The San Francisco 49ers’ special teams unit was horrible this season and, in some metrics, the worst in the NFL. According to EPA (Expected Points Added), the 49ers lost a league-worst 64 points. Regarding DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), San Francisco’s special teams ranked 31st. Again, it was terrible. The abysmal display led to special teams coordinator Brian Schneider being fired as the team looks to drag themselves out of the NFC West cellar.
Fixing their special teams may not single-handedly make the 49ers successful. However, after the multiple disastrous events that occurred in 2024, simply being able to make a field goal could go a long way toward restoring the team’s playoff hopes.
Jake Moody, the current highest-drafted kicker in the league, finished 2024 with a 70.6 field goal percentage. That number is good for the second-worst in football among kickers with 23 attempts or more, per Pro Football Focus.
On kick 40 yards or further, Moody hit just 10 of his 20 attempts. His 50 percent rate was the worst among all kickers.
Moody’s struggles reached a tipping point in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he missed three field goals and was physically confronted by wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Despite Moody going on to make the game-winning field goal, his inconsistencies led to calls for his replacement. Following Week 17, head coach Kyle Shanahan stated the team is “evaluating all positions.”
Now, with new special teams coordinator Brant Boyer hired, the team may have started the replacement process.
49ers Replacing Jake Moody
In preparation for the 2025 NFL Draft, NFL scouts are congregating in Arlington, Texas, for the Shrine Bowl. Before the game itself, throughout the week, teams get a chance to meet with some of college football’s top players. And one prospect in particular is gaining a ton of interest.
According to Ryan Fowler of NFL Draft Network, Miami Hurricane’s kicker Andres Borregales has met with ten teams. Among them is the San Francisco 49ers.
Borregales has flourished during his time at the University of Miami. In four seasons, Borregales has made 74 of his 86 field goal attempts. Good for a collegiate field goal percentage of 86 percent. In 2024, he made a career-high 94.7 percent of his field goal attempts, per Pro Football Reference.
When it comes to extra points, Borregales is even better. In 184 extra-point tries, he has only missed one attempt. In 2024, he led the ACC by making 62 of his 62 attempts. Wrapping up his collegiate career, Borregales finishes with the 8th most points in ACC history (405) and the ninth most field goals made (74) in conference history.
Would the 49ers Draft Another Kicker?
Widely regarded as one of the best kickers in the 2025 NFL Draft, Andres Borregales has a good chance of getting drafted. However, after drafting Jake Moody in the third round, the 49ers may feel reluctant to reach for a specialist again. That said, the fact San Francisco is already showing interest in kickers is telling.
The NFL Draft is over three months away, but they are hitting the ground running, trying to right the wrongs of 2024.
While Boyer’s addition can be a fresh start for Moody under new coaching, it would behoove the 49ers to add competition to the room. They say diamonds are made from pressure. And for Moody, a player Brian Schneider said had the “perfect workout” and could use some pressure to work through his issues.
As San Francisco enters into 2025, they have already made two coaching changes and are showing signs of being all gas, no breaks when it comes to flipping the script from last season. In a win-now window, the 49ers need to figure out the kicker position before most points are left off the board and, more importantly, more games are lost.
Whether Andres Borregales is the answer to the 49ers’ questions will be seen soon enough.
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