We're not controlling field position.' 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. The left-footer with the big leg has been widely projected by draft analysts as the top . Can he step, drop, and reset to cut off Khalil Mack trying to knife inside? For whatever reason, punters have been a popular position to pick in this year's draft. Araiza is set to be one of the highest-selected punters in recent NFL Draft history. At least three punters will be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft that is the prediction. I am sure he is very upset and disappointed that his career with the Bills ended not because he played poorly but because of false allegations leveled against him by a young lady and her attorney, Araizas lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, told the AP. With the 175th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the LA Rams select punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. Yep, thats his shirt size and thats eight Xs for those keeping score at home. Personally, I would not draft a punter, regardless of how good he is, until the 7th-round the 6th-round at the earliest. Super Bowl 2023 Daytona 500 College Basketball Rankings NBA All-Star . But, thats not all Araiza can do. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. If this was 2005, Strong would be in play to be the first name called. 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. # . Get the latest on Buffalo Bills P Matt Araiza including news, stats, videos, and more on CBSSports.com . Starting with the Punt God himself, lets examine the punter prospects that make up this unlikeliest of NFL Draft predictions. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. As the 2022 NFL Draft nears, its time to put our money where our mouth is and start making some predictions about the class. In the first of these predictions pieces, Matt Araiza leads a cast of at least three punters selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Being a left-footed punter, teams will have to adjust their formations to help fit his needs. It's probable that he would have hit a fourth for 55 yards . Not too shabby. They both feature within draftable range on my recently released 2022 NFL Draft Top 300 Big Board. 31, the Cincinnati Bengals sit in one of the most interesting spots of any team in the 2022 NFL draft. Matt Araiza was selected in the sixth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. Matt Araiza Overview. Former Eagles President and Browns CEO Joe Banner gave his take on how he would approach this unique prospect. Stout was one of the top punters in this year's class and it wasn't a total shocker to see him become the first punter taken. MKFs unique style and gameplay make betting fun and easy. That said, it appears unlikely that Araiza will be a realistic target for them unless he somehow falls to Round 5. 1 CB, Paul Burmeister: Why Derek Carr Might Not Be QB to Win You a Championship, Tracker: Patriots Release QB Hoyer. In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. Both Stout and Camarda carry draftable grades from NFL scouts. All Rights Reserved. Could Matt Araiza be the next one? Araiza has as many 80-yard punts in just this season as the NFL has produced since 2013. Araiza, who began his career at San Diego State as a kicker, also converted 96 of 97 extra point attempts and 50 of 68 field goal attempts (73.5 percent), with a long of 54. Araiza was selected by the Bills in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. Eric D. Williams goes to practice with Matt Araiza, who could be the first punter selected on Day 2 of a draft since 2012. . Araiza is currently averaging 52.2 yards per punt. Thats what teams are still trying to figure out. Currently, Matt Araiza is projected to go around the 5th or 6th round, but that could easily change as we get closer . The San Diego State punter has a career-long 53-yard field goal to his name. The draft is sharpening into focus. 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. P Matt Araiza earned $216,148 in his NFL career. Furthermore, Todd Sauerbrun, Rohn Stark, Johnny Evans, and Tom Skladany were all punters selected in the second round. My names David Ojabo. San Diego State's Matt Araiza headlines a potentially historic 2022 NFL Draft class with at least three punters picked in our projections. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Below is a quick blurb about each Cornerback, Safety, Kicker, Punter, and Long Snapper I have scouted for the 2022 NFL Draft. His ceiling could be. Hutchinson was an effort player; Ojabo the beat-them-out-of-their-cleats, vintage, get-off-and-go rusher. Meanwhile, he averaged 41.7 yards on 120 punts that tallied over 5,000 yards. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The LA Chargers could consider drafting Matt Araiza in the 2022 NFL Draft. He might be able to punt a football from San Diego to Buffalo. section: | slug: 2022-nfl-draft-shocker-bills-land-punt-god-matt-araiza-who-surprisingly-gets-taken-behind-two-other-punters | sport: football | route: article_single.us | It's not clear why Araiza dropped all the way down to the sixth round, but there are plenty of theories. General manager Tom Telesco spoke to the media on Thursday and was asked about Araiza in the draft. Meanwhile, Texas specialist Cameron Dicker has punting and kicking versatility. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. Some national NFL Draft analysts with NFL information have openly stated that he might be selected on Day 2. The roster has been set for awhile in the defensive trenches. Matt Araiza Draft Stock & Draft Projection. Despite Araiza's incredible 2021 season, he is not expected to be among the highest-drafted punters of all time. Matt Araiza is currently projected to be drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals at No. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? Some draft projections have listed Araiza as a potential Day 2 selection, when rounds 2-3 will be conducted. (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. That isnt the case with Araiza, who ran pro-style formations at San Diego State. No other punter has nailed two 80+ yard punts in 2021. 