Spending a draft pick on a punter isn't unusual in the NFL because field

position matters in the league. When that rookie comes in and shows off a booming leg Barkevious Mingo Color Rush Jersey , people take notice.Michael Dickson bypassed his final year of eligibility at Texas to enter the draft early, and the Seattle Seahawks traded up in the fifth round to take the Australian native and 2017 Ray Guy Award winner. Dickson has made both decisions pay off very nicely in his debut season.Dickson edged out Johnny Hekker of the Los Angeles Rams as the NFL's top punter in 2018 in voting released Friday by a panel of 10 football writers for The Associated Press. Dickson received four first-place votes and was the only punter listed on every ballot. "When's the last time a rookie topped any of the position rankings? Who knows?" Dallas-based Schuyler Dixon said. "When's the last time a punter skipped his final season of eligibility for the draft? This former Texas Longhorn is a generational talent."Dickson, who has had a long punt of 69 yards this season, is second in gross punting averaging at 48.7 yards. But the rookie easily leads the NFL with a net average of 44.2 yards. He's also placed 20 punts inside an opponent's 20. Dickson was voted the NFC's special teams player for November thanks to his leg."Spending a fifth-round draft pick on the Aussie from the Texas Longhorns has turned into a key move in Seattle's unexpectedly solid season," New York-based lead NFL writer Barry Wilner said.Hekker, who finished fourth in these rankings in 2017, received two first-place votes. His biggest challenge comes from playing for a team with a high-powered offense that just doesn't need him much. Luckily, Hekker keeps finding ways to make himself valuable."He's a four-tool punter," said Philadelphia-based Rob Maaddi. "Hekker can run or throw for a first down on fake punts, and he has also made an extra point and field goal this season. His net average being fifth is just an added bonus."In all, 17 punters received at least one vote, with only five receiving at least one first-place vote.Brett Kern of the Tennessee Titans, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2017 when he also the top punter in these rankings , joined Hekker receiving two first-place votes and finished third. Kern is fourth with a gross average of 40.5 yards with his net taking a hit from a struggling punt coverage unit. But the 11-year veteran still has a strong leg, with a long of 62 yards this season."Forget drafting Tim Tebow or trading Jay Cutler, Josh McDaniels' head coaching legacy in Denver was inexplicably waiving Kern, who landed on Tennessee's roster and has been nothing but sensational for the last decade," said Denver-based Arnie Stapleton.No punter has had as many chances this season as Andy Lee of Arizona, not that usage is limiting his effectiveness. Lee finished fourth with a leg that has a long punt of 64 yards this season."Lee is a three-time Pro Bowl pick and could be in for another trip with another solid season," New York-based Dennis Waszak Jr. said. "With Arizona's offense struggling as the worst-ranked unit in the league, Lee has been plenty busy while punting an NFL-leading 71 times Ed Dickson Color Rush Jersey , and his 48.5 gross average and 41.7 net both rank near the top."Cameron Johnston of Philadelphia finished fifth as the other punter to receive a first-place vote. New York-based Simmi Buttar noted the Australia native is tied for the league lead in gross average with Dickson and has a long punt of 68 yards.Washington's Tress Way and Dustin Colquitt of the Chiefs tied for sixth. San Francisco-based Josh Dubow noted no punter has been better than Way at pinning teams deep, with nearly 60 percent of his punts downed inside the 20."No one has even approached that mark in nearly three decades," Dubow said.Colquitt, like Hekker, simply doesn't get many chances to punt. Wilner says, yes, Colquitt could get rusty with how well the Chiefs move the ball, but the punter remains one of the NFL's best.Sam Koch is a 13-year veteran for Baltimore yet remains a factor for the Ravens and came in eighth. He finished just ahead of a second-year punter in Matt Haack of Miami. The Dolphins keep Haack pretty busy, but he has put 31 kicks inside the 20 to finish ninth.Rigoberto Sanchez of the Colts came in 10th, and he has the second-best net average at 42.8 yards that cannot be ignored."Don't usually look at indoor kickers, but Sanchez has given up a total of 63 return yards," Wilner said. Read!" Century LinksCentury Links 6/2: L.J. Collier Turning Heads in OTAsNew,70commentsRead!PDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Century Links 6/2: L.J. Collier Turning Heads in OTAsTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Ron Jenkins/Getty ImagesSign up for the Seaside Joe newsletter!In