The 2022 NFL draft is a little over two weeks away. More important than the distance is Araizas unusual control of the ball, allowing him to pin opposing offenses deep in their own half rather than just booming the ball out the back of the endzone. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at Draft Order & Rookie Pools; . 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 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 per punt. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the. Upon arriving at the school, he knocked on the door of the football coach. In yesterdays game, Matt Araiza elevated his NCAA record with his 16th punt of 60+ yards this year. 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. Im tougher, stronger, more athletic than Odafe Oweh. 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. Punters can be prolific athletes, too! Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. 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. Araizas leg power is also demonstrated as a field goal and kickoff specialist. This is what enablers do.. 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. 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 coach I had for my first eight years in New Orleans, if I hit a punt over 55 yards, he was mad," Morstead said. For the . Matt Araiza had two punts of more than 80 yards last season, including an 86-yarder that was the longest punt in college football.He might be able to punt a football from San Diego to Buffalo. The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. In addition to his prowess as a punter, Araiza has a 73.5% success rate as a field-goal kicker. Jordan Davis combines size and athleticism. The. With his power and quick punting style, gunners often have minimal time to cover Araizas punts. Some national NFL Draft analysts with NFL information have openly stated that he might be selected on Day 2. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . Getting off the field on third downs is a staple of shouty-man-on-TV analysis, but success on first downs is more predictive of long-term success. 201. 31, the Cincinnati Bengals sit in one of the most interesting spots of any team in the 2022 NFL draft. Araiza leads the punter predictions for this 2022 NFL Draft. From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. With only two defenders shooting downfield, returning teams dont have to worry as much about initial pressure up the middle and have more of an opportunity to rush the punter. Araiza now holds the record for punts of 50+ yards. He showcases very good touch and a repeatable delivery. Matt Araiza. Punter prospects in the NFL Draft are more commonplace than youd presume. 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. 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. In the rare occurrence that one of his kicks is returned, Araiza can be found taking down the returner. With his record-breaking antics and social media ascension to Punt God, San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is making special teams sexy again. A fifth-round selection for Araiza would not be particularly noteworthy in the history of punters taken in the NFL draft. Punting out of the end zone can be tough for some punters, as there isnt much margin for error if pressure gets into the backfield, and there is more of a condensed space to operation out of. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. 17 for the first round of the draft. Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux will feature as top picks later this month. In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. He reportedly said, "Bills Mafia, there is no off-season.". Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically inclined general managers. Of course, draft analysis, projections and rumors will be dominating the headlines until then. As mentioned before, Araiza is incredibly versatile and can help the special teams unit in an impactful way. According to PFF, Araiza had the eighth-lowest kickoff return percentage in the country at less than 15%. Corey Bojorquez has also shown inconsistency. Login. Whoever drafts him could be ending up with a perennial All-Pro talent. From there, lift off. Araiza may be the greatest college punter of all time. 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. 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. Hes also hit a 60+ yarder in each of his four years for the Bulldogs. Camarda has averaged 46.8, 46.6, and 46.7 yards per punt, respectively, over the past three seasons. The Bills may not have known about the allegations hanging over punter Matt Araiza when they . Gambling problem? For starters, college football allows for any player to go downfield after the snap on a punt. With the NFL Draft fast approaching, six former San Diego State players soon may learn their football fates. Jimmypinthe416 says: August 28, 2022 at 11:39 am Was belichik lying when he drafted Hernandez. The coach offered Faalele a scholarship on the spot. That said, Matt Araiza is a generational talent at punter. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. Versatility is next to ability or something of that nature. Araiza is currently averaging 52.2 yards per punt. But when you boom not just one, but two punts over 80 yards, you earn some attention. Araiza can be quite a weapon for NFL teams adding a punter in the 2022 draft. In 2020, he made 71.4%, and in 2021, hes down to 64.3%. Matt Araiza #19 of the Buffalo Bills takes the field during practice on Aug. 5, 2022, in Orchard Park, New York. Redshirting his 2018 season, Araiza learned under San Diego State kicker John Barron II. Super Bowl 2023 Daytona 500 College Basketball Rankings NBA All-Star . Now for the burning question: where will Araiza be drafted in April? The roster has been set for awhile in the defensive trenches. The victims lawyer, Dan Gilleon, said the Bills also ignored his warnings about Araiza in late July. Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. He quantified the athletic ability displayed on punt return coverage with an excellent showing at the NFL Combine. Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead recently explained to the Athletic why that's a concern. 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. However, what makes Araiza special is that he also kicks field goals and does kickoffs. It is not a good look for a franchise that prides itself on culture and character. Weve been studying the players for 11 months. 