The NFL Draft starts tonight, and with that we conclude our series looking at special teams and coaches.
A quick reminder of the rules:
1. All players had to be drafted from the one of the 17 ACC football schools (Notre Dame is ineligible).
2. The player just has to be drafted from the school, not played at that school while in the ACC.
If you want more detail on the rules or want to check out the offense, click here, for the defense click here. So without further ado, lets look at Special Teams and
Coaching.
Special Teams
Kicker
Starter: Harrison Butker (Kansas City Chiefs/Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets)
Butker finished fifth in the NFL with 33 made field goals this past season. The former Yellow Jacket has been more reliable in previous seasons but did finish the season with a better field goal percentage than the year before with the Chiefs.
Backup: Andre Szmyt (Cleveland Browns/Syracuse Orange)
In first NFL season, Szmyt finished in the top 10 in field goal percentage (minimum 20 attempts). The former Orange also was the Browns leading scorer with 97 points.
Punter
Starter: Bradley Pinion (Atlanta Falcons/Clemson Tigers)
Pinion led the NFL in punts inside the 20 with 34. The former Tiger was also top 10 in total punts.
Backup: Jake Bailey (Miami Dolphins/Stanford Cardinal)
Bailey finished in the top 10 in punting yards and his punting average and net average were both top 15. In an odd twist the two players will switch teams this upcoming season.
Kick Returner
Starter: Malik Washington (Miami Dolphins/Virginia Cavaliers)
Washington finished the season in the top 15 in both kick and punt return yards. The former Cavalier also added a punt touchdown.
Backup: Jaylin Lane (Washington Commanders/Virginia Tech Hokies)
Lane was a punt return specialist for the Commanders compiling 314 punt return yards and taking it back for two touchdowns. The former Hokie also had the seventh best punt return average in the NFL.
Long Snapper
Starter: Thomas Hennessy (New York Jets/Duke Blue Devils)
As long as the long snapper is doing their job, they are often forgotten. Hennessy was the long snapper for the league’s second best special teams unit, good enough for the former Blue Devil to get top billing here.
Backups: Zach Wood (New Orleans Saints/SMU Mustangs), Evan Deckers (Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Duke Blue Devils)
Wood and Deckers are the only other two former ACC players at long snapper in the NFL this past season. Considering that the Saints and Bucs both finished in the bottom five for special teams units, both players get this spot.
Coaching
Head Coach
Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears/North Carolina Tar Heels)
Johnson, a former walk-on quarterback for the Tar Heels, took over the Bears for his first head coaching job. Johnson turned the Bears from a 5-12 last place team to an 11-6 NFC North Division winner in just one season. Johnson finished fourth in the Coach of the Year race behind two other first year coaches and one who would win the Super Bowl.
Offensive Coordinators
Arthur Smith (Pittsburgh Steelers/North Carolina Tar Heels), Brad Idzik (Carolina Panthers/Wake Forest Demon Deacons)
Smith and Idzik represent the lone former ACC players who are OC’s in the NFL. Smith, a former Tar Heel guard, and Idzik, a former Demon Deacon wide receiver, had similar type seasons which saw their teams both win their divisions, get the four seed and then promptly lose in the first round of the playoffs.
Defensive Coordinator
Brian Flores (Minnesota Vikings/Boston College Eagles)
Flores led a Vikings defense that finished the season in the top three in yards per game. The former Eagle Cornerback also finished third for NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.
Special Teams Coach
Chris Banjo (New York Jets/SMU Mustangs)
As mentioned above, the Jets had the second best special teams unit, and as the special teams coach of said unit, Banjo, a former Mustang safety, gets the nod for this spot.
