Prioritizing their special teams makeup during day three of the 2024 NFL draft, the Jaguars took Arkansas kicker Cam Little with the No. 212 overall selection in the sixth round.
Little’s pick followed Jacksonville’s fifth-round choices, cornerback Deantre Prince and running back Keilan Robinson, who each profile as special teams contributors, with Robinson specifically expected to serve as a kick returner.
Jaguars Wire analyzes Jacksonville’s selection of Little below, reviewing his background, college stats, NFL combine results, projected fit in Jacksonville’s special teams, and what he said after being picked.
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Cam Little, K, Arkansas
Sep 2, 2023; Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks kicker Cam Little (28) kicks an extra point in the first quarter against the Western Carolina Catamounts at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Background
According to Little, he began playing football around 16-to-17 years old. Yet by the time he signed with Arkansas in the class of 2021, a few months past his 17th birthday, Little was already regarded as one of the nation’s top kicking prospects.
Little was considered a five-star kicker (No. 2 in his class) and punter (No. 5) by Kohl’s Kicking and a consensus three-star recruit. He received Adidas and Under Armour All-American recognition following his senior season at Moore (Okla.) Southmoore.
He went on to start at kicker in 38 games over three seasons with Arkansas, before entering the 2024 NFL draft and becoming the youngest kicker ever selected (20 years, eight months and 10 days old on draft day).
College stats and accolades
via Arkansas Razorbacks and Pro Football Focus
- 38 appearances
- 53-of-64 (82.8%) on field goal attempts
- 19-of-19 (100%) on 20-to-29-yard field goal attempts
- 15-of-17 (88.2%) on 30-to-39-yard field goal attempts (80% in 2023)
- 12-of-17 (70.6%) on 40-to-49-yard field goal attempts (71.4% in 2023)
- 7-of-11 (63.6%) on 50+ yard field goal attempts (80% in 2023)
- 129-of-129 (100%) on extra point attempts
- 69 kickoff attempts
- 53 touchbacks
- 2021 Freshman All-American (FWAA, PFF, The Athletic)
- 2021 SEC All-Freshman Team (Coaches)
- 2023 First-Team All-SEC (Coaches)
- 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl participant
Projected fit
Little will be Jacksonville’s Week 1 starting placekicker in 2024, barring an injury.
While Riley Patterson, Jacksonville’s starter in 2022 who returned to the team this offseason after a year with Detroit, remains on the roster, the Jaguars won’t give up on their drafted kicker and almost certainly won’t carry two kickers on the 53-man roster.
Little wouldn’t make it to the Jaguars’ practice squad if they attempted such a stash move, either, given his draft status. The placekicking job is his to lose, and not necessarily soon.
Time will tell if Little or punter Logan Cooke will handle kickoff duties. Cooke didn’t in 2023, although he split the role with former Jacksonville kickers between 2018-22.
“We identified several kickers and he was obviously the one that we thought if he was there and we had an opportunity to take him, we’d take him,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said about Little after the draft. “The other two kickers [Will Reichard, Minnesota; Joshua Karty, Los Angeles Rams] went ahead of him that were also listed in there and it just so happened that that’s the way it fell.”
Shortly following the draft, Jacksonville released kicker Joey Slye, who signed with the club in March. The Jaguars originally agreed to terms with Wil Lutz, but the free agent ultimately returned to his previous team, Denver.
Quotable
“Man, you guys don’t even know. I’m super excited, first off. Florida is actually one of my favorite spots to visit. I know me and a lot of my buddies have gone down to [the] Seaside area and I’ve been to Orlando, all of Florida really, growing up. I’m super excited about that and I actually was in contact with [Jaguars special teams coordinator] Heath Farwell throughout the process and he had called me one day. We just had brief conversations and he said, ‘Well, I’m going to be out there next week and I’m going to work you out.’ So I was like, alright, awesome. We went to dinner the night before, got to know my personality a little bit and I got to know his. I smashed the workout, did what I needed to do and they took a chance on me in the draft today. I promise you that they will not regret that. The city of Jacksonville will not regret that pick.” — kicker Cam Little on his communications with Jacksonville before the 2024 NFL draft
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