within the league.

Entering the upcoming 2024, the Browns punter will look to build on his second season with at least 31 punts pinned inside the 20-yard line. In addition to the 31 punts inside the 20, Bojorquez posted a 42.5 Net average punt yards over his career high 87 total punts during the season.

The 27-year-old punter will also look to build on a strong 49.4 average punt yard mark while also improving his over punt return yards allowed per punt this season which dropped him among the list of the best punters in the NFL.

6. Cameron Johnston

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

The former Ohio State Buckeyes punter Cameron Johnston enters his seventh season within the league as his career continues with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Johnston, who was signed during the off-season to help the Steelers special team’s unit, has spent the past three seasons with the Houston Texans and first three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Despite appearing in just 13 games last season, Johnston did not disappoint posting 30 punts inside the 20 over just 66 total punts while holding opposing punt returners to just seven yards per punt return.

Johnston, who led the NFL in punt yards during the 2021 NFL season, will look to help the Steelers make another run at the NFL playoffs and the AFC North title.

5. Bryce Baringer

Team: New England Patriots

Rounding out the Top 5 on the Top 10 NFL Punters 2024 Rankings list is the New England Patriots second year punter Bryce Baringer.

Baringer, who was selected during the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft put together a stellar rookie season that included leading all NFL punters with 38 punts landing inside the opponents 20-yard line over 98 total punts.

As Baringer enters his second season with the Patriots, the former Michigan State Spartans punter will look to build on his first season that included leading the league in punts inside the 20 while also ranking second in total punts (98), third in longest punt of the 2023 NFL season (79), and second in total punt yards (4,831). Outside of struggles allowing 11.1 yards per punt, the future looks bright for Baringer entering the upcoming season.

4. Thomas Morstead

Team: New York Jets

The long time NFL veteran continues to return for another season while continuing to rank among the best at the position. The 16-year NFL veteran Thomas Morstead is entering his 17th NFL season and second season with the New York Jets during the upcoming 2024 NFL schedule.

Since arriving in the NFL back during the 2009 NFL season, Morstead has racked up multiple accolades including earning one NFL Pro Bowl selection, one Second-Team All-Pro selection, leading the NFL in punting yards during last season, and winning one Super Bowl Championship.

Morstead, who racked up 41,972 punting yards since arriving in the NFL finished last season with an NFL leading 4,831 yards while also posting a career high 36 punts inside the 20-yard line.

3. Lou Hedley

Team: New Orleans Saints

One NFL punter that made a statement during his first season in the NFL is Lou Hedley of the New Orleans Saints who made a strong statement during his NFL debut season.

Hedley finished off his first season allowing just 5.6 yards per punt return while leading all NFL punters during the 2023 NFL season.

To go along with those numbers Hedley averaged 43 yards per punt to go along with 31 punts landing inside the 20-yard line over 75 total punts over 17 games played during last season. As Hedley enters season two, the former Miami Hurricanes punter will look to continue to develop as one of the NFL’s top punters.

2. AJ Cole

Team: Las Vegas Raiders

When it comes to the top two punters in the NFL each are well deserving of the mention with AJ Cole landing at number two. Cole, who is coming off his second First-Team All-Pro selection and third straight Pro Bowl selection, continues to rank among the best NFL punters each NFL season.

The Las Vegas Raiders punter is coming off setting multiple career highs including 34 punts inside the 20, 45.1 NET average yards per punt, and a career low 9.1 yards allowed per punt return.

Cole finished the season tied for the NFL lead with an 83-yard punt, fifth in average yards per punt (50.4), fourth in punts inside the 20 (34), and first in NET average yards per punt (45.1).

1. Jamie Gillan

Team: New York Giants

In at number one on the Top 10 NFL Punters 2024 Rankings is the New York Giants punter Jamie Gillan who gets the slight edge over AJ Cole atop the rankings list.

He is coming off a 2023 NFL season ranked third in the NFL in punts inside the 20-yard line (35) and sixth in Net average yards per punt (7.0) over 95 total punts during the season.

Gillian also added 46-yard average per punt to go along with 42.3 NET average yards per punt and 34 total touchbacks. Even more impressive was Gillan’s ability to limit return yards holding opposing returners to just 6.9 yards per punt over 39 punt return attempts.

How would you rank these NFL Punters going into the 2024-2025 NFL season? Rank below to be added in the Power NFL Punter Rankings.

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