Over the following few months, we’re breaking down the entire undrafted free brokers signed by the Jets since April’s draft. Nonetheless, right now we’re specializing in one other latest veteran addition; kicker Jason Sanders.
The 30-year previous Sanders is listed at 5’11” and 186 kilos and was a seventh spherical pick of New Mexico in 2018. He had seven strong seasons with the Miami Dolphins, throughout which he was an all-pro in 2020. Nonetheless, he didn’t play final season attributable to harm.
Sanders was unranked as a highschool recruit, however enrolled at New Mexico and was their kickoff specialist in his first season in 2014. He bought some probabilities to contribute as a placekicker in 2015 however missed 4 of his seven discipline objective makes an attempt.
Sanders broke out in 2016 as he made 12 of 13 discipline objectives and all 59 of his additional level makes an attempt. That included a game-winning discipline objective with 66 seconds left in a win over Utah State.
In 2017, he solely made 10 of his 15 discipline objective makes an attempt however was nonetheless drafted by the Dolphins within the seventh spherical the next April.
He impressed as a rookie, making 18 of 20 discipline objectives. Nonetheless, he missed seven in his second season.
2020 was Sanders’ greatest season up to now, as he led the NFL in scoring and missed simply three of 39 discipline objectives makes an attempt to earn all-pro honors.
Nonetheless, he regressed once more in 2021, lacking a career-high eight discipline objective makes an attempt. Since then, he has had three strong seasons, however spent the whole 2025 season on injured reserve.
Miami launched Sanders in March and he was picked up by the Giants, however they lower him final week.
The Jets signed Sanders final week after having launched Younghoe Koo following some accuracy points throughout OTAs.
Now let’s break Sanders down in a wide range of classes, based mostly on in-depth analysis and movie examine.
Sanders isn’t very massive, and didn’t conduct a exercise at his professional day. Nonetheless, he’s a former soccer participant and has proven flashes of athleticism as a tackler and on onside kicks and pretend discipline objectives.
Sanders has a formidable leg. Though his longest discipline objective on the NFL degree is simply 57 yards, he has made a number of lengthy kicks that may have been good from a lot additional out than that.
He had made 21 of 34 discipline objectives from past 50 on the NFL degree getting into the 2024 season, however had his greatest 12 months from lengthy vary, making 12 of 14. He has additionally been captured on movie making 70-yarders in follow.
Sanders’ leg energy has additionally been an asset on kickoffs. He has a 74 % touchback price, together with a career-high 84 % in 2023.
Sanders has a formidable 85 % discipline objective accuracy price on the NFL degree and had been over 80 % in every of the previous three seasons getting into final 12 months. That included an over-90 % success price in 2024.
Earlier in his profession, Sanders had two seasons the place his accuracy proportion slipped under 80, both facet of his all-pro season.
On additional factors, he has made 97 % on the NFL degree and his 111 of 112 in school, together with a run of 81 in a row.
His kickoffs have typically been correct too, with only one penalty for placing one out of bounds.
Experiences out of Giants OTAs previous to him being lower urged he had been struggling together with his accuracy although.
Sanders hit two game-winning kicks in school and has had six on the NFL degree, together with a 52-yarder in 2024.
Maybe extra impressively, he doesn’t appear to have had any clutch misses to have value his crew a sport at both the school or NFL degree.
The closest he got here to such a scenario was maybe when his missed additional level in a late sport scenario in opposition to the Chargers left Miami with a 36-34 lead. They due to this fact might have misplaced if Los Angeles scored a discipline objective however they finally didn’t get into vary.
Sanders has made contributions in kick protection with 4 tackles and a fumble restoration on the NFL degree and 9 tackles in school. He had 5 of these tackles and a pressured fumble in his freshman 12 months. He had this dangerous missed sort out to result in a landing in his first ever NFL sport, although.
Intangibles/Miscellaneous
Sanders has by no means punted in an NFL or school sport however was an completed punter in highschool as he twice averaged over 45 yards and had punts of 74 and 77 yards.
He prides himself on being versatile with onside kicks and has had a number of recovered over time, together with one by himself.
Sanders was a two-time Mountain West Convention all-academic choice in school and in addition a Lobo Scholar Athlete.
Whereas he would largely have kicked in heat climate throughout his profession, he has proven a capability to make kicks within the chilly, together with in school when he his a 51-yarder in sub-freezing temperatures in opposition to Colorado State.
As famous, Sanders missed the whole 2025 season attributable to harm. He had a hip challenge in preseason which was solely anticipated to be a short-term deal so he was positioned on injured reserve with a designation to return. Nonetheless, Riley Patterson kicked so nicely in his absence that Sanders’ return was by no means a consideration.
Previous to the hip harm, he had by no means missed an NFL sport attributable to harm.
Whereas with Miami, Sanders has been a teammate of present Jets gamers Minkah Fitzpatrick and Keidron Smith.
Lastly, in 2019, he grew to become the primary NFL kicker since 1977 to catch a landing go.
Because the scenario with Koo confirmed, the Jets don’t appear to have a lot persistence with their kicker place proper now so if Sanders has the identical accuracy points early on with the Jets that he reportedly had with the Giants, he won’t be right here very lengthy.
Nonetheless, if he can settle in early, his solely present competitors for the position is Cade York – and Sanders has a considerably higher physique of labor than York on the professional degree.
He’s solely 30, so Sanders might nonetheless have a number of years left so long as that hip challenge isn’t nonetheless bothering him. Hopefully the Jets get the very best model of him, as a result of that may clear up their present kicker points.
