He was also one of four players in the nation who handled all three kicking duties (punts, PATs/field goals and kickoffs), Araiza was 18-of-28 . But how have other drafted punters panned out in the NFL? DB/Specialist Pre-Draft Notes (2022 NFL Draft) by Shane Hallam April 21, 2022 0 520. The punt went for a touchback, but when you still factor the flipping from San Diego States 21-yard line to Hawaiis 20-yard line, thats still a 59-yard flip with the touchback. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Also, a higher average yards per punt does not always mean better sometimes you want to directionally punt, so this can be misleading. There have only been 10 punts of 80 yards in the entirety of college football this century. He created a draft buzz. Of course, there were more rounds and selections back then. While college kickers take their share of criticism, the level of scrutiny and the ability to quickly lose your job in the NFL requires an exceptional level of equilibrium. Fewer punters have been more consistent than the Georgia prospect. He reportedly said, "Bills Mafia, there is no off-season.". Araiza also succeeds as a kickoff specialist, recording 62 touchbacks on 73 attempts. An immobile quarterback with a sketchy knee will be a no-no for most teams, and depending on how concerned teams are about the injury he could slip all the way to day three of the draft. Harbaugh seems to prefer a finesse punter, which is what he's had over the years with Sam Koch, who's been Baltimore's punter since 2006. Matt Araiza is the greatest collegiate punter I have ever watched. Matt Araiza is currently projected to be drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals at No. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. When and how often will Davis play? He isnt a novelty: hes an assured pass protector who has the huge frame that could make him special. The fact that Araiza can punt, take field goals, and act as the kickoff man for a team is a crucial element of his scouting report. He was a sixth-round pick of the team at the 2022 NFL draft. Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead recently explained to the Athletic why that's a concern. Araiza's controversial stay in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills is well noted. On his list of the top 150 prospects on NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah listed Araiza at No. While a running start can provide for more power, power is far from an issue with Araiza. Since 2000, just two draft classes (2017 and 2011) have not had a punter selected to the NFL. With the NFL Draft fast approaching, six former San Diego State players soon may learn their football fates. As mentioned before, Araiza is incredibly versatile and can help the special teams unit in an impactful way. Special teamers are usually able to be secured as an undrafted free agent or in Round 7, but an elite punting prospect like Araiza who can flip field position at an incredible rate is worth that investment. Predicting Four 2023 Middle Linebacker Free Agent Destinations The 2023 NFL offseason should be stacked, Von Miller Eyeing GM Career Post Retirement NFL legend and current Buffalo Bills Edge rusher, Former OSU quarterback C.J. Clouding Strongs status is a knee injury that he picked up playing basketball as a kid, one that saw him miss his senior year of high school football. Born in Nigeria, Ojabo moved to Scotland in 2007 before heading to the US to attend high school. All this high school success mattered very little when it came to the recruiting process. From there, lift off. Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. Eric D. Williams goes to practice with Matt Araiza, who could be the first punter selected on Day 2 of a draft since 2012. . Araizas game against UNLV gave the football world its first glimpse of him as a punter, nailing 4 of 5 punts over 50 yards. He has another 80-yard punt this season too. His footprints adorn the record books at the position. Mock Draft Database Sites; NFL NBA NHL MLB. That might scare some people given the hype and eventual failures of Roberto Aguayo, but some team will still take a shot on him earlier than the average punter. Versatility, athleticism, and competitive toughness, Tony Paulines scouting report for Matt Araiza. Consistent directional punter that can kick it out to the sidelines or place it inside the 10-yard line. Above is a plot of the average Approximate Value (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. This is what enablers do.. Based on net punting averages, you can usually find UDFAs who will rank above average at the position in directional punting and hang time.. He also set the FBS mark for 50-yard punts with his 33rd of the season. If I can get my punter as an UDFA instead of using a draft selection on him, that would be preferable.. San Diego State's Matt Araiza headlines a potentially historic 2022 NFL Draft class with at least three punters picked in our projections. Use our promo code VENDETTA