Over the subsequent few months, we’re breaking down the entire undrafted free brokers signed by the Jets since April’s draft. Nevertheless, in the present day we’re specializing in a latest veteran addition; kicker Younghoe Koo.
The 31-year outdated Koo is listed at 5’9” and 185 kilos and was undrafted out of Georgia Southern in 2017. After getting reduce one month into his profession, Koo was out of the league for 2 seasons however then grew to become an inspirational story as he ended up as a professional bowler. He spent seven seasons with the Falcons earlier than being launched final season.
Koo was a powerful kicker in highschool and ended up at Georgia Southern the place he simply kicked 12 area objectives in his first three seasons as he was largely a kickoff specialist.
In 2016, he had the full-time placekicker position for your entire season for the primary time and was a 3rd staff all-American as he made 19 of 20 area objectives along with his solely miss being an try at a career-best 54 yarder earlier than halftime in a single sport.
The Los Angeles Chargers signed Koo as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and he received the kicker position as a rookie. Nevertheless, he missed potential game-winners in every of his first two video games and was launched after week 4 with the Chargers winless.
The Chargers head coach acknowledged that they needed somebody with extra consistency and expertise and stated that Koo was proficient sufficient to bounce again and have a protracted profession however the Chargers have been criticized for making him a scapegoat, particularly since one of many misses was a blocked kick he couldn’t have performed something to stop.
Koo didn’t get one other shot that season, or in 2018, so he opted to affix the AAF’s Atlanta Legends. This was going properly, as he was 14 for 14 with two sport winners, however then the league ceased operations. Nevertheless, he had proven sufficient to get again onto NFL radars.
After a quick cease in New England, Koo signed for Atlanta in October 2019 and marked his first NFL look in two years by making all 4 of his area objectives. By the top of the season he had made 23 of 26 area objectives and received two particular groups participant of the week awards.
Clearly Koo had lastly discovered a house as he made 95 % of his area objectives in 2020 to go to the professional bowl after which made 93 % in 2021.
Having signed a five-year extension forward of the 2022 season, Koo would proceed to do a stable job over the subsequent three seasons. Nevertheless, when he missed a game-tying area objective in final yr’s season opener, he was benched after which launched.
He spent six video games with the Giants after his launch, lacking three of 18 kicks and bizarrely aborting one other try in a viral second that he defined was brought on by the ball slipping from the holder’s grasp as he was about to kick it.
The Jets signed Koo final week, in response to an damage to Cade York after which launched one other kicker, Lenny Krieg, when York returned.
Now let’s break Koo down in a wide range of classes, primarily based on in-depth analysis and movie examine.
Koo is slightly on the small facet, however he has some athleticism as he participated in excessive soar, lengthy soar and javelin as a excessive schooler.
Koo’s longest area objective in faculty was simply 53 yards however he has made a 58-yard game-winner on the NFL stage.
In all, he has made 29 area objectives of fifty yards or longer in NFL common season motion, with 13 misses.
On kickoffs, he had a powerful document in highschool, the place he posted a 94 % touchback fee in his closing season with over half of these going by the top zone.
Kickoffs have been his fundamental position for many of his faculty profession too however he had blended outcomes with a 67 % touchback fee in his only season. On the NFL stage, his touchback fee is underneath 50 % though he has had three seasons at over 50 %. The punter dealt with kickoff duties for Atlanta more often than not after 2021 although.
Koo’s accuracy proportion for area objectives on the NFL stage is a stable 85 %, which is twelfth amongst lively gamers and twenty third all-time. He’s additionally made 96 % of his additional factors.
Nevertheless, he made simply 73.5 % in 2024; the worst of his profession in a full season. He then made simply six of 9 final season, which doesn’t embody the aborted try.
He hasn’t been let down a lot by his kickoff accuracy on the NFL stage, though he did have one penalty for bouncing one in need of the touchdown zone final season. He has by no means been penalized for placing a kickoff out of bounds on the NFL stage, though he did do that a number of instances in faculty.
Koo developed a knack for making clutch kicks with the Falcons as he had eight sport winners from 2021 to 2023. In 2024, he made a game-winner and a clutch game-tying area objective in a sport the Falcons finally received in extra time, each from past 50 yards. The second of these got here regardless of a delay of sport penalty transferring it again and including to the strain.
Nevertheless, his document in clutch conditions hasn’t been good. As famous, he missed two sport winners in the beginning of his profession and had a key miss in final season’s opener. He additionally had a game-tying area objective blocked throughout his professional bowl yr.
Koo will contribute in kick protection when obligatory. He had three tackles in faculty and has eight on the NFL stage.
He ought to be good on this space, having performed as a defensive again along with his kicker duties in highschool. He additionally had 9 move breakups and 6 interceptions in that position.
Along with his tackling, Koo additionally recovered a fumble on the NFL stage.
Intangibles/Miscellaneous
Koo has punted twice in his NFL profession. One was a forty five yarder however the different was only a 25-yarder. He’s also referred to as having a knack for onside kicks having tried six in his profession. He really had three profitable onside kicks in a single sport, though one was negated by a penalty.
Having been born in South Korea, Koo has grow to be an vital Asian-American athlete and used his platform to talk out in opposition to anti-Asian violence throughout his profession.
Throughout his profession Koo has proven composure, accountability and willpower. He additionally performed by an damage at one stage, displaying toughness.
Accidents haven’t been a serious challenge for Koo, though he was positioned on injured reserve late within the 2024 season with a hip challenge. He missed one sport in faculty and one sport in 2020 with a groin challenge, however performed by a minor foot damage in 2019.
Koo was on his faculty’s or the Solar Belt convention’s tutorial honor roll a number of instances whereas in faculty.
Whereas with the Giants and Falcons, he has been a teammate of present Jets gamers Dane Belton, Da’Quan Felton, Mykal Walker and David Onyemata.
He hasn’t been instantly concerned in any pretend area objectives.
Koo addresses the Jets want for an skilled veteran with York and Krieg the one earlier choices on the roster to compete for Nick People’s outdated position.
Reviews out of OTAs this week recommend that Koo wasn’t very spectacular in entrance of the media on Tuesday, badly shanking a 53-yarder after which additionally lacking from 45. Krieg was launched after an identical scenario final week, so Koo’s job is likely to be underneath risk already.
Hopefully Koo can quiet down and begin to carry out like he did with Atlanta as a result of the kicker place is a minor concern proper now. Having let Nick People stroll, the Jets are hoping somebody will step up and it doesn’t sound prefer it’s occurred but. This brings again recollections of how the Jets allowed professional bowler Jason Myers to stroll a number of years in the past after which struggled to discover a viable substitute for the subsequent few years.
It’s a great alternative for Koo, so long as the Jets can be extra affected person with him than they have been with Krieg. If he doesn’t impress, although, the Jets’ 2026 kicker is probably not on the roster proper now.
