David Akers

Deemed expendable after the Eagles drafted Alex Henery, Akers rewarded San Francisco with NFL season-single records of 166 points and 44 made field goals last season. The 49ers’ conservative offense, inefficiency in the red zone and league-leading turnover ratio amounted to an NFL-record 52 field-goal attempts for Akers – no kicker this century has broken 45 attempts. That number figures to precipitously decline, as do Akers’ point totals. While the 49ers likely will remain dominant defensively, expect the offense to be more aggressive after the team added Mario Manningham, Randy Moss and A.J. Jenkins to its receiving corps. And San Francisco’s 40.7-percent red-zone touchdown efficiency, third lowest in the league, figures to improve. But even if all that cuts as many as 15 field goals off Akers’ 2011 total, it still shouldn’t prevent him from finishing near the top of the league in scoring. He also displayed a strong leg last season, hitting seven field goals of 50-plus yards on nine attempts.

Some questioned last season whether the Eagles' transition from Donovan McNabb would hurt Akers’ production. Akers responded with a league-leading 143 points, his third consecutive year with at least 139 points. Now the question is whether Akers' transition from the Eagles will hurt his production. The Eagles selected Nebraska All-American Alex Henery in the fourth round of April's NFL Draft, which led them to allow Akers to sign with San Francisco. It's too bad for Akers, because the Eagles have the perfect offense for kickers as they combine a high number of touchdowns with high a number of field-goal attempts. Akers took advantage last season, ranking third in field goals with 32 and second in PATs with 47. Akers, whose 97 makes the last three seasons are tops in the league, made 22 field goals inside 40 yards last season, including a league-high 12 from 20-29 yards. The 36-year-old Akers has made only one field goal from 50-plus yards each of the last two seasons and those kicks could be even harder to make in the San Francisco wind.

Akers leads all field goal kickers in attempts (77) and makes (65) over the last two seasons. His 139 points were second in the NFL last season and his 32 field goal makes were tied for tops in the league. Those exploits, though, came (mostly) with Donovan McNabb at the helm. The Eagles have high hopes for new quarterback Kevin Kolb, who has weapons in emerging superstar DeSean Jackson and upand- comers LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek, but the transition from McNabb to Kolb still makes Akers a bit of a risk.

Akers’ 86.5 percent accuracy last year was his highest since 2002, and he has improved his percentage in each of the last two seasons. If Kolb can move Andy Reid’s usually productive offense, Akers should continue producing at a top-10 level.

Akers looked to be on the downside of his career but bounced back last season for a career-high 144 points. Not only did Akers get more opportunities with a career-high 40 field-goal attempts, but his accuracy improved, as well – his 82.5 field-goal percentage was his highest rate since 2004, and after going 2-of-10 from beyond 40 in 2007, he was 12-of-15 last year (8-of-10 from 40-49). While Donovan McNabb, who played a full season last year for the time since 2003, remains a health risk, the Eagles added a potential playmaker to the offense in rookie receiver Jeremy Maclin to go with standouts Brian Westbrook and DeSean Jackson. Akers’s career resurgence could continue with an accurate leg and a healthy and prosperous offense.

In the early part of this decade, Akers was considered almost a lock as a top-five fantasy kicker, averaging 121 points a season and 27.2 field goals made from 2000-2004. But Akers hasn't approached 121 points since, and last season was especially concerning, as he was just 2-of-10 from 40 yards and beyond. While the Eagles have a healthy Donovan McNabb and all-purpose superstar in Brian Westbrook, Akersí best days appear to be behind him.

Akers averaged 121 points a season from 2001-2004, but scored just 71 points in 12 games in 2005 and just 102 in a full season in 2006. Akers’ biggest problem has been lack of field goal attempts as he has averaged just 22.5 the last two years. This should increase a bit, but with the health concerns of Donovan McNabb, don’t expect to see Akers as a top kicker this season.

Akers suffered through some hamstring problems in 2005, knocking his point total down to 71 and contributing to a less than 80 percent conversion rate for the first time in his career. But he’s a top-notch kicker when healthy, averaging 121 points from 2001-2004. Akers and the Eagles need QB Donovan McNabb to be healthy and moving the offense again.

Akers has averaged 121 points in his last four seasons with the third-best accuracy rate (84.9 percent) in that span. What’s more, the Eagles have scored more than the league average in each of the last three seasons and consistently get Akers into field-goal range, as is evidenced by his 31.8 FGA per season in five years as the team’s full-time kicker. He has never kicked less than 82.8 percent in that time.

As a full-timer for the past four seasons in Philadelphia – all with QB Donovan McNabb – Akers is averaging 120.8 points and 7.5 ppg. He’s made 112 of 135 career attempts (82.9 percent) and has the leg to hit from long range (7 of 12 from 50-plus in his career).

Akers vaults to the top of our list based on his 83 percent field-goal conversion rate and 123 points scored per season over the past three years. He was an above par 88.2 percent (30 of 34) and scored 133 points in 2002, good for second behind the surprising Jay Feely (Atlanta). Akers also is 5 of 9 from beyond the 50-yard line for his career.