NFL Draft results: Falcons take Syracuse P/K Sterling Hofrichter in 7th round

Well, the Atlanta Falcons 2020 NFL Draft has come to a close, and the team has decided to spend its last pick on a punter.

Syracuse’s Sterling Hofrichter is the pick, with Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff looking to replace Matt Bosher with either Ryan Allen or the Falcons’ last pick, Hofrichter.

NFL’s Lance Zierlein says that Hofrichter is similar to Panthers punter Michael Palardy.

Punter with below average size but a quality leg used for both punting and field goal duties. Hofrichter’s hangtime was one of the best in college football and he proved that he could hit the open-field punt with consistent distance while putting english on pooch punts near the end zone. He’s feisty as a tackler, but may need to back off a bit to stay healthy. His punt/kickoff flexibility adds to his potential to make a squad now or in the future.

In Atlanta, Hofrichter will likely compete with Allen for the starting role. He’ll also likely handle kickoffs if he wins the role. The move also makes sense after the team released punter Sam Irwin-Hill earlier in the day.

These picks are never attractive, but if Hofrichter is a functional punter for the next few years or beyond, it’s certainly worth it. It guarantees he’ll be with the team to have a chance at the punter/kickoff job. This shouldn’t have any affect on Younghoe Koo’s job as the field goal kicker.

This completes the Falcons’ 2020 NFL Draft, with the team now headed into undrafted free agent mode.