Blair

Walsh

Walsh, Georgia’s all-time leading scorer, has accurately sank 154-of-187 career field goals, including a long of 56 yards. He’ll compete with Giorgio Tavecchio after the latter shakily whiffed on 4-of-8 attempts through four preseason games.

The Jets are reportedly concerned with Chandler Catanzaro’s shaky preseason debut. Walsh was out of the league last year and converted just 72.4 percent of his field goal attempts in 2017. The Jets also visited with free agent Chris Blewitt.

Ryan Longwell has three years left on his contract, but he converted just 78.6 percent of his field goals in 2011 and is 37. He also no longer handles kickoffs and barely has any range from 50-plus yards out. Still, it’s a confusing pick as the Vikings have tons of holes and Walsh missed 14 of the 35 field goals he attempted as a senior last season.

Longwell carries a $1.75M salary after converting just 78.6 percent of his field-goal attempts in 2011. He turns 38 this fall. It should be noted that Walsh only connected on 21-of-35 field goals as a senior at Georgia, and went 17-for-31 from beyond 30 yards (54.8 percent). He should be guaranteed nothing.

They’ll move forward with sixth-round rookie Blair Walsh. Longwell, who turns 38 before the season, shanked 6-of-28 field-goal attempts last year in addition to one PAT. Opponents also had a lot of success returning kicks against the Vikings. It’s still a questionable decision because Walsh went 21-for-35 on field goals as a college senior, connecting on just 54.8 percent of his attempts from beyond 30 yards. We suspect Longwell will find a new home quickly. The Vikings’ kicking duties are on even shakier footing with the rookie Walsh.

Westhoff concedes that Folk had the edge entering last summer’s competition with Nick Novak, but that won’t be the case with Josh Brown this time around. Westhoff was disappointed that the position wasn’t upgraded during the draft, as the Jets were believed to be interested in Vikings sixth-rounder Blair Walsh.

“Right now we don’t plan on bringing another leg,” coach Leslie Frazier said. Walsh converted just 21-of-35 field-goal attempts for the University of Georgia last season, but the Vikings envision him as their kicker of the future. Despite his apparent job security, Walsh is well off the radar in fantasy leagues.

The Vikings have talked about using Wright both inside and outside, though he profiles as a slot receiver long term. Childs, a high school and college teammate of Wright, has proclaimed himself the “steal of the draft” after struggling through a patella tendon injury as a senior. Despite a booming leg, Walsh missed 14 of 35 field goal attempts at Georgia in 2011.

Walsh joins Morten Anderson (1995) and Jason Hanson (2008) in the record book. He went 3-for-3 from 50-plus in Sunday’s win over the Rams and is now 8-for-8 from that distance on the season. Still, the sixth-round will be a shaky fantasy play in Week 16 as the Vikings figure to have trouble moving the ball in Houston.

Fellow rookie Greg “Legatron” Zuerlein has gotten the publicity this year, but Walsh has been better. He hit from a career-long 56 yards out in Sunday’s win over the Texans and is now 32-of-35 on the season overall. Zuerlein is “just” 7-of-12 from 50-plus and 21-of-28 overall.