Daniel Carlson in the NFL
In the NFL. Photo: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kicker, Auburn, 2013–⁠17

Daniel Carlson

Number
No. 38
Height
6′4″
Weight
223 lb
Hometown
Colorado Springs, CO
Born
Jan 23, 1995, in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Wikipedia readers: about 5,231 a month over the past year

Daniel Carlson played kicker at Auburn (2013–⁠17). The Minnesota Vikings took Carlson in round 5, No. 167 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
28
Field goals made, 2016 (Auburn, 8–⁠5)
Drafted
No. 167
Round 5, 2018 NFL Draft (Minnesota Vikings)

Career highs

6field goals, career highvs. LSU, 2016

Honors

Team titles: SEC champions, 2013

All-America: AFCA 2017; Walter Camp 2017; Walter Camp second team 2015; CBS Sports 2017

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Kicking

Field goals made, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamFGMFGAPctLongXPPts
2014Auburn182378.35157111
2015Auburn232785.25640109
2016Auburn283287.55344128
2017Auburn233174.25457126
Career9211381.456198474

Punting

SeasonTeamPuntsYdsAvgLongIn 20
2014Auburn411,72442.06213

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosHtWt
2013Auburn38PK
2014Auburn38PK
2015Auburn38PK
2016Auburn38PK
2017Auburn38PK6′4″223

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsagePAAR
2016Auburn––––––18.2 (32 att.)
2017Auburn––––––6.9 (30 att.)

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). PAAR: points a kicker added above a replacement-level kicker, with his field-goal attempts. From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2017 Auburn 14 games, 23 of 31 field goals
DateOpponentResultFGMFGALongXPPts
Sep 2vs.Georgia SouthernW 41–⁠72450511
Sep 9atClemsonL 6–⁠14222806
Sep 16vs.MercerW 24–⁠10122936
Sep 23atMissouriW 51–⁠143354615
Sep 30vs.Mississippi StateW 49–⁠1001077
Oct 7vs.Ole MissW 44–⁠233349514
Oct 14atLSUL 23–⁠273348211
Oct 21atArkansasW 52–⁠201121710
Nov 4atTexas A&MW 42–⁠2702066
Nov 11vs.GeorgiaW 40–⁠174454416
Nov 18vs.UL MonroeW 42–⁠1400066
Nov 25vs.AlabamaW 26–⁠14224428
Dec 2vs.GeorgiaL 7–⁠2801011
Jan 1 ✦vs.UCFL 27–⁠34234639
2016 Auburn 13 games, 28 of 32 field goals
DateOpponentResultFGMFGALongXPPts
Sep 3vs.ClemsonL 13–⁠19225317
Sep 10vs.Arkansas StateW 51–⁠143342615
Sep 17vs.Texas A&ML 16–⁠29113714
Sep 24vs.LSUW 18–⁠136651018
Oct 1vs.UL MonroeW 58–⁠701088
Oct 8atMississippi StateW 38–⁠14112558
Oct 22vs.ArkansasW 56–⁠300088
Oct 29atOle MissW 40–⁠294447416
Nov 5vs.VanderbiltW 23–⁠163453211
Nov 12atGeorgiaL 7–⁠1300011
Nov 19vs.Alabama A&MW 55–⁠02341713
Nov 26atAlabamaL 12–⁠304552012
Jan 2 ✦vs.OklahomaL 19–⁠35224917
2015 Auburn 13 games, 23 of 27 field goals
DateOpponentResultFGMFGALongXPPts
Sep 5vs.LouisvilleW 31–⁠24115647
Sep 12vs.Jacksonville StateW 27–⁠20224939
Sep 19atLSUL 21–⁠4500033
Sep 26vs.Mississippi StateL 9–⁠17345109
Oct 3vs.San José StateW 35–⁠2102055
Oct 15atKentuckyW 30–⁠273352312
Oct 24atArkansasL 46–⁠54114158
Oct 31vs.Ole MissL 19–⁠274452113
Nov 7atTexas A&MW 26–⁠104435214
Nov 14vs.GeorgiaL 13–⁠20224217
Nov 21vs.IdahoW 56–⁠3400088
Nov 28vs.AlabamaL 13–⁠29234417
Dec 30 ✦vs.MemphisW 31–⁠10112047
2014 Auburn 13 games, 18 of 23 field goals
DateOpponentResultFGMFGALongXPPts
Aug 30vs.ArkansasW 45–⁠21124569
Sep 6vs.San José StateW 59–⁠131127811
Sep 18atKansas StateW 20–⁠14223428
Sep 27vs.Louisiana TechW 45–⁠17122569
Oct 4vs.LSUW 41–⁠72246511
Oct 11atMississippi StateL 23–⁠383442211
Oct 25vs.South CarolinaW 42–⁠3500066
Nov 1atOle MissW 35–⁠3100055
Nov 8vs.Texas A&ML 38–⁠41113058
Nov 15atGeorgiaL 7–⁠3400011
Nov 22vs.SamfordW 31–⁠7112947
Nov 29atAlabamaL 44–⁠555533318
Jan 1 ✦vs.WisconsinL 31–⁠34135147

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

Played in the 2018 Senior Bowl (South team, won 45–⁠16).

DrillCombine 2018
Height6′5¼″
Weight213 lb
Arm length32″
Hand size9¾″
Wingspan75¾″W

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Rosters and honors: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

9 seasons, 134 games with a stat; latest team: New Orleans Saints.

First-team All-Pro (AP): 2022 · Second-team All-Pro (AP): 2021

All-Pro teams: AP first team 2022; AP second team 2021; Pro Football Writers first team 2022.

SeasonTeamGFGMFGA
2018Oakland Raiders121721
2019Oakland Raiders161926
2020Las Vegas Raiders163335
2021Las Vegas Raiders174043
2022Las Vegas Raiders173437
2023Las Vegas Raiders172630
2024Las Vegas Raiders173440
2025Las Vegas Raiders172227
2026 (so far)New Orleans Saints557
NFL career134230266

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0), matched to him by his draft pick and college (Player ids: DynastyProcess (GPL-3.0)). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat. Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams by NFL season: rosters and honors, Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Is this you, or do you know of something wrong or missing here? Suggest a correction. We check each one against a source before changing the page.