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. Draft Order & Rookie Pools; . 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. All this high school success mattered very little when it came to the recruiting process. 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 . We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. This wasnt just a one-off occurrence either. He isnt a novelty: hes an assured pass protector who has the huge frame that could make him special. If Im punting five to seven times per game and the disparity in average yards is just a few, this doesnt translate to that significant of a difference overall. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. 2022 NFL Draft Predictions: Matt Araiza leads class of at least three punters picked, The punter prospects projected to be drafted in this 2022 NFL Draft prediction, Ryan Stonehouse and Cameron Dicker round out punter predictions for the 2022 NFL Draft. Among the players expected to hear his name is punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. Although drafting a punter often indicates this player will be the unquestioned starter, the position simply is not at a premium where the best at the position and an average player are not too far apart from one another. 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. Now, he is one of the rarest prospects in football: a punter with buzz. Or so it seems. Think thats an exaggeration? Mock drafts will dance around the internet for the next two months they've already started and in a cozy 5th-Round spot nestled will be the name Matt Araiza because every team should want a glimpse of the field-position machete.. And if Araiza's draft stock remains at the 5th Round or lower . Upon arriving at the school, he knocked on the door of the football coach. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. the 341 lb Davis ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds. In his first season, Araiza handled kicking and kickoff duties, as his punting prowess remained hidden. 2023 Mock Drafts 2024 Mock Drafts 2025 Mock Drafts. Specialists don't often get drafted, but with Araiza being able to flip the field so easily (he has had punts go over 80 yards), an NFL team will likely draft him earlier than fans expect. Fewer punters have been more consistent than the Georgia prospect. Pro football is a game of land acquisition, played four downs at a time. , our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. For starters, college football allows for any player to go downfield after the snap on a punt. So that builds his value to your team especially if you have an older kicker who now you can take the kickoff duty from.. Weve been studying the players for 11 months. Odds & lines subject to change. Now for the burning question: where will Araiza be drafted in April? Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his. During his first two seasons with the Aztecs, he hit long field goals of 48 yards (Wyoming 19, Colorado 20). This is what enablers do.. Pro Football Network, LLC. August 28, 2022 2:44pm. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. According to the Associated Press, executives from two different NFL teams became aware that Araiza had been involved in an incident in the lead-up to the draft, though they didnt know the extent of the allegations. Round 5 - Philadelphia Eagles (No. 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. In 2021, the Bills only punted a total of 52 times, which was tied for the fifth-lowest total in the NFL. Increasing his punt average with every year, Stout earned an invite to the Senior Bowl, where he impressed in sometimes torrid conditions. Araiza leads the punter predictions for this 2022 NFL Draft. He has a repeatable and pro-ready approach with consistently polished footwork. Through the first 180 picks, there were more punters selected (3) than were taken in the entire 2021 draft combined (The Steelers selection of Pressley Harvin was the only punter pick last year). Furthermore, its reported that Araiza routinely makes kicks from 50+ in practice. August 26, 2022. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. Despite his relatively low recruiting profile, there was a level of expectation around the program when the versatile kicking weapon was finally handed the opportunity to play for the Aztecs in 2019. At worst, the allegation contained in a civil lawsuit filed Thursday that Araiza, a former San Diego State star . Matt Araiza had two punts of more than 80 yards last season, including an 86-yarder that was the longest punt in college football. His season average of 51.19 yards set a new single-season record. and 387lb (!!) As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. The 2022 NFL draft is a little over two weeks away. If you were going to bet on a long shot, however, who better than two prospects whose whole careers have been about making those long shots? Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. The NFL only allows the two end defenders to do so. Not only has he shown his prowess as a punter, but Coach Maalouf adds he kicked off as well and was good at it. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. 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 . Despite those struggles,Araizas game against UNLV gave the football world its first glimpse of him as a punter, nailing 4 of 5 punts over 50 yards. 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.. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at The 2022 NFL draft is a little over two weeks away. 1. player. 2. 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. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. 