Cleveland Browns avoid first round WR in 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft
By Kyle Edmond
Round 7, Pick 221: Nate Needham, K, Bowling Green
2242. Scouting Report. Bowling Green. Nate Needham. 7. player. Pick Analysis. K
If the Cincinnati Bengals have taught us anything this year it’s that drafting a kicker can pay off. You just have to find the right one. As of right now, the Cleveland Browns are the only team in the AFC North that don’t have an elite kicker. Justin Tucker in Baltimore, Chris Boswell in Pittsburgh and now Evan McPherson in Cincinnati, Cleveland could be looking to try and find their kicker of the future of the late rounds.
Nate Needham came a long way for Bowling Green in his final season and was among the top kickers in college football. A First-Team All-American from the Mid-American Conference, Needham was 19-of-20 on field goals, having a 95% success rate to lead the nation. His only miss came in the final week of the season. He also was 2-of-2 from 50+ yards, being one of three kickers in the nation to be perfect from 50+ with multiple makes.
As for extra points, he missed his first attempt of the season and then proceeded to go a perfect 26-of-26 the rest of the season. That included being 8-for-8 in one game against Buffalo.
The sample size of success is small for Needham with majority being from his final season, but it’s worth a seventh round flier for Cleveland. Plus, kicking in Bowling Green, which is only a few hours from Cleveland, he should be well prepared for the weather conditions going from northwest Ohio to northeast Ohio.