The Commanders opened the kicking battle early in camp, and Day 2 brought the first real look at what could become one of the sharper competitions on the roster.
On Thursday, incumbent Jake Moody and undrafted rookie free agent Drew Stevens each got six chances apiece. No retries, no do-overs. The kicks came from 27, 31, 33, 37, 43 and 45 yards, and both players answered with a perfect 6-for-6 showing.
That kind of start does not settle anything, but it does make the next few weeks worth watching. The Commanders have three preseason games to sort out how they want to use the two kickers, and there is no reason to force a decision early. Camp is the time to find out who can handle different situations, and this one has already become a meaningful test.
Moody comes in with the obvious edge in experience. He has 40 NFL games under his belt, something Stevens simply does not have.
The Commanders know what Moody can offer, but Stevens is still a question mark at the pro level. Iowa gave him a strong college résumé, though that is a different stage entirely, and Washington still needs to see him on extra points, from 33 yards, and on attempts beyond 50 yards.
The numbers help explain why this is even a competition. Moody has made 64 of 82 field goal attempts in the NFL, good for 78 percent.
He has been much better on extra points, hitting 107 of 110 for 97.3 percent. But the longer kicks have been an issue.
From 50 yards and beyond, he is 8 of 14, or 57.1 percent, and from 40-49 yards he has made just 15 of 23, which comes out to 65.2 percent.
That track record is part of why Moody has already kicked in NFL games for three teams: the 49ers, Bears and Commanders.
Stevens, meanwhile, arrived without being drafted on Day 3. Still, his college profile shows why Washington wanted a closer look.
He was highly productive as a freshman, going 16 of 18 on field goals for 88.9 percent, and again as a junior, when he made 20 of 23 for 87.0 percent. His sophomore and senior seasons were less efficient, though, finishing at 18 of 26 for 69.2 percent and 22 of 28 for 78.6 percent.
He also showed range at Iowa. As a junior, Stevens drilled a 54-yarder.
As a senior, he set a personal best with a 55-yarder against Albany, then topped that with a 58-yarder against Oregon. Across four college seasons, he made 12 field goals from 50 yards or more, an Iowa record.
For now, the competition is still in its early stages. But after a perfect opening exchange, the Commanders have a kicking battle that looks very much alive.
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