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. If that seems confusing/odd/laughable (delete as applicable), think about this: In 2021 he hit 18 punts of 60-plus yards and a pair of 80-plus yarders. Punts in between the 30s (2021 only):Jordan Stout, Penn State (36 Punts)Inside 20 83%Inside 10 53%Touchback 6%Average Field Pos. 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. . 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. One of the most dangerous weapons in college football is San Diego State punter Matt Araiza. At the very least, remember the name Matt Araiza and the punt god designation following him. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. Araiza has as many 80-yard punts in just this season as the NFL has produced since 2013. If Araiza is the Punt God and Camarda is Mr. PFN Draft Analyst Tony Pauline has Araiza graded as a top-100 player on his latest big board. But how high, exactly, can we expect a team to take Araiza, winner of the 2021 Ray Guy Award? This next punt traveled 88 yards through the air, landing from his own 12-yard line to the literal goal line. The Packers in 2021 saw Mason Crosby struggle and it may have been the end of his Packers career. I didnt know the positions or what roles they played. When it comes to punters, the bigger surprise is that the Buccaneers took Camarda over Araiza. The WCG crew ran through several free agency questions in this roundtable, and today we listed the one signing we expect Ryan Poles to make. Field Pos. Araiza also boomed an 86-yard punt last season, which was the longest in college football. Copyright 2019-2023. Together, they were unblockable. 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies, (Derrick Tuskan/San Diego State Athletics). If youre sitting comfortably, lets begin. Punter prospects are rare, multiple in the same class are even more so. He also has the ability to make tackles, with speed and athleticism. Both batches of decision-makers agree on one overriding idea: Field position really, really matters. After hitting an 86-yard punt against Hawaii, Araiza has become something of a social media starlet, earning the nickname Punt God.. They are going to have to choose between cutting their sixth round draft pick who recently won the starting punter job, or getting harassed by the fans for not cutting him. Matt Araiza, Daniel Bellinger and Cameron Thomas, though, have gotten the most buzz . They both feature within draftable range on my recently released 2022 NFL Draft Top 300 Big Board. Ethan Sears. Use our promo code VENDETTA or use the link below to get a 100% instant matchon any deposit. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. As a FG kicker, his completion percentage has declined with every college season. DBs and Specialists. Matt Araiza NFL Draft projections. Can he shuffle his size-18 feet quickly enough to keep up with Von Miller off the edge? 174. The whole nfl knew. The 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 28th. He has a repeatable and pro-ready approach with consistently polished footwork. The Bills, though, were aware that Araiza was the subject of a police investigation when they releasedMatt Haack his competition for the starting punter job on Monday. The Bills may not have knownaboutthe allegations hanging over punter Matt Araiza when they drafted him, but at least two other teams had an inkling that something had happened. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. However, he set a new single-season program record for field goals with 22. 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. 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 had a scholarship offer before he even put a helmet on. Araiza must ensure that his strides and ball striking remain consistent from kick to kick. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. 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. Consistency. Consistent ball striking, hang time, and placement are key factors in punter evaluation. Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza, who has quickly risen to fame with a strong leg and a catchy nickname, faces a very serious off-field issue before his first NFL game.According to the Los Angeles . C.J. He also has the FBS record for 60+ yard punts. Daniel Faalele after Minnesotas win over Colorado in September. SUBSCRIBEto the Vendetta YouTube Channel! WCGs Lead Draft Analyst shares brief anecdotes on each of his top performers from Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Combine. NFL GMs have got to love that. Araiza has made three 50-yard field goals so far this season, the second most in NCAA football. In 2021, the Bills only punted a total of 52 times, which was tied for the fifth-lowest total in the NFL. Shakir, a fifth-round rookie in 2022, got off to a slow start in his career. , given to the best punter in college football. Or are they? against San Jose State in October. The list of accomplishments is unreal. 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 . Not only has he shown his prowess as a punter, but Coach Maalouf adds he kicked off as well and was good at it. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Four punters were chosen in the 2016 NFL Draft. Araiza was selected by the Bills in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. While Araiza has been electrifying college football this season, Georgia punter Jake Camarda should earn himself the nickname Mr. Vendetta Sports Media is sponsored by Monkey Knife Fight, the fastest growing DFS site in the industry. 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. Did I mention that Araiza has a powerful leg? 2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Matt Araiza. San Diego State wasnt prepared for this 10-man rush of the punter, but that didnt matter to Araiza. Matt Araiza is one of the more fascinating prospects of the 2022 NFL Draft which is saying something, considering he's a punter. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. What I was asked to do was different from a skill set (perspective) than maybe other players have. Furthermore, its reported that Araiza routinely makes kicks from 50+ in practice. 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. 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? Before we produce the punting protagonists of this 2022 NFL Draft prediction, its worth discussing the place this class could hold in NFL history. The NFL Draft doesn't usually surprise us much when it comes to punting, but on Saturday it came with two big surprises. 