There’s kicker drama in South Florida

In the span of 24 hours, the Miami Dolphins went from having zero kickers on the roster to having two. The team added Jason Sanders with the 229th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft on Saturday night before signing former FAU standout Greg Joseph. With the rookies slated to battle it out in training camp and the preseason over the coming months, an under-the-radar story line is sure to develop before roster cuts arrive.

Sanders, Miami’s final pick in this year’s draft, went 25 for 35 (71.4%) on field goals over his career at the University of New Mexico, with a long of 53 yards. The young leg went 111 for 112 (99.1%) on extra points, with his only miss being a blocked kick in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. He is most known for his skill in kickoffs, as he placed third nationally in touchback percentage (81.3%) last season.

Joseph was signed as an undrafted free agent just hours after the draft ended. The highest scorer in FAU history grew up in South Florida and began kicking in high school. Over his last two seasons, Joseph nailed an identical 25 of 35 field goal attempts (71.4%) with a long of 54 yards. He was 165 for 170 on PATs (97.1%) over the course of his collegiate career and was named Honorable Mention C-USA after his final season.

During Adam Gase’s tenure in Miami, special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi has toiled to find consistency in his unit. While it appears the team is finally set at the punter position with left footer Matt Haack, the coaching staff is still in search of stability at kicker after the departures of Andrew Franks and Cody Parkey over the past two seasons. Only time will tell if Sanders or Joseph will be Rizzi’s guy.