These traits make for an incredibly impressive athlete, but how would he test at the NFL Combine? Kiper's updated Big Board for the 2022 NFL draft: Ranking the best prospects at every position 1y Mel Kiper Jr. Araiza, who had one year left of eligibility, set the record for punting average in . In a sign of things to come at the collegiate level, his 37 career field goals set a San Diego Section record. ), wins college football weekend, deserves the Heisman . Cut (s): Eli Ankou, Prince Emili, Mike Love, Kingsley Jonathan, Brandin Bryant, Daniel Joseph, C.J. Given the recent trends of where punters have been drafted, it would make sense for Araiza to be selected on Day 3 since only Bryan Anger has been taken before then in the past 15 years. A minor nitpick in Araizas game is that a quick delivery like his can make it tougher for his teammates to cover significant ground in coverage, but when you factor in how much stronger his leg is than the average punter, it doesnt even matter. 2023 NFL Draft Top 25 Big Board: Young No. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. According to PFF, Araiza had the eighth-lowest kickoff return percentage in the country at less than 15%. The NFL only allows the two end defenders to do so. Of Araiza's 79 punts, 37 went for at least 50 yards; 17 went for 60 yards or more; six went at least 70 yards; and two went for 80-plus yards (no other punter had two punts of 80 yards). All 2022 NFL Draft Projections are taken from the latest Sporting News NFL Mock Draft by Vinnie Iyer. Despite that, things haven't really changed from out first look at it. You must be logged in to post a comment FREE Boxing fight stream. But when you boom not just one, but two punts over 80 yards, you earn some attention. While a replication of Guys first-round selection is as unlikely as Pat Bradys 99-yard punt for Nevada in 1950, Araizas scouting report reveals an NFL-worthy talent who should hear his name called as early as Day 2 in the 2022 NFL Draft. When a guy leads college football in all major punting statistics including average yards, punt yards per game, punts inside the 20 yard line, and PATs made, he's going to draw NFL draft attention. Matt Araiza NFL Draft projections. The draft is sharpening into focus. Although it is important to recognize that some of these punters have not had as many seasons as others theyve competed against, some believe a player like Araiza should be one of the top NFL punters immediately upon entering the league. Araiza seems like he's going to be a good fit in Buffalo. Meanwhile, he averaged 41.7 yards on 120 punts that tallied over 5,000 yards. "He was like, 'You're outkicking your coverage. 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. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. Since 2000, just two draft classes (2017 and 2011) have not had a punter selected to the NFL. It also helps that Araiza is a quality kickoff specialist, as he has finished in the top-5 in the FBS in average distance on kickoffs in 2020, and his touchback percentage of 84.9 percent was the fourth-most in the nation in 2021. We've received your submission. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. He was a sixth-round pick of the team at the 2022 NFL draft. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. 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. Furthermore, Todd Sauerbrun, Rohn Stark, Johnny Evans, and Tom Skladany were all punters selected in the second round. One of the most important punting stats is net punting average and Araiza finished the year at 44.3, which ranked sixth in the country. 31, the Cincinnati Bengals sit in one of the most interesting spots of any team in the 2022 NFL draft. Matt Araiza boots 90-yard punt (!! Versatility, athleticism, and competitive toughness, Tony Paulines scouting report for Matt Araiza. One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State University's Matt Araiza. (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. In our heart of hearts, I can lay my head down at night knowing that Ive tried to do whats right., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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NFL punter Matt Araiza and two San Diego State football players accused in gang-rape lawsuit. 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. He believes it is worth taking chances on other positions earlier in the draft rather than a punter. Matt Araiza, punter, San Diego State . I recognize that my train of thought may be different from the rest of the league. That says two things in particular: one, that I am a sad enough person to have scouted dozens of punters, and two, that Araiza is a special talent at his position. Let them know that we sent you! Two NFL teams had Matt Araiza red flags before draft. Not only did he lead the nation in punting average with an FBS-record 51.4 yards per punt, but he also had six punts of at least 70 yards in 2021, which was the most in the country. Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically inclined general managers. As a San Diego native, there was naturally just one choice. The prolific punter also showcased his versatility as a powerful placekicker, hitting 77% of his 48 attempts with a career long of 53 yards. . Call 1-800-GAMBLER. It is officially mock draft season! After hitting an 86-yard punt against Hawaii, Araiza has become something of a social media starlet, earning the nickname Punt God.. No other punter has nailed two 80+ yard punts in 2021. | NFL All Day Pack Opening, Jimbo Fisher Isnt Leaving Texas A&M Football, New Texas State Football Coach Wont Last Long, Best PrizePicks College Football DFS Picks and Player Props for CFP National Championship, TCU vs Georgia Prediction, Odds and College Football National Championship Betting Picks, Marcus Jones Draft Profile: Stats, Highlights and 2022 NFL Draft Projection, Cameron Dicker Draft Profile: Stats, Highlights and 2022 NFL Draft Projection, How To Watch Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury In Canada, Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury LIVE! Punt God. Can he shuffle his size-18 feet quickly enough to keep up with Von Miller off the edge? Possesses a monster leg, gets tremendous hang time on punts, and allows coverage teams to get downfield and make the play. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. He created a draft buzz. Odds & lines subject to change. 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. A fifth-round selection for Araiza would not be particularly noteworthy in the history of punters taken in the NFL draft. . Forces a lot of fair catches. For this reason, I believe its time for me to do something Ive only done once before: a special teamer breakdown. But there are questions about Davis viability at the NFL level. As a FG kicker, his completion percentage has declined with every college season. The temptation to declare it the greatest punting class of all time is understandable. PFN Draft Profile. Simply put, Araiza is the best punting prospect to enter the NFL Draft in quite some time. He maintained composure in a penetrated backfield, and he was able to send the ball 65 yards through the air with ease. Apr 22, 2022. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. Even then, the potential power lingering in his left leg remained lowkey. 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. This season Araiza hasnt had a single kick punt or field goal blocked. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. However, what makes Araiza special is that he also kicks field goals and does kickoffs. He also has the FBS record for 60+ yard punts. Colorado States Ryan Stonehouse featured just behind Araiza this year, with an average of 50.9 yards per punt. 2023 Mock Drafts 2024 Mock Drafts 2025 Mock Drafts. Copyright 2019-2023. Versatility is next to ability or something of that nature. Furthermore, its reported that Araiza routinely makes kicks from 50+ in practice. Araizas punting style with a nose-down punt leaves improvement for coffin corners. 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. 17 for the first round of the draft. With his all-around contributions, Stout truly puts the special in special teams. Faalele is from Melbourne, and an assistant coach for Hawaii on a scouting trip to Australia discovered him while he was rehabbing an injury at a local gym. 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.. Where most people have legs attached to their torso, Araiza has an actual cannon. Just the 270th-ranked player in California and 2,609th nationally, Araiza held only three offers, with San Diego State winning out over UMass and FCS-level Montana. In addition to his prowess as a punter, Araiza has a 73.5% success rate as a field-goal kicker. San Diego State's Matt Araiza headlines a potentially historic 2022 NFL Draft class with at least three punters picked in our projections. 174) - 1. Other Aztecs are also headed for the NFL Draft as well. Mock Draft Database Sites; NFL NBA NHL MLB. 17 for the first round of the draft. 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. Punts in between the 30s (2021 only):Jordan Stout, Penn State (36 Punts)Inside 20 83%Inside 10 53%Touchback 6%Average Field Pos. I didnt know the positions or what roles they played. Its time to look at five of the upcoming classs most intriguing (rather than the best) prospects. A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. Araiza served as SDSU's placekicker while he was in college, so he's never had to hold. Entry: 2022 Draft, Round 6, #180 overall (Bills) Contract History. 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. Position: K. 6-2 , 200lb (188cm, 90kg) Draft: 6th round, 180th overall of the 2022 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. Just the 270th-ranked player in California and 2,609th nationally, Araiza held only three offers, with San Diego State winning out over UMass and FCS-level Montana. If I can get my punter as an UDFA instead of using a draft selection on him, that would be preferable.. The Buffalo Bills had no choice but to cut their youngpunter after so badly botching their response to our claim, Gilleon said in a statement, per the AP. Araiza in 2021 booted 79 punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt. For his career, Araiza averaged 51.1 yards per punt. Surely theres some NFL team that takes him earlier than you would expect. Araiza is averaging 54.0 yards per punt, which would crush the NCAA and NFL records51.0 in college (set in 2018 by Braden Mann) / 51.4 in the NFL (set in 1940 by Slingin' Sammy Baugh). That includes CBSSports.com, which lists Araiza as the 126th prospect in the draft. