It is safe to say that kicker Jake Moody's professional career has not gotten off to the start he might have envisioned after being a third-round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers out of Michigan in the 2023 NFL Draft.
His rookie season was generally fine, but it wasn't the massive impact the Niners were likely expecting from such a high draft selection, as he finished the season 21-of-25 on field-goal attempts (84%) and 60-of-61 on extra points (98.4%).
The 49ers' playoff run gave them more or less the same Moody, as he hit six of his eight field goals (75%) and, perhaps mostly crucially, eight of nine extra points, with the one miss coming in the Super Bowl, a game the Niners ended up losing in overtime.
The strangest thing about his rookie campaign, of course, was that all but one of his field-goal misses happened in the same stretch: a 1-3 performance in a loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 and a 1-2 showing the following week in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings, both road games San Francisco would lose by one score (the second miss at the Browns was the potential game winner).
His sophomore campaign was worse, as he spent three weeks on the inactive list after suffering a high-ankle sprain while trying to make a tackle on a kickoff return, a malady that would impact the remainder of his season.
Before the injury, he was a solid 13-of-14, including six made field goals in Week 1's win over the New York Jets, with the one miss coming from 50-plus yards. After that, Moody was not so money, as he 11 out of 20 on field-goal attempts, including an abysmal 3-of-6 performance in his return against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game the Niners won by the skin of their teeth.
This has prompted the 49ers, particularly head coach Kyle Shanahan, to commit to bringing in competition for Moody this offseason. This will more than likely come in the form of a veteran rather than a rookie.
Eddy Pineiro is ideal 49ers target to compete with Jake Moody
While plenty of options are available, some of which have been discussed on this site elsewhere, the best of the lot appears to be a former Carolina Panthers placekicker, Eddy Pineiro.
The former undrafted free agent is one of the younger options available while still registering as a steady enough veteran presence to put the pressure on Moody.
The upside is that Pineiro has experience in windy conditions, having successfully kicked in Chicago, much like former 49er Robbie Gould, as Pineiro spent his rookie season in the Windy City, finishing with 23 made field goals on 28 attempts (82.1%) and converting 27 of 29 extra points (93.1%).
He didn't kick in 2020 and had just five games with the Jets in 2021 (where he hit on 8-of-8 field goals) before heading to Carolina in 2022.
His three years as a Panther were quite strong, as his field-goal percentage was never below 84, including an impressive 33-of-35 campaign in 2022, with two of those attempts (and makes) coming from beyond 50 yards.
Pineiro's leg strength might not be what Moody's is, but accuracy is paramount, as the ability of the coaching staff to trust the kicker to do his job.
Maybe Moody ends up winning the job in training camp, but if the Niners are going to make a move that will actually make him feel like his job is in jeopardy, Eddy Pineiro has to be the call.