Fansided

3 NFL special teams players who could be game-changers next season

By Kinnu Singh

PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 21: Jake Moody #13 of the Michigan Wolverines looks on from the sideline during the first quarter at SHI Stadium on November 21, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Michigan defeated Rutgers 48-42 in triple overtime. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ - NOVEMBER 21: Jake Moody #13 of the Michigan Wolverines looks on from the sideline during the first quarter at SHI Stadium on November 21, 2020 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Michigan defeated Rutgers 48-42 in triple overtime. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 06: Jake Camarda #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers punts in the third quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Raymond James Stadium on November 06, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 06: Jake Camarda #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers punts in the third quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Raymond James Stadium on November 06, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

NFL special teams game-changers: 2. Jake Camarda, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While Jake Moody made school history at Michigan in 2022, Jake Camarda contributed to his alma mater by powering the team to a National Championship win in 2021. Camarda starred at Georgia for four seasons, proving that he possessed both power and precision with an average of 46.7 yards gained per punt from 2019 to 2021. Camarda received Third-team All-American, First-team All-SEC and SEC Special Teams Player of the Year honors in 2020, then made First-team All-SEC again during his 2021 championship season. It’s understandable why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted him as early as the fourth round in the 2022 NFL Draft, and Camarda proved he was worth Pick No. 133 during his rookie NFL season.

Although the Bucs struggled in Tom Brady’s final season, Camarda demonstrated his ability to keep Tampa Bay competitive in dire situations. Camarda averted catastrophe in Week 17 when he snapped up a botched punt, sprinted forward and managed to punt the ball down near the 10-yard line. The play didn’t count, but it did showcase how a special teams play can thwart an offense’s best efforts — and in this case, the Buccaneers did defeat the Carolina Panthers 30-24 and clinched the NFC South title.

Camarda downplayed his role in the Week 17 win, but it wasn’t his only display of heroism last season. Camarda managed to break a franchise record in his first season with the Bucs, breaking the Bucs’ “single-season gross punting average standard (48.8) by a margin of almost three yards,” according to Buccaneers writer Scott Smith. Camarda set another team record in 2022 with 15 punts of 60-plus yards.

Bucs special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong directly addressed how and why Camarda is set to be an even bigger game-changer in 2023. Camarda is already skilled at pinning teams within the 10-yard line and keeping the ball suspended in the air on big kicks, but he’s getting even better at directional punting that puts the ball outside the hashes.

“The biggest thing is that he really got good at turning the ball over and placing the ball outside the numbers,” Armstrong explained. “It’s hard for college punters to transfer to the NFL and directionally punt and be able to place the ball outside the numbers… I think he’ll get better going both ways, in terms of what he has to work on. He’ll get better at being able to go both right and left and I think he’s a guy that can dominate.”

If Camarda can finagle the right angle, he can make those high-powered punts even more impossible to return this season.

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