Could the Vikings enter the 2023 season with new kicker?

For the last two seasons, Greg Joseph has held on tightly to his role as the kicker of the Minnesota Vikings. Joseph has come through in the clutch for the Vikings multiple times, but his inconsistency throughout his NFL career could result in the team looking in a different direction this year.

Following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft, Minnesota signed a number of undrafted free-agent rookies, including former Georgia kicker Jack Podlesny.

If Podlesny is still on the team's roster by the time the Vikings begin training camp, he and Joseph will battle it out for Minnesota's starting kicker job. Does the rookie have what it takes to become the Vikings' next kicker?

Undrafted rookie Jack Podlesny has the potential to unseat Greg Joseph as the Minnesota Vikings kicker

Despite knocking down multiple go-ahead field goals in 2022, Joseph struggled mightily when attempting kicks from beyond 50 yards (4-of-10), and he embarrassingly missed six extra-point tries last season as well.

During his college career, Podlesny knocked down more than half of his field-goal attempts from at least 50 yards away (4-of-6), and in 2022, he was perfect on attempts from 39 yards away or closer (23-of-23).

The current distance from which NFL kickers attempt their extra points is 33 yards. Podlesny didn't miss a kick from this distance at Georgia last season, and if he can continue to convert kicks from this distance this summer, it could be what gives him an edge over Joseph to be Minnesota's kicker in 2023.

Even if Podlesny doesn't end up being the guy to take Joseph's job this year, the Vikings should still be considering other options for the position.

Joseph was wildly inaccurate last season (28th in the NFL in field goal accuracy and 24th in extra point accuracy), and for a team like Minnesota that wants to come out on top in close games in 2023, he could end up being a big reason why they fall short a few more times than they did last season.