Former general manager Trent Baalke made several blunders throughout his stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars but came out of the 2024 NFL Draft with a pretty good haul. Granted, running back Keilan Robinson (Round 5) is no longer around, and offensive lineman Javon Foster (Round 4) could soon get kicked to the curb.
However, Baalke did find budding superstar Brian Thomas Jr. on Day 1 and defensive tackle Maason Smith one round later. Moreover, the Jags finally put an end to the revolving door they had at kicker for years when they used a sixth-round pick on Cam Little.
Back at Arkansas, Little's career 82.8 percent completion rate set a new record. Similarly, he went 7-of-11 in his kicks of 50 yards or more as a junior in 2023.
As a rookie, Little showcased the skills that made him a mainstay staple for the Razorbacks, completing 93.1 percent of his attempts and going 5-of-6 in his kicks from 50 yards out. And that's the thing, he's not only accurate but as strong a leg as you want a kicker to have. Just recently, the Moore Oklahoma native showcased the ability to break a franchise record. The team's official website posted a video of him nailing a 72-yarder with ease.
72 yards? Easy money@cameronglittle | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/VSkVALGIGm
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) July 3, 2025
Had it been in a regular-season game, Little would've set a new franchise record for the longest field goal. Currently, Josh Scoobee and Josh Lambo hold the record after making field goals of 59 yards in 2010 and 2019, respectively.
It may be a matter of time before Little shatters the longest field-goal record, but he could also break the ones for field goal percentage and number of field goals in a season. Lambo holds both: 97.1 percent of his kicks in 2029 and 33 field goals in 2019.
Cam Little gives the Jaguars stabilily at kicker for years to come
Cam Little's rookie success should be a reminder of how much the Jacksonville Jaguars struggled to find a kicker. When they signed Josh Lambo in the midst of the 2017 season, it looked like they had found the long-term answer at the position, but he suffered an injury in 2020 that would derail his career. He was given the boot one year later, and to replace him, the team's brass brought Matthew Wright, who proved to be not much more than a stopgap.
The Jags then went through Andrew Mevis, Ryan Santoso, Elliot Fry, and even James McCourt before settling on Riley Patterson. And while Patterson nailed the game-winning field goal against the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2022 playoffs, his dearth of lack of strength hindered him in kickoffs, so Jacksonville signed Brandon McManus to replace him in 2023.
McManus had routinely made long field goals throughout his career but was a bust with the Jaguars. To nobody's surprise, his stint in Duval only lasted one season. Needing to replace him, Jacksonville targeted Wil Lutz in free agency, but he ultimately chose to stay put with the Denver Broncos. That led the Jags to sign Joey Slye and later draft Little.
This is a long-winded way to stay that the Jaguars had to travel a tough road to land Little, but if he's as productive as he was in 2024, and breaks a handful of records along the way, the wait will have been worth it.
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