KVA Metric Reveals Top and Bottom NFL Kickers

The NFL has introduced a novel metric, Kick Value Added (KVA), to more accurately assess the performance of kickers, a position often overlooked by advanced analytics. Developed by FanSided, KVA measures a kicker's contribution relative to the league's average success rate from specific distances.

This innovative approach acknowledges that not all kicks are created equal, differentiating between long-range attempts and shorter, more routine ones. The 2025 NFL season saw Ka'imi Fairbairn of the Texans achieve the highest KVA score of 15.4259, indicating significant added value. He notably missed only four kicks throughout the season.

Conversely, the KVA metric identified Brandon McManus of the Packers as the lowest-rated kicker, with a score of -11.4029. Other kickers in the bottom five included Joshua Karty and Blake Grupe. Notably, highly-regarded kickers like Brandon Aubrey and Cam Little did not crack the top five, with Aubrey ranking ninth and Little tenth, due to factors like late-season misses and lower average kick distances respectively.