or use the link below to get a 100% instant matchon any deposit. Personally, I would not draft a punter, regardless of how good he is, until the 7th-round the 6th-round at the earliest. Updated. These arent just courtesy of a lucky bounce either these punts are traveling through the air. Matt Araiza is San Diego State's record-setting punter. Matt Araiza NFL Draft projections. Such a talented punter can serve as a valuable asset for a defense, as burying the opposing offense deep into their own territory makes their lives a lot easier. Dallas Intends to Tag Pollard, Head of Pro Scouting, NFL Player Personnel Executive, One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State Universitys Matt Araiza. The rest of the league has moved to embrace the off-script creators, players who can go and get a bucket all by themselves with their arms or legs when the offensive structure breaks down. As a San Diego native, there was naturally just one choice. He has the power to flip the field with one kick. "The coach I had for my first eight years in New Orleans, if I hit a punt over 55 yards, he was mad," Morstead said. SOMEONE GET ME A TABLE!! The San Diego State punter set a 4.68-second 40-yard dash while registering a 101 broad and 32 vertical jump. We've received your submission. Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. In 2019, he hit 84.6% of his kicks. That group includes not only several picks taken inside the top 100 overall players, but also four players taken in the second round and another two taken in the first round. Stroud Shares Praise for Justin Fields, Fields former OSU teammate and top draft prospect spoke highly of the Bears QB at a Combine media session, Trevis Gipson to particpate in NFL Career Tours. As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. Win at all costs happens with every team. Can he step, drop, and reset to cut off Khalil Mack trying to knife inside? The coach offered Faalele a scholarship on the spot. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. Together, they were unblockable. Nicknamed "Punt God," the San Diego State product became well known for booming punts 80 yards and averaging an NCAA-record 51.19 yards . Yet, in San Diego State punter Matt Araiza, the 2022 NFL Draft class might possess the most high-profile and highly skilled . . Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. If you look at his numbers, it's pretty clear that Araiza has one of the strongest legs of any punting prospect in NFL history. Corey Bojorquez has also shown inconsistency. Hutchinson was an effort player; Ojabo the beat-them-out-of-their-cleats, vintage, get-off-and-go rusher. With the 175th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the LA Rams select punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. This season, Araiza has set r. Nicknamed "Punt God," the San Diego state product is well known for averaging 80 yards of bounce and an NCAA-record 51.19 yards per punt in 2021. . Although the 40-yard-dash may not be a direct indicator of a players game speed, the fact that Araiza ran a 4.68 is notable in its own right. No other punter in history has more 50+ and 60+ yard punts in a single season. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. The NFL Draft doesn't usually give us very many surprises when it comes to punting, but it came through with two big surprises on Saturday. The former San Diego State punter didn't get selected until the Bills made him the first pick of the sixth round (180th overall). The Buffalo Bills released rookie punter Matt Araiza on Saturday night. An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. Despite that, things haven't really changed from out first look at it. Former Bills punter Matt Araiza and former SDSU teammates will not face charges in connection with an alleged gang rape of a minor that occurred at an off-campus party in October 2021, the San . Some national NFL Draft analysts with NFL information have openly stated that he might be selected on Day 2. 2023 NFL Combine Hand Size Results: Notable Quarterback Measurements and More, 2023 NFL Combine Risers: Christian Gonzalez, Deonte Banks, and Brian Branch Perform Well, Anthony Richardson Combine Results: Florida Star Makes Case for QB1, Jahmyr Gibbs Landing Spots: Eagles, Saints, and Cardinals Most Popular in Mock Drafts. Araiza leads the punter predictions for this 2022 NFL Draft. Araiza was selected by the Bills in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. While his NFL.com draft profile suggests Araiza could use some work on his directional or pooch punting, he is a field-flipper, as evidenced by his 18 punts of 60 yards or longer in 2021. Among the players expected to hear his name is punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Additionally, few of these punters have been widely recognized as the best at their position, even for one season. The reigning Ray Guy Award winner as the nation's top punter, Araiza set an FBS record with a 51.19-yard . That, combined with the