The Rams have signed a pair of kicking prospects: Austin MacGinnis and Lirim Hajrullahu. They’re looking to replace Greg Zuerlein (who signed with Dallas). Looking at their recent work, it looks pretty clear to me that Hajrullahu will be their guy.
MacGinnis hit all 10 of his field goals in the XFL, playing for the Dallas Renegades. He he wasn’t particularly accurate in college, converting fewer than 80 percent in two of his three seasons at Kentucky.
Hajrullahu, on the other hand, isn’t an unproven youngster. He’s a 29-year-old who’s been kicking in the CFL for the past six years. Believe it or not, he’s kicked 42 more field goals as a pro football player over the last six years than any NFL team. (The season is a little longer up there).
Hajrullahu was born in Kosovo, so he could be added to the lengthy list of Europeans who have kicked in the NFL.
He’s converted over 85 percent of his field goals in each of the last two years – 93 of 109, with a long of 56.
Over the last two years, only nine NFL teams have been more accurate on field goals.
Hajrullahu. Think about it.
| FIELD GOAL ACCURACY (last 2 years) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | FG | FGA | Pct |
| Jacksonville | 56 | 60 | 93.3% |
| Baltimore | 63 | 68 | 92.6% |
| New Orleans | 60 | 66 | 90.9% |
| Kansas City | 58 | 65 | 89.2% |
| NY Giants | 44 | 50 | 88.0% |
| Washington | 51 | 59 | 86.4% |
| Atlanta | 57 | 66 | 86.4% |
| San Francisco | 63 | 73 | 86.3% |
| Detroit | 54 | 63 | 85.7% |
| Lirim Hajrullahu | 93 | 109 | 85.3% |
| Green Bay | 52 | 61 | 85.2% |
| Cincinnati | 46 | 54 | 85.2% |
| Houston | 57 | 67 | 85.1% |
| Philadelphia | 48 | 57 | 84.2% |
| Pittsburgh | 45 | 54 | 83.3% |
| Denver | 49 | 59 | 83.1% |
| Carolina | 44 | 53 | 83.0% |
| Arizona | 43 | 52 | 82.7% |
| Miami | 41 | 50 | 82.0% |
| Seattle | 45 | 55 | 81.8% |
| New England | 54 | 66 | 81.8% |
| Cleveland | 44 | 54 | 81.5% |
| NY Jets | 52 | 64 | 81.3% |
| Minnesota | 49 | 61 | 80.3% |
| LA Chargers | 50 | 63 | 79.4% |
| Chicago | 46 | 58 | 79.3% |
| Oakland | 46 | 58 | 79.3% |
| Buffalo | 44 | 56 | 78.6% |
| LA Rams | 58 | 74 | 78.4% |
| Dallas | 59 | 76 | 77.6% |
| Indianapolis | 45 | 58 | 77.6% |
| Tampa Bay | 47 | 62 | 75.8% |
| Tennessee | 34 | 48 | 70.8% |
—Ian Allan