addition to the great content you'll see on Field Gulls every day, sign up for a daily newsletter to come to your email every morning that will be a short and sweet post, thought, stat, quote, musing by Kenneth or one of his guests that requires little thought or commitment. Just a good way to bring a Seahawks companion to your morning of sippin' joe by the seaside.Seahawks First-Round Pick L.J. Collier Winning Over Veterans, Coaches - SeahawkMaven.ioContact restrictions hinder evaluations this time of year, but Collier looks like the real deal thus far.Malik McDowell says on Twitter Seahawks ‘had their own reasoning’ for not letting him play | The Seattle TimesMcDowell, in what were his first comments on his injuries and situation with the Seahawks Jaron Brown Color Rush Jersey , said the team's decision to release him was not due to issues with his head.Ex-Seahawk Malik McDowell insists he was medically cleared to playEx-Seahawk Malik McDowell took to Twitter Saturday to comment on the team's lawsuit alleging he has yet to pay back his signing bonus.McDowell: ATV accident, head injury wasn't why Seahawks didn't clear me - seattlepi.comToo early predictions for every Seahawks game in 2019The Seattle Seahawks are a good team. How good? Here are (likely wrong) guesses at what happens in each game in 2019 season.Seahawks just need DK Metcalf to be himself, not a saviorThe Seahawks signed one of the all-time maximum potential guys in DK Metcalf. If we focus on what he can do, instead of what he can't, we'll be happy.NFL Seattle Seahawks players guest speakers at El Paso Children's Hospital galaEL PASO, Texas (KTSM) NFL players and twin brothers Shaquem and Shaquill Griffin of the Seattle Seahawks were featured as the guest speakers at El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation's 2019 Milagro...Seahawks' O-line primed for another step forward in 2019The Seahawks' offensive line took a step forward in 2018 – jumping from the bottom of the league to 17th overall by Week 15 – and the players who oversaw Seattle's change say fans can continue to expect more growth this season.Muhammad Wilkerson arrested on DWI charge - NFL.comFormer Jets and Packers defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, an unrestricted free agent, was arrested early Saturday morning for driving while intoxicated, New York Police confirmed.Bruce Arians: Buccaneers secondary is 'totally fixed' - NFL.comUnder new coach Bruce Arians and defensive coordinator and former NFL safety Todd Bowles, the Buccaneers expect mighty improvement from the back end of their defense.Saquon on Jones: Wait until 'he wins two Super Bowls' - NFL.comThrough nine days of offseason workouts in East Rutherford, Daniel Jones has already won over the people who matter most: his Giants coaches and teammates, including Saquon Barkley.Cardinals' Haason Reddick embracing move to ILB - NFL.comAfter playing mostly as an edge rusher and off-ball linebacker in his first two years, Haason Reddick is moving to inside linebacker in new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's 3-4 system.Bud Dupree: The plays are there, I have to finish – ProFootballTalkThe Steelers made the decision to exercise their option on linebacker Bud Dupree's contract for the 2019 season and they didn't back out of it this offseason despite production that some might find short of being worth a $9.2 million salary. Dupree had 5.Brian Flores “can’t say enough good things” about Charles Harris – ProFootballTalkAfter trading Robert Quinn and seeing Cameron Wake leave as a free agent, the Dolphins are short on experienced edge rushers on their roster. The remaining group is led by 2017 first-round pick Charles Harris, who has three sacks in 27 career games.Mark Murphy: Matt LaFleur had complete control over hiring assistants – ProFootballTalkPackers president and CEO Mark Murphy responded to a recent report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that said head coach Matt LaFleur wasn't allowed to have full control over which assistants were hired for his coaching staff.Brian Flores, Trey Flowers to attend as Patriots get their rings – ProFootballTalkThe Patriots are getting their Super Bowl rings this week, and some of the members of last year's team who have moved on this year will attend. Among those who will be there for the private ceremony on Thursday night are Lions defensive end Trey Flowers and Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, accor...Malik McDowell disputes Seahawks’ decision to not let him play – ProFootballTalkFormer Seahawks defensive lineman Malik McDowell has taken his disagreement with the team's refusal to clear him to play public. In a series of tweets posted Saturday, McDowell argues that a neurologist gave him the OK to resume his career after a 2017 ATV accident left him sufficiently injured t...