There's already a clear winner in the Jaguars' training camp battle at kicker

The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Cam Little to compete with Riley Patterson for the kicker job in 2024. This was supposed to be one of the most intriguing ones to watch in training camp. However, it looks like there's already a clear winner.

A few days into training camp, the Jags announced they waived Patterson, which means that Little did enough in their eyes to come out on top.

It's important to point out that Patterson wasn't bad, per se. It's just that Little proved to be much better, especially in long field goals, the area where his fellow kicker struggles.

Having gone through several kickers in 2022, Jacksonville claimed Patterson off waiver just before the start of the regular season. He experienced a funk at the midpoint of the year but finished the season strong, going 16-of-17 in the last seven games. The former Memphis Tiger then proceeded to nail the game-winning field goal to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Super Wild Card Weekend.

However, Patterson's leg strength, or lack thereof wasn't enough for long field goals or kickoffs. This forced the Jags to go for it on fourth down more than they would've liked that year. That's why they went after Brandon McManus when he became available in 2023.

Not long after acquiring McManus. Jacksonville traded Patterson to the Detroit Lions. Unfortunately, he wasn't the upgrade they thought he was going to be and made no effort to bring him back when he became a free agent in 2024.

At one point of the offseason, the front office brought back Patterson but it was nothing more than insurance at the position, as they attempted (but failed) to sign Wil Lutz and later locked up Joey Slye in free agency. But once they drafted Little, they also cut ties with him.

Little was one of three kickers taken in the sixth round of this year's draft. His 82.2 percent completion rate in field goals was a school record at Arkansas. He also showcased his leg, going 7-of-11 in attempts from 50 yards out or more.

Why did Cam Little win the Jaguars kicker competition in training camp?

It was a bit surprising to see the Jaguars already make up their mind about the kicker position, but there are a few reasons why it was smart to decide a winner so early in training camp. For starters, they're doing Riley Patterson right.

By releasing Patterson now, they're allowing him to latch onto another team. Maybe he could reunite with the Detroit Lions, who are looking for a kicker after Michael Badgley tore his hamstring. Currently, Jake Bates is their only healthy kicker, so Patterson would immediately provide another option at the position.

That said, it would be already Patterson's third stint with the Lions. They waived him in 2022 and traded for him last year. It's hard to tell if they would give him another chance. That said, Detroit isn't the only need who could be looking for a kicker before the start of the season.

And besides allowing Patterson to quickly land on his feet, they're giving Little their full vote of confidence. It's uncertain if he'll be the long-term answer at kicker but they're giving him a legitimate shot to prove that he can be.

In the end, the Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to check off this box sooner rather than later. Having taken care of the kicker position, they can next sort out other areas of the roster.

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