How 49ers Rookie K Jake Moody is Performing at Training Camp

Much fuss was made when the 49ers drafted kicker Jake Moody in the third round of the NFL draft.

But the 49ers addressed a position of need and one where a rookie can step in to make an immediate impact. However, the 49ers aren't the kind of team to just hand a starting job to a rookie. Moody has been in a competition with Zane Gonzalez who the 49ers acquired via trade from the Panthers back in late March.

So far, Moody has been faring well in the competition and has been impressing the 49ers. Special teams coordinator Brian Schneider gave his assessment Tuesday of how Moody is performing at training camp thus far.

“He is doing really well. We're trying to give him a little bit of everything and try and get all situations," Schneider said. "That last one I think was 60 and we backed him up for the last one. So, he's right on schedule, doing everything he needs to do.”

Schneider is referring to the 60-yard field goal that Moody attempted and made at the end of Tuesday's practice. That is quite the distance for any kicker to make, especially since there is no elevation to benefit from. Pushing the range is something the 49ers are going to continue to do to the rest of training camp. They want to see if Moody has that consistent capability.

“We’ve got to continue to test that out and see. So, we'll continue to do that with different weather and different circumstances. So yeah, we always try to get a feel for that and every game that usually changes too.”

Considering Moody has been in a competition with a veteran like Gonzalez, he hasn't proven to have any nerves or timidness. He's been answering the call and is looking poised to be the starter for the 49ers. It wasn't a guarantee he would be. If he showed incapable of range and had the yips in training camp, then the 49ers would easily go with Gonzalez. Luckily that isn't the case for either side.

Unfortunately for Gonzalez, he's essentially being used as a means to push Moody. The chance for him to actually stay on the team now is unlikely. That possibility was always the case once they drafted Moody, but now that the rookie is looking solid so far, it only makes his exit inevitable. The situation that Gonzalez is in could be perceived as weird, but Schneider doesn't seem to think so.

"I don't think he's in a weird situation. I think he's in an awesome situation and he's been wonderful here," said Schneider. "He's really talented and him and Jake have worked great together. And really, to me, that's just the competition. I view all 90 players that way. We're getting stronger, we're competing. Both of those guys are going to be kicking in the NFL. They’re approaching it that way, they're playing that way, they're helping each other. And it's just been really cool to have that competition in camp.”

I'm sure Gonzalez always knew that remaining on the 49ers was never a strong likelihood. He was acquired with a seventh-round pick, then saw the team spend a third-round pick for Moody. The 49ers are already getting their value in Gonzalez as a means to push Moody and a contingency in case Moody did have the training camp yips. This is just the reality of the business as it would be embarrassing for the 49ers to overdraft a kicker that couldn't become the starter.

Moody so far is panning out with the next step in showing it in an actual game.