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LV Las Vegas Raiders · P· #6

AJ Cole

Age
30
Height
6'4"
Weight
220 lbs
College
N.C. State
Drafted
Not drafted
Experience
8th NFL season
Compare with another playerPunters leaderboard

47

Overall grade

20th of 33 punters

Typical

about average; 50 is average

Grades updated Rechecked every few hours on game days

The read

AJ grades about average among punters so far, with no number far from the middle.

Lately he is playing worse. Net yards per punt is 31.8 yds over the last 2 games (4 punts), against 47.2 yds before that. The change points one way, but a few plays could still explain it.

Written from his numbers, not from film. 5 games are behind the season figures.

How he stacks up

Every graded stat at a glance, against all the punters in the league.

  • Net yards per punt43.3 yds14th of 33small sample
  • Punts inside the 2044%15th of 33small sample
  • EPA per punt−0.2023rd of 33small sample
  • Touchbacks13%28th of 33small sample

Left is the worst at his job, right is the best, and the line down the middle is average. The bubble is his percentile: 90 means better than nine in ten qualifying punters. Faded bars are still small samples.

How he has progressed

Where he has ranked among punters after each week, and every game behind it.

WorstMiddleBestrecent12345Week 2: 59th percentileWeek 3: 47th percentileWeek 4: 28th percentileWeek 5: 31st percentile31st

Season rank slipped: 59th to 31st percentile since Wk 2.

The line is his season-to-date rank among players at his position after each week, from 100 (the best) to 0 (the worst). It rises when he passes other players, not when he has one big game. Early weeks are noisier because fewer plays are behind them. The shaded weeks are the recent stretch.

EPA per punt game by game
WeekOpponentThat gamepuntsSeason rank after
1vs MIA+0.063–
2vs LAC−0.15659th pct
3vs NO−0.16347th pct
4vs KC−0.56228th pct
5vs NE−0.46231st pct

One game is a small sample: a single stat over 3 punts can swing on a handful of plays. Shaded rows are the recent stretch.

The numbers, in context

Each one against every punter with at least 8 punts. Right on the strip is better.

EPA per punt

Below typical

−0.20

23rd of 33 punters · bottom 34%

Expected points added: how many points the play added to (or took from) the offense's scoring chances, given the down, the distance and the field position. From the punting team's side: a punt that pins the offense deep adds points, a short punt gives them up.

The box score: Punting average ignores the return, the touchback and where the punt was kicked from.

Does it show up in winning? Across 70 games league-wide, a good or bad game on EPA per punt from a punter has not lined up much with his team winning (35% wins in the best third, 30% in the worst).

Last 2 games: −0.51 (4) vs −0.10 before−9.3grade points downLeaning that way

Small sample: could move a lot · 16 punts · true level likely −0.58 to +0.17

Net yards per punt

Typical

43.3 yds

14th of 33 punters · top 43%

Punt distance minus the return, with 20 yards taken off for a touchback.

The box score: Gross average counts yards the returner takes back.

Does it show up in winning? Across 70 games league-wide, teams won 35% of the time when their punter was in the best third on net yards per punt, and 22% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: 31.8 yds (4) vs 47.2 yds before−39.9grade points downA clear change

Small sample: could move a lot · 16 punts · true level likely 39.0 yds to 47.6 yds

Punts inside the 20

Typical

44%

15th of 33 punters · top 46%

The share of his punts that land inside the 20-yard line.

The box score: Counted, but not against how many punts were close enough to try.

Does it show up in winning? Across 70 games league-wide, teams won 56% of the time when their punter was in the best third on punts inside the 20, and 22% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: 25% (4) vs 50% before−13.7grade points downLeaning that way

Small sample: could move a lot · 16 punts · true level likely 23% to 64%

Touchbacks

Well below typical

13%lower is better

28th of 33 punters · bottom 19%

The share of his punts that are touchbacks, which waste the distance. Fewer is better.

The box score: Counted, but not against attempts.

Does it show up in winning? Across 70 games league-wide, teams won 44% of the time when their punter was in the best third on touchbacks, and 22% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: 25% (4) vs 8% before−18.8grade points downWithin the noise

Small sample: could move a lot · 16 punts · true level likely -3% to 28%

How he plays

Tendencies: how his game differs from the punters around him. These are not better or worse, only different, and often say as much about the offense or defense he plays in as about him.

Gross punt average

Style

49.3 yds

Kicks longer, more than most punters. A typical one is 47.9 yds.

Average punt distance before the return. It is the box score number, shown beside net yards for comparison.

Small sample: could move a lot · 16 punts

Fair catches

Style

25%

Lets returners run, more than most punters. A typical one is 33%.

The share of his punts that are fair caught, a sign of directional kicking and hang time.

Small sample: could move a lot · 16 punts

Game by game

Every game this season: how it ended for his team, how much he played, his box score, and the advanced numbers from that one game. One game is a small sample, so read the right-hand columns as a snapshot, not his level.

AJ Cole game by game
GameResultPuntsIn 20EPA/puntNet ydsInside 20Touchbacks
Wk 1 vs MIAW 27–1331+0.0651.0 yds33%33%
Wk 2 vs LACW 26–1464−0.1546.2 yds67%0%
Wk 3 vs NOW 35–2731−0.1645.3 yds33%0%
Wk 4 vs KCL 27–3021−0.5633.5 yds50%0%
Wk 5 vs NEL 17–4520−0.4630.0 yds0%50%

The box score

The traditional totals, with where each ranks among punters. A total rewards volume, which is why the advanced numbers above matter.

AJ Cole box score totals
StatTotalRank
Punts1615th of 33
Punts inside the 20712th of 33

Players with a similar profile

The punters whose grades are closest to his across the same stats. Similar means similar numbers, not the same style of play.

Ranks are among players at the same job who have enough plays to be graded. Grades and rankings come from play-by-play, charting and snap-count data, so they cannot see blocking, route running or assignments. See how the grades work.

← All players

Data: nflverse play-by-play, CC BY 4.0. Also FTN charting, Pro Football Reference advanced stats, snap counts and injury reports, all through nflverse. Calculations and charts by Raiders Rundown.

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