Pitt kicker Alex Kessman has signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent on Saturday, following the conclusion of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Kessman will compete with incumbent kicker Michael Badgley, who hit 87.5 percent of field goals and 97.9 percent of extra points in his first two seasons with the team before dropping down to 72.7 percent and 92.3 percent, respectively, in the 2020 season.
The Chargers are still searching for kicking stability, and Kessman is an interesting pick, to say the least. Kessman has a booming leg, drilling a career long 58-yard field goal against Boston College in October 2020 and converting 12 of 18 kicks of 50 yards or longer in his collegiate career, the best rate in NFL history.
However, Kessman has always struggled with consistency, converting 71.88 percent of field goals at Pitt and missing chip shots at a similar rate he made long kicks. His raw power gives him a good shot to beat Badgley out, but he needs to improve his accuracy to have a viable future on Sundays.