more condensed splits in the NFL, makes a rugby-style delivery tough to impossible to pull off consistently. I hope he is back in the NFL soon., Asked about the decision not to contact Gilleon, Bills GM Brandon Beane said in a press conference that Kathryn DAngelo, the teams attorney, heard what he had to say and thats when we began our process., Were not perfect. Below are the top 10 highest-drafted punters in the history of the NFL draft: Of that group, Guy went onto become a Pro Football Hall of Famer; Stark was a first-team All Pro selection in 1983 and four-time Pro Bowler; Skladany was a 1981 Pro Bowler; Sauebrun was a four-time All-Pro selection, three-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL punt yards leader; Tupa was a 1999 All-Pro selection; and Anger was a 2021 second-team All-Pro selection, as well as the 2013 NFL punting yards leader. The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. For the . Where most people have legs attached to their torso, Araiza has an actual cannon. The roster has been set for awhile in the defensive trenches. In a sign of things to come at the collegiate level, his 37 career field goals set a San Diego Section record. This versatility only adds to his value heading into the NFL Draft since he can be the kickoff specialist as well as fill in as an emergency kicker should the starter suffer an injury during a game. In Araizas scouting report, we break through the numbers and noise to scrutinize his pro potential ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. That ability to flip the field to pin opponents deep in their own half, no matter where his own offense stalls out serves as a cheat code. Yet, in San Diego State punter Matt Araiza, the 2022 NFL Draft class might possess the most high-profile and highly skilled punter prospect in recent history. His 32 vertical jump was the same as Chris Olave, our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. John Harbaugh is a former special teams coach and he has a better eye for punters and kickers than any other head coach in the NFL, so if he wanted Stout, you can bet he liked his punting style more than he liked Araiza's booming style. 1. player. Theres simply no escaping it. A three-time CIF San Diego State section Kicker of the Year and a sophomore first-team All-American, Araizas athletic accolades werent restricted to the football field. They could trade out of the first round and gain a lot by doing so as other teams look to get back into that opening round for a faller. What I was asked to do was different from a skill set (perspective) than maybe other players have. 16.0. Based on Over The Cap's projections, . Four drafted punters are actually less rare than one might imagine. The Punt God is averaging far more yards per punt than Anger did his senior year. https://t.co/mIr2tYt8LT. Araiza now holds the record for punts of 50+ yards. Lets start with the obvious. Yes, thats right Araiza truly flipped the field for the Aztecs, changing the line-of-scrimmage from their own 11-yard-line to the 3-yard-line of the Spartans. He was an unanimous All-American and the Ray Guy Award winner in 2021, making FBS history as the single-season leader with 51.19 yards . The team admits learning about the allegation in July. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. The biggest thing to note from the preseason is Epenesa. Super Bowl 2023 Daytona 500 College Basketball Rankings NBA All-Star . He quickly became a nationally known name after delivering a 82-yard punt in the preseason. Many even called him the 'Punt God.' As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. The redshirt freshman hit 85% of his field goals, nailed every extra point attempt, and smashed 78% of his kickoffs through the back of the end zone. He played fewer than half of Georgias defensive snaps in 2021 and played only 18% of third-down snaps. The LA Chargers have 11 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft and there is a chance that the team could draft San Diego State punter Matt Araiza. With his cannon for a leg, positional versatility, and publicity few punters have ever attracted, Araiza has the potential to be selected significantly higher than most punters have in recent NFL Draft classes. Those two picks were also somewhat surprising, if only because you almost never see two punters get taken that early With Stout going at 130th overall and Camarda going three picks later, this year marked just the third time since 1993 that two punters were taken before the end of the fourth round. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. Every coach will want to do their due diligence as far as timing his touch to toe operation and seeing how he does with a real NFL Duke ball. Manage Settings As the 2022 NFL Draft nears, it's time to put our money where our mouth is and start making some predictions about the class. After hitting an 86-yard punt against Hawaii, Araiza has become something of a social media starlet, earning the nickname Punt God..