Graham Gano Still a Key Member of New York Giants' Scoring Machine

But can Gano finally crack into the Pro Bowl as a member of the Giants?

Author:
Hunter De Siver
Publish date:
Jun 1, 2023 1:56 PM EDT

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New York Giants

Graham Gano, Kicker

Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 202 pounds

2022 Stats: GP 17 / GS 17. 29 FGM / 32 FGA (90.6 percent). 32 XPM / 34 XPA (94.1 percent)

New York Giants kicker Graham Gano was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2009 but was cut by the team because he lost the kicker battle. Washington signed him later that season, and he spent three seasons there before spending 2012-2018 with the Carolina Panthers. Gano was signed as a free agent by the Giants in 2020 and has been there ever since.

Throughout his 13-year career, Gano has made 313 field goals out of 370 attempts (84.6 percent). The one-time Pro Bowler has split the uprights on field goals more than 85 percent of the time every season since 2016. Gano is also stellar with extra points, as he’s hit 376-of-395 (95.2 percent).

Gano’s career-long field goal is 63 yards, the seventh-longest in NFL history. It just so happened to be a game-winner against the Giants in 2018. The 36-year-old is tied for the Giants' longest field goal record at 57 yards with Aldrick Rosas, and Gano will look to continue his kicking prowess with the Giants in 2023.

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Best Case Scenario

Gano’s lone Pro Bowl honors came in 2017 when he nailed 29-of-30 field goals with the Carolina Panthers. His second-best season came in 2015 when he split the uprights on 56-of-59 extra-point attempts. These two seasons were some of Carolina’s best of the last decade, and their high-powered offense was a large factor in Gano’s success.

The current Giants offense isn’t in the same tier as the 2015 Super Bowl runner-up Panthers, but Gano has proven that he can put points on the board from a great distance. Last season, Gano finished with a career-high eight field goals made out of nine attempts (fourth-most in the NFL).

Adding 2020 Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller during the offseason should greatly increase field goal and extra point opportunities. Waller’s ability to outmaneuver defensive backs is truly unique. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka knows how to use elite tight ends, as he thrived with Travis Kelce in Kansas City from 2017-2021.

The Giants’ slightly new but greatly improved offense should allow Gano to trot onto the field for field goals and extra points far more often than in the past few years. His consistency at all three levels, combined with the likelihood his offense can often drive beyond the 50-yard line several times per game, should earn him some Pro Bowl votes.

Worst Case Scenario

Throughout Gano’s 13-year career, he’s only had three seasons where he recorded a field goal percentage of under 80 percent. However, the 36-year-old is in the waning seasons of his career and is the oldest player on the Giants.

Although kickers generally play longer than practically every other position, they too often decline in their mid-30s. The Giants' offense is now good enough to reach beyond the 50-yard line several times a game, but a few misses from Gano early next season could damper his confidence, and his age may be to blame for his miscues.

Additionally, the Giants are tied for the fourth-toughest strength of schedule as their opponents this upcoming season finished last year with a combined .549 win percentage. Despite the talent of offensive stars Saquon Barkley and Darren Waller, the Giants may struggle to move the ball across the 50-yard line against these talented defenses.

What to Expect in 2023

Gano is currently the only kicker on the Giants depth chart, meaning he will be the starter. The 36-year-old has spent the last three seasons in New York and has yet to hit less than 85 percent of his field goal attempts with them.

Gano hasn’t made the Pro Bowl with the Giants yet, primarily due to their offense struggling to get in field goal range. However, the addition of Waller in the offseason could make a huge difference, as he’s excellent at finding space and maneuvering around defensive backs for long gains.

Gano’s lone Pro Bowl was in 2017, when he had a solid offensive supporting cast on the Panthers. The Giants offense needs to step up because Gano is practically automatic from all three levels.