NFL Draft: New York Jets draft Aussie punter Lachlan Edwards, later also sign Tom Hackett

VICTORIANS Lachlan Edwards and Tom Hackett will face off for the starting punter job after both were signed by NFL franchise the New York Jets.

Tom Hackett and Lachlan Edwards will fight for the same job in New York.

VICTORIAN Lachlan Edwards is set to face off with fellow Australian Tom Hackett for the starting punter job after both were signed by the New York Jets.

The Jets selected Edwards out of Sam Houston State University with the 235th overall pick in the seventh round at the 2016 NFL draft in Chicago.

“Best moment of my life!” Edwards tweeted.

“Can’t wait to get to work.”

However the plot thickened moments after the draft came to a close.

Our first pick in the 7th: P Lac Edwards! pic.twitter.com/2QI8XduaRo

— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 30, 2016

Best moment of my life! Can't wait to get to work @nyjets https://t.co/1OQSFmDnKr

— Lachlan Edwards (@Lach_Edwards49) April 30, 2016

Reports surfaced that fellow top Aussie punting prospect, University of Utah’s Tom Hackett, was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent.

Prior to the draft New York were without a punter on their roster after Ryan Quigley was picked up by Philadelphia during the off-season.

With teams rarely having more than one punter on their final 53-man roster, Hackett and Edwards will now compete in training camp and pre-season to win the starting role with the Jets.

Tom Hackett signing a deal now with the NY Jets, according to his agent.

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) April 30, 2016

Congrats to Tom Hackett on signing a free agent deal with the New York Jets! #UtesInTheNFL pic.twitter.com/BcDwuykoA0

— The MUSS (@TheMUSS) April 30, 2016

Tom Hackett signed a free agency deal with the @nyjets, according to his agent. Will join former teammate Trevor Reilly.

— Josh Furlong (@JFurKSL) April 30, 2016

It's an Aussie invasion: The Jets signed Utah punter Tom Hackett as an undrafted free agent. He will compete... https://t.co/o6Ybtk0bjC

— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) April 30, 2016

Hailing from Hastings in Victoria, Edwards played for the Bearkats in Division I FCS college football, and showed enough to earn an invite to the NFL draft combine where his hangtime and accuracy were a highlight of his workouts.

Edwards grew up playing Aussie Rules, rugby, cricket and athletics before he signed up with Australian punting academy OzPunt and made his way to Huntsville, Texas, on a college scholarship.

At Sam Houston State the towering 6-foot-5 punter averaged 42 yards, with a career long punt of 70 yards. He also played in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl All Star game.

Last season he had 31 fair catches, eight touchbacks and 31 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.

Edwards with his BearKats teammates during his college days. Picture: Twitter

Hackett similarly excelled in Aussie Rules growing up and was recruited by the Utah Utes football team through punting academy, ProKick Australia.

In Salt Lake City the 23-year-old won two Ray Guy Awards given to the best punter in college football, and attracted a cult following thanks to his refreshing sense of humour and a knack for fake punt plays.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - SEPTEMBER 3: Tom Hackett #33 of the Utah Utes watches his kick during their game against the Michigan Wolverines at Rice-Eccles Stadium on September 3, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)

He also earned two Concensus All-American selections and a spot on the Pac-12 All-Century team which featured legendary NFL names such as John Elway and O.J. Simpson.

Hackett concluded his college career with a 45-yard punt average, a long punt of 76 yards, just 26 touchbacks and had 106 of 242 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, half of which were inside the 10-yard line.

Pro Day ✔️ pic.twitter.com/bEoqAK9iVI

— Lachlan Edwards (@Lach_Edwards49) April 6, 2016

Lachlan Edwards, a 6'5", 214-pound Australian, averaged 41.5, 44.1 & 42.3 yards per punt in 2015, '14 & 13. 6th nationally in 2014.

— Eric Allen (@eallenjets) April 30, 2016

Edwards, 24, is one of two Australians taken at this year’s draft in Chicago, alongside Broncos second-round recruit Adam Gotsis.

Gotsis fielded questions about INXS and AC/DC at his first press conference as a Bronco, and similarly, after being drafted, Edwards was repping an Australian favourite.

If you were wondering, the Jets' new punter, Lachlan Edwards (who is from Australia), said he does indeed like vegemite. He was asked.

— Darryl Slater (@DarrylSlater) April 30, 2016

"I love Vegemite." -- Lachlan Edwards

— Kimberley A. Martin (@KMart_LI) April 30, 2016

The last time the Jets drafted a punter was back in 1993 with Craig Hentrich.