The San Francisco 49ers selected Jake Moody with the No. 99 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft with the belief that he would be their kicker for the next decade.
Just over two years after that selection, Moody finds himself in a legitimate kicking competition at training camp. The 49ers front office felt the need to sign veteran Greg Joseph this offseason to push the team's incumbent kicker after Moody had a less-than-stellar showing during the 2024 campaign.
While it is still early in the process, San Francisco only opened training camp on Wednesday, Joseph certainly put his best foot forward in hopes of putting pressure on Moody from the start.
49ers K Greg Joseph Makes His Presence Felt With Perfect 1st Practice
Given the draft capital the Niners used to acquire Moody in 2023, Joseph will have to prove without any doubt that he is the better option for San Francisco moving forward if he wants to win this job out of camp.
During Wednesday's opening practice, Joseph did his part by converting on his attempts from 30, 35, 40, and 50 yards away, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Moody was just as accurate, however, putting all of his attempts from the same distances through the uprights as well.
Kicker Watch 2025: Both Jake Moody and Greg Joseph were perfect on field-goal attempts of 30, 35, 40 and 50 yards.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) July 23, 2025
Had Moody not missed 10 of his 34 field goal attempts during the 2024 season, any discussions concerning a legitimate kicking competition wouldn't be happening right now. Moody put himself in this position, however, and now he will have to kick his way out of it if he wants to be "the guy" on special teams for San Francisco moving forward.
For Joseph, this is an opportunity to find a stable home within the NFL after kicking for three different franchises during the 2024 campaign. Despite playing in only eight games and under three different special teams coordinators, Joseph converted on 16 of his 20 attempts last season with a long of 52 yards.
Given the expectations this team has for the 2025 season, there isn't any room for issues in the kicking game. Whether it is Moody or Joseph, one of the two needs to prove they can provide the necessary stability for San Francisco to reach its goals.