How Much Did Lachlan Edwards Improve in 2017?

After Ryan Quigley’s disastrous 2015 season, the punter position became a point of emphasis for the Jets entering the 2016 offseason. Their proposed answer to the punting problem was a seventh round selection, Lachlan Edwards out of Sam Houston State via Down Under.

Edwards had a rough rookie campaign. Among 30 qualifiers, he placed 28th in distance average (43.1 yards), 21st in percentage of punts landed inside the 20 (32.0%), and 30th in net yardage (37.3 yards). He also had a botched snap against the Baltimore Ravens that led to a touchdown. The lone positive was his ability to avoid touchbacks, owning the 12th lowest percentage of touchbacks (5.3%).

The 25-year old took a significant step forward in his second season, improving in every area. Among 32 qualifiers in 2017, Edwards ranked 10th in distance average (46.6 yards), 20th in percentage of punts landed inside the 20 (35.1%), 18th in net yardage (40.5 yards), and 12th in touchback percentage (4.3%). Edwards also executed a 31 yard first down catch and run completion on to Marcus Williams on a fake punt in the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars; the same game where he launched a 70-yarder in overtime to help set up the winning field goal.

He still has plenty of room to get better, but Edwards was a perfectly average punter in 2017. Set to be only 26 at the start of the year and still locked up for the foreseeable future on a 7th-round rookie contract, he’s an asset as he is, but could become a weapon if he continues the trend he began in his sophomore year.