FalcFans Forums

Louie Sakoda
5-9/174 Utah
4.82 Senior

Pros: A two-way specialist with a nice, strong leg. Is an accurate kicker and gets good hang time on his punts.

Cons: Doesn't get much work on kickoffs. Can out kick coverage with line drives as a punter. Needs to improve directional punting.

Overview: He was a very accurate kicker considering he pulled double duty, making 86% of his kicks. But also probably benefited from the altitude in Salt Lake City. He stands a better chance of sticking in the pros as a kicker, but offers the versatility to move to punter if he can't stick there.

NFL Forecast: Sakoda can stick as a kicker. He's not really got a big leg, but has a good enough to land in the NFL. I think the boosted altitude of Salt Lake City does hide some of his issues with leg strength, but I think he should be able to make up to 45-48 yards. Beyond that might be a question mark. But I think he can come in and compete early. He'll likely have some issues early on, but after a few years should be able to handle the duties and be a nice accurate kicker.

ATL Forecast: Sakoda has a chance to develop here in Atlanta, if the Falcons could put him on the practice squad for a year or two. The lack of leg strength is not a major issue since it's in the Dome, and he won't need to worry about kickoffs with Koenen here. He has upside that is worth developing, but is not a threat to challenge Elam in the near future.

Value: Sakoda is not a guy I'd like to draft, but it wouldn't be crazy if a team took him late in the seventh round based off his college production. But I'd rather wait and sign him as a free agent since he's not significant better than the others in the class.