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. Chicago Bears Schedule, News, Roster and Stats | Windy City Gridiron, 2022 NFL Draft: The Matt Araiza film breakdown, 2023 NFL Combine: Winners from Day 2 of DB workouts. Banners rationale is driven by the notion of replacement value. The big-legged San Diego native is considered one of the best prospects at his position in years and many are eager to see where he lands. Stop by our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel for Bear Bones LIVE at FIVE as we get in on some mock draft fun! 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. At the very least, remember the name Matt Araiza and the punt god designation following him. He also set school records in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles during his high school career. 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 . Using AV from Pro-Football-Reference, this somewhat normalizes the impact of a punter on his team. 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. But that style is outdated in the modern NFL, where the last remaining stick-slide-climb thrower is the ever-ageless Tom Brady. More than just power, Araiza has a punting style that causes the ball to roll forward if it is not caught. The San Diego, California native has a. as the Aztecs kicker. What Matt Araiza did in college football was revolutionary from a position where it's tough to disrupt how the game is played. Cut (s): Eli Ankou, Prince Emili, Mike Love, Kingsley Jonathan, Brandin Bryant, Daniel Joseph, C.J. For more 2022 NFL Draft coverage and player profiles, check out our NFL Draft page. Talk about flipping the field. Ill make a bold statement and say that, if the Bears trade down and acquire a pick in Round 4, I wouldnt be furious if they took Araiza with that selection. Both batches of decision-makers agree on one overriding idea: Field position really, really matters. The 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 28th. To put that in perspective, there were only six punts of 70 or more yards by every NFL punter combined last season. 2:39 pm ET, did he lead the nation in punting average, 2023 NFL free agent interior offensive linemen, NFL free agent offensive tackles: Sizing up 2023 market, Free agent WR market: Breaking down available talent, NFL 2023 free agency: Top TEs set to hit open market, NFL 2023 free agency: Top RBs set to hit open market, 'Punt God' Matt Araiza not first punter taken, NFL Combine: QB, WR, TE run 40s, compete in drills, Mock Draft: Panthers, Colts trade up for QBs, Rodgers' trade value, logistics, best fit, Pascal robbed at gunpoint, assaulted; WR 'doing fine', Bryce Young measures similar to former No. That was surprising.. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . 174) - 1. 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. 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. 2023 NFL Draft Top 25 Big Board: Young No. Landing both prospects would fill position needs, but that's a dream scenario because Gardner will likely be long gone if the Chargers decide to stay at No. holy crap.you know what I just realized? With Camarda now in Tampa, that likely spells the end of Bradley Pinion's three-year run with the team. The temptation to declare it the greatest punting class of all time is understandable. Before you scoff at this notion and dismiss it based on the allegation that Reeder is a "terrible" NFL player who wasn't even drafted, let's look at how the 2 players measure up. The team admits learning about the allegation in July. Theres simply no escaping it. 2021 ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST SECOND TEAM (COACHES): PK - Matt Araiza, Jr., San Diego State,.Araiza, a finalist for the Ray Guy Award, has already set NCAA records in 50-yard punts (38) and 60-yard punts (18) in a season, and is on track to break Braden Mann's record of 50.98 set in 2018 while with Texas A&M. Do you mind if I try playing football?. San Diego State's Matt Araiza headlines a potentially historic 2022 NFL Draft class with at least three punters picked in our projections. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, . Of course, draft analysis, projections and rumors will be dominating the headlines until then. Together, they were unblockable. 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. Where most people have legs attached to their torso, Araiza has an actual cannon. FREE Boxing fight stream. Of course, there were more rounds and selections back then. Versatility, athleticism, and competitive toughness, Tony Paulines scouting report for Matt Araiza. Talk about ineptitude.) While Araiza has been electrifying college football this season, Georgia punter Jake Camarda should earn himself the nickname Mr. Jump around this article Click to show Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. Carson Strong has a great arm but teams will worry about his injury history. Punter. 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. He only makes two steps upon catching the ball, as opposed to a running start that some college punters use. Drawing attention across the media landscape driven by the king of punters himself, Pat McAfee Araiza has broken records with his ridiculously powerful left leg. But how high, exactly, can we expect a team to take Araiza, winner of the 2021 Ray Guy Award? 1. Other Draft Prospects: TE Daniel Bellinger (UFA), LB Caden McDonald (UFA) One other theory is that teams are afraid Araiza might outkick his coverage in the NFL. Araiza stands at just over 6-foot-1 and weighs 200 pounds. 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). As a result, theres an ever-growing feeling that his floor in the 2022 NFL Draft will be the fifth round. Two NFL teams had Matt Araiza red flags before draft. It's not often the best player on a team is the punter, but that was the case for the Aztecs last season. As for Araiza, the Bills could potentially be getting a steal with their selection of the player known as "Punt God.". These traits make for an incredibly impressive athlete, but how would he test at the NFL Combine? #Bills #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/EA1iEWkdyA. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY).
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