Trey Smack (Photo: Angelina Alcantar / USA TODAY NETWORK, Getty)
By Mark Eckel
Late on Day 3 on the NFL draft the Green Bay Packers traded both of their seventh-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth-round pick to select Florida kicker Trey Smack.
It's the third time the Packers have used a sixth-round draft pick on a kicker. Back in 1989 they selected Chris Jacke, out of UTEP, in the sixth round. In 2007 they drafted Mason Crosby, out of Colorado, in the sixth round. And in 2023 they took Anders Carlson, out of Auburn, in the sixth round.
In 2006 they had second-year man Dave Rayner, who was also a sixth-round selection, but of the Indianapolis Colts in 2005.
So is Smack another Jacke or Crosby who not only had good careers as Packers but also kicked them to Super Bowl wins, or another Carlson who lasted just one season with the team?
Let's take a trip back and see how each of those kickers, plus undrafted free agent kicker Ryan Longwell, did as rookies and in their careers.
Jacke kicked eight years in Green Bay, including 1996 when the team won the Super Bowl. That Super Bowl win was his last game as a Packer.
In his rookie season Jacke converted on 22 of 28 field goal attempts, including a long of 52 yards (which in 1989 was a really long kick) and was a perfect 42 of 42 on extra points. Two of his six misses that season were from 50+. In 10 career playoff games with the Packers he was 15-for-22 and 28-for-28. He was named All-Pro in 1993, the last Packers kicker to do so.
Longwell took over for Jacke in 1997 and his career did not start so well. He missed an easy field goal attempt in the final seconds of a 10-9 loss in Philadelphia the second week of the season. In his defense, it rained briefly just before his kick and he slipped on the one wet spot on the field.
The rest of his rookie season was better. He went 24-for-30 on field goal attempts with a 50-yarder and was perfect on 50 extra points. He played in Green Bay until 2005 and in 10 playoff appearances was 15-for-21 on field goal attempts and 20-for-21 on extra point attempts. His career field goal percentage of 81.59 is the best in team history.
Crosby started in 2007, replacing Rayner who lasted just the one season (2006). The team's all-time leading scorer's career began the opposite of Longwell's. In Crosby's first NFL game, he kicked the game-winning field goal to beat Philadelphia, 16-13. He finished that rookie year 31-for-39 on field goal attempts, with a 53-yarder, and 48-for-48 on extra point attempts.
He kicked 16 seasons in Green Bay and his 1,918 points is the most in team history. He also has nine of the top 10 longest field goals in team history and his 43 50+ kicks are also the most by a Packer. Crosby did his best in the postseason where in 23 playoff games he was 31-for-35 on field goal attempts and 70-for-70 on extra points.
Carlson did not have a terrible rookie season. He was 27-for-33 on field goal attempts, but missed five extra points (34-for-39). He also had a crucial miss in the team's playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.