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. Jimmypinthe416 says: August 28, 2022 at 11:39 am Was belichik lying when he drafted Hernandez. The San Diego State redshirt junior did so by setting an NCAA record with 36 punts of . Get the latest on Buffalo Bills P Matt Araiza including news, stats, videos, and more on CBSSports.com . With the 175th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the LA Rams select punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. 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. As for Araiza, the Bills could potentially be getting a steal with their selection of the player known as "Punt God.". Matt Araiza'The Weapon' Ready to Destroy Your Perception of an NFL Punter. He showcases very good touch and a repeatable delivery. The victims lawyer, Dan Gilleon, said the Bills also ignored his warnings about Araiza in late July. Meet Matt Araiza, San Diego State punter who could be among the highest-drafted punters of all time, NFL Draft prospects 2022: Updated big board of top 150 players, rankings by position. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. In 2019, he hit 84.6% of his kicks. The likes of Mitch Wishnowsky and Max Duffy from recent draft classes utilized this style of punting before entering the NFL. Both Stout and Camarda carry draftable grades from NFL scouts. He kicks returners back a considerable amount that the potential for big returns is still limited. Used as a field-goal kicker for San Diego State and shows the ability to hit them from long distance. Now, he is one of the rarest prospects in football: a punter with buzz. That hasn't happened for a punter since 2012, when Jacksonville selected Cal's . His season average of 51.19 yards set a new single-season record. Track the most effective teams on first down in the league, and youll notice they just so happen to be the most effective defenses. The roster has been set for awhile in the defensive trenches. Chatter among leaky scouts has suggested that Faalele may be too big to play tackle in the league, that he will struggle to dip and sink to wall off the leagues premier dip-and-rip pass-rushers. Matt Araiza had two punts of more than 80 yards last season, including an 86-yarder that was the longest punt in college football. Other Draft Prospects: TE Daniel Bellinger (UFA), LB Caden McDonald (UFA) But I know there are other players in the league who are told to just bang the ball as far as they can down the field, and the team is going to cover. On Aug. 25 shortly after the team awarded Araiza the starting punting job, he was accused of being part of a gang raping of a 17-year-old girl while he attended San Diego State, according to the Los Angeles Times. against San Jose State in October. Araiza is set to be one of the highest-selected punters in recent NFL Draft history. Inconsistent accuracy on his field goals. Winning the first down forcing a negative play or creating a second-and-ten is how defenses can keep up in the era of the chunk play offense. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? 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. 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. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. Redshirting his 2018 season, Araiza learned under San Diego State kicker John Barron II. I was 17 years old and I had no idea who Matt Araiza was," she said. In 1976 and 1978, a whopping eight punters were drafted. For more 2022 NFL Draft coverage and player profiles, check out our NFL Draft page. T Formation Conversation: Live from the NFL Combine. Win at all costs happens with every team. 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. Matt Araiza draft projection. 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 . Talk about ineptitude.) From there, lift off. In 35 games across three years at San Diego State, he punted 84 times for 4,293 yards a 51.1 yards-per-punt rate. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. Use our promo code VENDETTA or use the link below to get a 100% instant matchon any deposit. He can be seen putting his high school track athleticism to good use getting downfield. Incredible run. 1 pick, Richardson logs colossal measurements at combine, Commanders rip 'blatantly false' team sale report, Top QB in draft has one team he doesn't want to play for. To put that in perspective, there were only six punts of 70 or more yards by every NFL punter combined last season. His broad jump of 10 1 was better than many who are projected to be high draft selections, including Aidan Hutchinson, David Bell, Isaiah Spiller, Brian Robinson Jr., and Trey McBride. My names David Ojabo. All this high school success mattered very little when it came to the recruiting process. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . 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. Dicker The Kicker has a 46.3-yard career punting average and 75.9% career field-goal completion. One other theory is that teams are afraid Araiza might outkick his coverage in the NFL. 147, a high fifth-round pick. His ceiling could be. Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. Thanks for contacting us. They'll give up some big returns, but they'll also have some giant flips of field position.". As Araiza prepares to break positional norms in the 2022 NFL Draft class, his prolific performances as a punter can be traced back to his roots at Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego. Thats what teams are still trying to figure out. The Buffalo Bills have claimed they did not know about allegations recently made in a lawsuit against former punter Matt Araiza prior to the 2022 NFL draft. He gets the ball off quickly and generates an insane amount of force from his left leg. @matt_araiza. 