2024 NFL Draft: 3 things to know about Cam Little

Get to know the Jaguars’ new additions from draft weekend with our ‘3 things to know’ series.

With the 2024 NFL Draft in the books, it’s time to reflect on how the Jacksonville Jaguars fared. Did Trent Baalke deliver a masterclass, or has he just set the Jags back five years? Truth is, we probably won’t know that for some time. But we can get to know the newest members of the team a little bit better. Next up in our mini-series of deep dives we bring you three things to know about Cam Little, K, Arkansas:

Record breaker

Not many kickers declare for the NFL Draft early, but perhaps Cam Little felt like he had achieved all he could in Fayetteville. The former Razorback leaves Arkansas as the most accurate kicker in program history, with an 82.8% field goal percentage. He has never missed and extra point in his college career, and was 34/36 of all field goal attempts under forty yards. That incredible consistency got him noticed by the Shrine Bowl; director Eric Galko was effusive in his praise of Little, who they had at the top of his position group:

“We thought he was the best kicker in the draft and we were not alone among NFL teams. Incredibly accurate under 40 yards, obviously 40-to-50 he’s super accurate too. But like, he’s not going to miss a short kick for Jacksonville. He’s been one of the better kickoff kickers in the draft this year and he was one of the best in college football last year, too.”

Interestingly, Little has the leg for the big kicks too – not only did he effortlessly nail the 55 yarder above, but his former Razorback head coach Sam Pittman once said he hit a 68 yarder in practice too. A campus legend in Fayetteville ever since he nailed a game-winning, overtime boot against LSU as a freshman, the Jaguars will be hoping he brings that game-winning mentality to Jacksonville.

Little could legitimately be the Jaguars kicker for 20 years

Did you know that since the end of the 2019 season, the Jaguars have had 16 different kickers. That’s right – SIXTEEN legs in four seasons. The inconsistency at the position has had a detrimental effect on success too, with the team ranking 31st in the league in field goal rate over those four seasons. As such, it was unsurprising to see the front office address kicker this offseason.

It didn’t get off to a great start, with former Denver Broncos kicker Will Lutz backtracking on signing with the Jags. But Trent Baalke pivoted, bringing in Joey Slye from the Washington Commanders before subsequently releasing him after drafting Cam Little. Little was the third kicker off the board on draft weekend – all of which went within ten picks of each other on day 3, showing an increased acknowledgement of the importance of the position. He will now compete with Riley Patterson in training camp – and should he win out, he has the opportunity to stay in Jacksonville for some time…

At just twenty years old, Little became the youngest kicker ever to be drafted in NFL history. Now, when you’re a 6th round selection, a roster spot is anything but guaranteed – but considering most kickers tend to be picked up as UDFA’s after the draft, it would suggest Trent Baalke has some confidence in Little’s ability to bring some stability to the position. If he’s even close to being as good for the Jags as he was in college, then based on the longevity at the position Little could feasibly be on the team for two decades!

A big charity guy

As prolific as Cam Little has been in his college career, that has not stopped him using his strong, accurate leg to help out those less fortunate than himself. Partnering with the Down Syndrome Connection of North West Arkansas, Little began committing to helping the charity in his freshman year – committing to a donation of $10 for every field goal he made that season.

Within the first two years, Little had made 33 field goals. But heading into 2023, he took things a step further, increasing the donation to an incredible $50 a field goal, as well as donating 100% of his jersey proceeds to the charity. As he explains, the cause holds a special place in his heart:

“My little cousin has Down Syndrome, back in Oklahoma City, and I’ve grown up around him, hung around with him since I was five or six. He’s now seventeen, a similar age to me, so to give back to an association like that is so personal to me. I hope I can make as many kicks and donate as much money to that association as I can.”

Cam Little was able to donate $1,330 just from field goals alone, and his social media engagement encouraged others to help too – more than doubling that amount. The money generated went directly to allowing DSCNWA to give age-specific programming for individuals, increasing their life skills and maximizing their independence. An amazing gesture.