Is Vikings Kicker Will Reichard the Best Kicker in the NFL?

The Minnesota Vikings have done a great job thus far of being able to stack wins as they currently stand at 5-0 and could very well add to it in Week 7, as in Week 6, which is this week, Minnesota is on a bye.

Now, when talking about the strong start thus far, the defense has been great, the offense has been up and down, and the special teams have arguably been one of the better special teams units in the entire NFL, which has a lot to do with kicker Will Reichard.

On that, there is one key question worth looking at when it comes to Reichard and his ability to impact the game. Is Will Reichard the best kicker in the entire NFL?

When it comes to answering this question, let's first take a look at Reichard's stats as well as his value as a kicker compared to the rest of the NFL.

Starting with Reichard's stats, he has been so reliable this season as he is perfect on the year, going 8 of 8 on extra points and 15 of 15 on field goals, which is extremely impressive, especially when considering he is 5 of 5 from 50+ yards.

When comparing those numbers to the rest of the kickers in the NFL, there are only four other kickers who are still perfect on field goals and extra points, which includes Jake Elliot of the Philadelphia Eagles, Chase McLaughlin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Evan McPherson of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Jake Bates of the Detroit Lions.

Now, with the understanding that Reichard is one of the most accurate kickers in the entire league based on being one of five kickers to still be perfect, it is clear that he is not only accurate, but one of the most consistent.

Focusing on the consistent aspect of Reichard's game, that has been huge for him and the Vikings this season as the offense has struggled, but when Minnesota gets in field goal range they know they are at least getting three points on the board which is a huge confidence booster for head coach Kevin O'Connell and the offense.

Something that is even more impressive than Reichard's consistency is the fact that Reichard has accounted for all of the Vikings points in two separate games which were the 9-3 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 2 and the 15-10 win over the Miami Dolphins.

With that said, it is evident that with a kicker like Reichard, as well as the dominant defense that Minnesota has, if the Vikings can just move the ball into field goal range, this team has the ability to win games, as indicated by the recognition that they are receiving at this point in the season. However, if the offense becomes dangerous, the Vikings could become a real threat to win the NFC.

Getting back to Reichard, based on his accuracy, reliability, consistency, and his ability to outscore opposing teams by himself, he definitely has the argument to be the best kicker in the NFL because he can hit extra points, is very accurate from under 50 yards, and can extend his range to 50+ without losing accuracy at all which is exactly what it means to be the best kicker in the NFL.

So, as Reichard and the Vikings continue to progress through the season, if he can continue his consistent performance and potentially stay perfect, that could be huge for Minnesota to win games, but also for Reichard to stake his claim as the clear best kicker in the NFL.