5th Year Option Projections; Free Agency. 1. A team will take the bet that Faalele can, probably in the first round. Do It All. During a college career that started at Virginia Tech before his transfer to the Nittany Lions, Stout has been a kickoff specialist, punter, field-goal and extra-point kicker, and even turned his hand to playing quarterback on a fake punt against Michigan in his final season. That said, it appears unlikely that Araiza will be a realistic target for them unless he somehow falls to Round 5. Before the 2022 NFL Draft, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Araiza to go in the third round. And yet in a weak quarterback class, Strong remains the most gifted thrower of the bunch, a fact that should matter when a quarterbacks principal responsibility is to pass the ball. After the horrendous playoff performance, the Packers . 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. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . These traits make for an incredibly impressive athlete, but how would he test at the NFL Combine? We have an 86 yard punt EIGHTY SIX (CC @RKalland) pic.twitter.com/KIi5d3VTTO. 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. 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. That was surprising.. On his list of the top 150 prospects on NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah listed Araiza at No. 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 . He probably wont be the first defensive lineman selected from his own team. This unit was added to a lot this offseason. Araiza has as many 80-yard punts in just this season as the NFL has produced since 2013. Currently, Matt Araiza is projected to go around the 5th or 6th round, but that could easily change as we get closer . Stroud: I dont want to go to the Bears; thats Fields team, OPINION: Cocaine Bear is stupid, but in a really good way. The Ray Guy Award bears his name. WCGs Lead Draft Analyst shares brief anecdotes on each of his top performers from Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Combine. The Buffalo Bills released rookie punter Matt Araiza on Saturday night. Of course, Ray Guys first-round selection in 1973 is an anomaly. 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 first two punters went off the board in the fourth round with the Ravens selecting Jordan Stout and the Buccaneers taking Jake Camarda. Jump around this article Click to show Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. San Diego State P Matt Araiza. Multiple punters selected in the draft are also not as rare as youd think. He is a big-armed, big-bodied quarterback who plays in the classic, dropback, Carson Palmer style. It's probable that he would have hit a fourth for 55 yards . DB/Specialist Pre-Draft Notes (2022 NFL Draft) by Shane Hallam April 21, 2022 0 520. Between high school punting and a love of soccer, he developed a powerful leg that has been comfortably the most powerful in college football this last season. But, thats not all Araiza can do. August 26, 2022. The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. Positives: Strong-legged punter whos also an exceptional directional kicker. During his three-year stint as the starter for Rancho Bernardo, Araiza boomed a 71-yard long punt. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. If Araiza is the Punt God and Camarda is Mr. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Among the players expected to hear his name is punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. He followed that up with a Thanos-like performance at the scouting combine: the 341 lb Davis ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds, the fastest for any player over 330 lb at the combine since 2006; Davis later had a standing broad jump of 10ft 3in, the record for a player over 300 pounds; he tacked on a 34in vertical leap for good measure, a doubletake-worthy figure for someone of his size. His performances earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where Jim Nagy had this to say about the 2022 NFL Draft prospect: Had calls with some of [the] top kicking gurus and overwhelming opinion is Georgias Jake Camarda is among best punting prospects to come out in past 5-10 years. Gambling problem? As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. But the San Diego State punter, nicknamed "Punt God" by Twitter and anyone that has seen his 80-yard moonshots for three seasons with the Aztecs, has declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. 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. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the. 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. Talk about ineptitude.) We've been studying the players for 11 months. At Michigan, he excelled as partner in crime for Aidan Hutchinson, the projected first-overall pick in the upcoming draft. The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. Punter prospects are rare, multiple in the same class are even more so. Araiza may be the greatest college punter of all time.

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