Saints Player Rankings: Special teams make an appearance at No. 21

The New Orleans Saints have been saved many times by the heroics of kicker Wil Lutz, one reason he comes in as the 21st-best player on the team.

Wil Lutz has been the Saints kicker for four seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl last year. He’s been excellent for the Saints in his relatively short stint. In a time where elite kickers are a rarity, Lutz has maintained his excellence throughout the last few seasons.

Last season, he single-handedly beat the Cowboys as the team kicked just four field goals for a 12-10 victory, keeping then starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s record perfect.

Lutz scored every point for New Orleans in that Week 4 victory. On top of that one game, Lutz was almost automatic from the PAT, missing just one attempt after a touchdown. 2019 was a season in which Lutz was able to be incredibly impactful.

Lutz ranked third in PAT percentage of kickers that notched over 40 attempts. He was also third in most field goals made. The last of his stellar numbers is 58, his longest of the season and second-longest among all kickers.

Just days from being 26 years old, Lutz has been a staple of this team for the last few seasons, and his consistency is one reason why he was able to crack the top 25 — many teams’ kickers wouldn’t be among their top 25.

While Lutz missed the rankings a few times among our 12 writers, he was highly favored by a few. Where you rank Lutz is all on how much you feel the impact of an elite kicker is. Lutz average rank was 19 but he also missed the top 25 twice, landing him at No. 21.

Lutz should enter 2020 ready for a strong season. There’s no denying the Saints would look to replace him if those numbers dwindle as we’ve seen with some once-elite kickers. However, we should expect another terrific season from the star kicker.