One or two plays often decide football games, and AFC North kickers know that better than anyone. Most games within the division are decided on the final possession of the game, whether it is played in Week 1 or Week 18.
Players are starting to report to their respective training camp sites, with many teams beginning practices next week. We’re getting to the end of the positional rankings with the season upon us, with the AFC North defensive back rankings posted on Friday.
It’s now time to rank the best kickers in the division.
Best AFC North Kickers for 2026
4. Tyler Loop
Tyler Loop isn’t a bad kicker by any means, but someone has to be last when you’re ranking players. Loop faces a lot of pressure after the way the season ended for the Ravens last year, but he is still a very accurate kicker. He made 30 of 34 field goals last season for the Ravens, with three of his misses coming from 50+ yards.
Loop made all but two of 46 extra point attempts as a rookie for Baltimore, and he produced 13 points in last season’s 27-19 win over the Minnesota Vikings. He has the potential to be among the best AFC North kickers in the future, but for now he sits at the bottom of the rankings for the division.
3. Andre Szmyt
Andre Szmyt finished his rookie season in Cleveland 24 for 27 on field goal attempts, with an 83.3% success rate on field goals of 50+ yards. In a league where extra points are all but automatic anymore, he only missed one for a Browns offense that struggled to consistently score touchdowns. The former Syracuse Orange kicker also has the chance to develop into a high-level kicker as his career goes on.
Szymyt and Loop are both players who just do what is asked of them and go out there to do it. Neither of them is a game changer yet, but it’s also a tough ask for them to be an elite kicker as a rookie. Like every other player, there’s also a development curve for kickers.
2. Evan McPherson
Evan McPherson could have easily found himself at the top of the list for AFC North kickers, even with the last one not revealed yet. If it was possible to label them as 1A and 1B, that would certainly be preferred over the current setup. McPherson was 25-28 on field goal tries a year ago, and he was perfect from 49 yards away or less.
To be one of the best AFC North kickers, you have to be able to steal a game for your team. McPherson did that for the Bengals in Week 13 against the Ravens on Thanksgiving when Cincinnati scored 32 points; McPherson was responsible for 20 of the total points scored and helped seal the deal in that matchup. He earned his spot in the rankings among AFC North kickers.
1. Chris Boswell
For much of the season last year, Chris Boswell was the reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t blown out in games and won as many games as they did. In the early-season matchup against Cleveland, the “Wizard of Boz” scored 11 of the 23 Pittsburgh points. Likewise, he scored 13 of 25 in the loss against the Green Bay Packers. As he climbs into the upper 30s, Boswell is proof that kickers can play at a high level for a long time and be a difference maker just like a quarterback or linebacker.
Boswell’s overall accuracy dropped last year down to 84.4% across his 32 field goal tries, but Pittsburgh also should have found a way to not be as reliant on him to score points. He made all but one extra point last season, too. Boswell will need to be at his absolute best again this year, because there is not much at all that separates him and McPherson as the best AFC North kickers. This list could have a new leader one year from now.
Main Photo Courtesy of Barry Reeger – Imagn Images
