The Tape

Position:  Punter

Age:  24

Height:  6’ 4”

Weight:  219 pounds

40-yard dash:  4.7 seconds

Vertical Jump:  34”

The Roots

Justin Vogel grew up the son of Paul Vogel, a former middle linebacker that played at the University of South Carolina and spent one year in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Houston Oilers.  Vogel spent his prep years at Berkeley Prep High School in Tampa, Florida where he played kicker, punter, wide receiver and safety for his high school team.

Coming out of prep school, Vogel signed a letter of intent with the University of Florida Gators program.  After a redshirt year at Florida and not seeing any game action as a redshirt freshman, he decided to walk on with the University of Miami Hurricanes program.  Immediately during his sophomore year, Vogel took the field as the team’s starting punter and kickoff specialist.  Vogel would maintain his status as the team’s punter through his senior year and kickoff specialist through his junior year with the Hurricanes program.

Vogel would put up impressive stats in the college game at the Division I level, averaging 42.8 yards, 42.5 yards and 43.8 yards through his senior season.  While not having the highest distance averages, Vogel was making a name for himself by putting a high percentage of his kicks inside the 20-yard line and forcing a very high number of fair catches with his hang time.  Vogel would earn 2016 All-ACC Second Team honors for his punting after his senior year and was invited to the Senior Bowl as well.

Heading into the 2017 draft, the scouting report on Vogel showed an average leg for net punting yardage but an excellent leg for directional kicking with solid hang time. 

The Rookie Campaign

Following the 2017 NFL draft, a draft where no punter would be selected for the first time since 1998, Vogel was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Packers on May 5, 2017.  At the time of the signing, Vogel was looking for a good spot to compete and win a job.  With the 2016 struggles of Jacob Schum, Vogel knew Green Bay would be a great opportunity.  Shortly after the signing of Vogel, the Packers released Schum in June and would leave the job as Vogel’s to lose.

Entering training camp and the preseason, Vogel knew he still had to win the job with the coaching staff and team, being quoted as saying that he knows that the team can bring in a guy any time to replace him and he knows he has to perform.

On the 2017 season, Vogel tallied 71 total punts for a 44.4-yard average.  That average would land him still near the bottom of the league at 23^rd overall.  Vogel’s more impressive stat lines fall elsewhere with his directional punting capabilities and hang time ability.  Vogel would finish his 2017 campaign with only two touchbacks and with only 29 of his punts being returned for a total of 164 yards for a 5.7-yard average.  He would finish the season with a net average of 41.6 yards which put him at the seventh-best net average in the league. 

The only cause for concern in Vogel’s game came in a few outdoor matchups in December, where his average definitely fell.  Coming from a warm weather climate during his prep and college days, getting used to the northern winter climate and kicking effectively in the weather will be a focus of improvement in the future.

The Future

Special teams play is an integral part of the game that often gets overlooked by the fans.  The field position battle is important for both the offense and the defense and Vogel’s strengths help play to the field position battle.  After a dismal 2016 season where the Packers special teams ranked 29^th overall according to Rick Gosselin’s rankings, Vogel stepped up in 2017 and helped raise that ranking to 16^th overall in the NFL in 2017. 

After his rookie campaign, Vogel seems to have cemented his spot on the team moving forward.  But, punter is a position where competition is often brought in with a lot of movement of guys between teams.  Vogel’s focus moving forward will be to improve his overall leg strength and distances and improving in the inclement weather that he will undoubtedly be performing in while wearing a Packers uniform.  Consistent special teams play is key for a perennial contender and hopefully the Packers have found their man at punter moving forward.