OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- After weeks of working out kickers all over the country, Baltimore Ravens senior special teams coach Randy Brown had a clear-cut message for the team heading into the draft.
Brown told general manager Eric DeCosta, "There's one guy that I really covet."
The Ravens wanted Arizona's Tyler Loop so much that they made him the first kicker drafted in the franchise's 30-year history. On Saturday, Baltimore used a sixth-round pick on Loop, who suddenly finds himself involved in the biggest question facing the team: Will Loop replace Justin Tucker as Baltimore's kicker?
While the Ravens won't say whether adding Loop signals the end of Tucker in Baltimore, this is the first sign that the team is thinking about life after the NFL's most accurate kicker. The Ravens have previously drafted four specialists in their history -- three punters and one long-snapper -- and all won their jobs as rookies.
Loop's strong leg and consistent swing is what separated him from the other college prospects and made him the top candidate to become Tucker's potential successor. It didn't matter that Loop's field goal percentage declined in all four years at Arizona. When the Ravens put on tape of Loop kicking, every attempt looked the same.
"He's one of these guys [who is] a kicking nerd, and you like to see that," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He's really into every detail and technique, and he studied Justin a lot and a lot of other guys, too."
The Ravens' rookie minicamp this weekend will mark the first time when most team officials will meet Loop and see him kick in person.
"We will get a chance to see his leg, and that will help us address what our decision-making is going to be moving forward," DeCosta said.
Ravens officials previously indicated that they won't make a determination on Tucker until the NFL has finished its investigation on allegations of sexual misconduct. Tucker has been accused of inappropriate behavior by 16 massage therapists from eight Baltimore spas and wellness centers, according to The Baltimore Banner. He has twice publicly disputed the allegations.
DeCosta said the team doesn't know of any timeline for the NFL investigation. In 2021, it took five months for the league and the players' union to finalize a settlement in Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson's sexual assault case. It could be training camp before Baltimore knows the results of the investigation and whether Tucker will be disciplined by the NFL.
When Tucker worked out and kicked at the Ravens facility last week, team officials spoke to him about the chances of Baltimore drafting a kicker.
"He already understood," Harbaugh said. "He knew the situation. ... So, he knew that was a possibility."
Loop can't count the number of times he met with the Ravens during the pre-draft process, but it was enough to let him know that Baltimore was definitely interested. He met with a scout at the Hula Bowl in January and then spoke with Brown during the specialist workout at the NFL scouting combine in February. Loop also had a private workout with Brown in Arizona.
The moment when Loop felt like he was going to Baltimore was after the New England Patriots used a sixth-round pick on Andres Borregales, who was the first kicker drafted this year. Four selections later, the Ravens phoned Loop to inform him that he was going to be the No. 186 pick.
"Oh dude, total elation getting the call," Loop said. "I saw the area code come across my phone. I was like, 'Let's go. I'm going to Baltimore.'"
When NFL teams draft kickers, it's usually with the intent of them playing immediately. Of the 19 kickers taken over the last 10 drafts, 14 of them were their team's full-time kickers as rookies. The last kicker who was drafted and didn't play for that team in his first season was Justin Rohrwasser, who was selected in the fifth round by New England in 2020 and cut before the start of the regular season.
Unlike those other drafted kickers, none had to replace a kicker like Tucker, who holds the NFL marks for best career field goal percentage (89.1%) and longest field goal (66 yards). Tucker finished the 2024 season with a career-low 73.3% field goal percentage.
Asked how much pressure he would feel to follow in Tucker's footsteps, Loop said, "I think it's really exciting more than pressure, just because it gives you something to shoot for, right?"
Loop has dealt with challenges during his college career. He's had three different special teams coaches. He also had issues with snaps and holds, which is a big reason why his success rate went from 100% as a freshman (12-of-12) to 78.3% in his final season (18-of-23).
Last season, Loop showed his leg strength with a 62-yard field goal. He then solidified himself as ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s top kicker at the NFL combine, where he hit 13-of-14 field goal attempts (93.3%) and finished by making a 60-yarder.
"I'd say the one thing that I hang my hat on is being a student of craft," Loop said. "There are days where you're not in a groove, and if you're not feeling it, you can always fall back on your mechanics to be successful and make kicks."
When the Ravens were deciding on taking a kicker, they could have gone with Florida State's Ryan Fitzgerald, who led college football in field goal percentage by making all 13 attempts, or Pittsburgh's Ben Sauls, who kicked at the Steelers' home stadium and knows about playing in the AFC North weather conditions.
Instead, Baltimore went with Loop, who is seen as having the most potential.
"Randy believes in you," Harbaugh told Loop on the phone after the Ravens drafted him. "He showed me the tape. You're going to have an awesome career."