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. San Diego State's Matt Araiza headlines a potentially historic 2022 NFL Draft class with at least three punters picked in our projections. As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. Although there's some concern that Araiza's booming punts could lead to him outkicking his coverage, San Diego State seemed to do just fine covering his punts. Can he step, drop, and reset to cut off Khalil Mack trying to knife inside? 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. If we include the multi-faceted Travon Walker in the discussion, he may wind up being the third defensive lineman taken from Georgias all-world defensive front. He possesses all the tools to start in the NFL and will be a very early draft pick for a punter. Even then, the potential power lingering in his left leg remained lowkey. Stroud doesnt want to go to the Bears because Justin Fields, OPINION: Cocaine Bear is stupid, but in a really good way When the idea of, CONTENT 2018 2022 VENDETTA SPORTS MEDIA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions, Why Mitchell Trubisky Is Destined To Fail In The NFL, Barstool Sports Employee Jordyn Woodruff Joins OnlyFans, Sean Allen Sucks At Fantasy Hockey: 2022 Edition, Predicting Four 2023 Middle Linebacker Free Agent Destinations, Von Miller Eyeing GM Career Post Retirement, C.J. On his list of the top 150 prospects on NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah listed Araiza at No. The term generational talent is incredibly cliche and should be avoided more often than not, as hyperbolic analysts can throw it around to simply describe prospects who are very good, regardless of whether theyre far and away better than other players at their position over the last few decades. The 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 28th. 2023 Mock Drafts 2024 Mock Drafts 2025 Mock Drafts. The biggest thing to note from the preseason is Epenesa. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Get the latest on Buffalo Bills P Matt Araiza including news, stats, videos, and more on CBSSports.com . The WCG crew ran through several free agency questions in this roundtable, and today we gave our pick for the signings we want the Bears to avoid. Think thats an exaggeration? However, that doesnt mean that his scouting report doesnt reveal some areas for improvement. The 22-year-old was expected to be the Bills' starting punter after playing well during the preseason. Araizas punting style with a nose-down punt leaves improvement for coffin corners. He might be able to punt a football from San Diego to Buffalo. Araiza also succeeds as a kickoff specialist, recording 62 touchbacks on 73 attempts. School: San Diego State. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. We've been studying the players for 11 months. Used as a field-goal kicker for San Diego State and shows the ability to hit them from long distance. 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. Araiza seems like he's going to be a good fit in Buffalo. One other theory is that teams are afraid Araiza might outkick his coverage in the NFL. Picking at No. The left-footer with the big leg has been widely projected by draft analysts as the top . Pro Football Network, LLC. "He was like, 'You're outkicking your coverage. Not too shabby. His 32 vertical jump was the same as Chris Olave, our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. He probably wont be the first defensive lineman selected from his own team. During his three-year stint as the starter for Rancho Bernardo, Araiza boomed a 71-yard long punt. Since 2000, just two draft classes (2017 and 2011) have not had a punter selected to the NFL. MattAraiza. All Rights Reserved. The only question now is whether the franchise that selects him is stocked up on enough XXXXXXXXL gear. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. 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.. Ive never seen a team do thisTheres a returner at the 30 (50 yards deep from the LOS)Then there's a DEEPER returner at the 10 (SEVENTY YARDS AWAY)AND IT WENT OVER BOTH THEIR HEADS https://t.co/m7Hlsa2tLa. 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. 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. Ojabo is now anticipated to go in the late stages of the first round, though he could fall further if teams fear that some of the first-step quickness that made him such a tantalizing prospect has been sapped by the injury. That hasn't happened for a punter since 2012, when Jacksonville selected Cal's . Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. The LA Chargers could consider drafting Matt Araiza in the 2022 NFL Draft. For whatever reason, punters have been a popular position to pick in this year's draft. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. No other punter in history has more 50+ and 60+ yard punts in a single season. Stroud: I dont want to go to the Bears; thats Fields team, OPINION: Cocaine Bear is stupid, but in a really good way. 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. NFL Draft: Meet Matt Araiza, Punt God His booming kicks made fourth-and-long must-watch TV at San Diego State. Before the 2022 NFL Draft, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Araiza to go in the third round. Simply put, Araiza is the best punting prospect to enter the NFL Draft in quite some time. (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. 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. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. Current. go off the board in the second round. Safely draftable and carrying middle-round grades in the league.. An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. In Araizas scouting report, we break through the numbers and noise to scrutinize his pro potential ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. That isnt the case for Araiza, whose naturally quick delivery makes it easy for him to get the ball out and seriously flip field position for his team. They ignored us, [when] I warned them [what] would happen could be avoided if they just kept their heads in the sand. NFL punter Matt Araiza and two San Diego State football players accused in gang-rape lawsuit. Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his 86-yard punt against San Jose State in October. Matt Araiza came into the 2022 NFL Draft as a fan favorite. All Rights Reserved. He maintained composure in a penetrated backfield, and he was able to send the ball 65 yards through the air with ease. He also set the FBS mark for 50-yard punts with his 33rd of the season. Faalele looks more like a long-lost third Clegane brother than a starting NFL tackle. 17 for the first round of the draft. 1. . Could Matt Araiza be the next one? A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. 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 |