Braden Mann selected by the New York Jets in the sixth round

Texas A&M’s Braden Mann on Saturday became the fifth Aggie punting specialist to be selected in the NFL draft.

Mann, a Ray Guy Award recipient, two-time All-American and two-time All-SEC selection, was chosen in the sixth round by the New York Jets.

Previous A&M punting specialists drafted include Drew Kaser, a sixth-round pick of the San Diego Chargers in 2016, Shane Lechler, a fifth-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2000, Steve O’Neal, a 13th-round pick of the New York Jets in 1969 and Phil Scoggin, a 14th-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1966.

Yale Lary, the only Aggie player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was selected in the third round by the Detroit Lions in 1952. He was an accomplished punter in the NFL but was not a specialist. Lary was also a star defensive back.

Mann averaged 48.9 yards on 109 punts in his A&M career. He had 57 punts that covered at least 50 yards and 46 that were downed inside the 20-yard line. He only had one attempt blocked.

Coming out of Cy-Fair High School in 2016, Mann primarily handled kickoff duties in ’16 and ’17. The next season he took over at the punter and almost immediately established himself as the best in the nation.

As a junior in ’18, he averaged 51 yards on 50 punts to lead the nation. He set NCAA records for single-game average (60.8 yards vs. Alabama) and for booting 14 punts of 60 yards or more. He had punts of 69 and 73 yards against Clemson. He had an 82-yard punt against Kentucky.

As a senior in 2019, Mann’s 47.1 yards per punt ranked fourth in the nation. He increased his number of punts downed inside the 20-yard line to 26 — seven more than in 2018.