2023 NFL Draft Top 25 Big Board: Young No. 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. 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. 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. Pro football is a game of land acquisition, played four downs at a time. Araiza may be the greatest college punter of all time. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. When and how often will Davis play? 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. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. Lawyer: Matt Araiza & Bills knew nothing of allegations before Draft Day This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? I recognize that my train of thought may be different from the rest of the league. In 2020, he made 71.4%, and in 2021, hes down to 64.3%. It's probable that he would have hit a fourth for 55 yards . For the . Gambling problem? Araiza's controversial stay in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills is well noted. NFL Draft best players available for Chicago Bears: Tyreke Smith, Matt Should the LA Chargers draft punter Matt Araiza in the 2022 NFL Draft? 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. Could Matt Araiza Be The Most Talented Punter Ever? - Mountain West Wire MORE:NFL Draft prospects 2022: Updated big board of top 150 players, rankings by position. 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. The left-legged punter can effortlessly boom the ball the entire length of the field. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 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. 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). While I ordinarily like to steer clear of pro comparisons, there are striking similarities between Stout and four-time first-team All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker. This next punt traveled 88 yards through the air, landing from his own 12-yard line to the literal goal line. A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. 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. Davis was the force behind college footballs most dominant defense last season, fueling a Georgia group that carried their team to the national championship. Although he didnt participate in any all-star games, Araizas ascension has continued through the pre-draft process. The Bills may not have known about the allegations hanging over punter Matt Araiza when they . Matt Araiza is San Diego State's record-setting punter. They both feature within draftable range on my recently released 2022 NFL Draft Top 300 Big Board. 2023 Draft Scout/NCAA College Football The San Diego State punter set a 4.68-second 40-yard dash while registering a 101 broad and 32 vertical jump. Tracker; Grades; Spending; Tenders; Draft. Matt Araiza, San Diego State P | NFL Draft Scouting Report However, what makes Araiza special is that he also kicks field goals and does kickoffs. The 2022 NFL draft is a little over two weeks away. Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. Hawaii had two returners lined up with one much farther back than the traditional return distance and the punt still went over both of their heads. 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. The following is a complete Matt Araiza NFL Draft profile, including stats, highlights and a mock projection. 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. From there, lift off. Carson Strong has a great arm but teams will worry about his injury history. 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. With Camarda now in Tampa, that likely spells the end of Bradley Pinion's three-year run with the team. NFL Draft: 6 Former Aztecs Among Hopefuls Vying for a Place in the Pros As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. August 28, 2022 2:44pm. That hasn't happened for a punter since 2012, when Jacksonville selected Cal's . But how have other drafted punters panned out in the NFL? Heading into the pre-draft process, Ojabo was projected to be a top-15 pick. Araiza has a pure fourth-round grade on my board, and he is one point away in my grading scale from what would be considered the greatest punting prospect of all time. Even then, the potential power lingering in his left leg remained lowkey. 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 . 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. Matt Araiza Archives - NFL Draft Countdown The San Diego State punter has a career-long 53-yard field goal to his name. It is officially mock draft season! In 1976 and 1978, a whopping eight punters were drafted. NFL Draft: Meet Matt Araiza, Punt God His booming kicks made fourth-and-long must-watch TV at San Diego State. Two NFL teams had Matt Araiza red flags before draft. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. The temptation to declare it the greatest punting class of all time is understandable. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. A versatile punter who can flip field position and force the opposition to account for him while nailing game-winning field goals with regularity is hard to find. 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. The 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 28th. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, . He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. 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. San Diego State's Matt Araiza, meanwhile, might have the strongest leg in the draft. At least three punters will be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft that is the prediction. From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. His 32 vertical jump was the same as Chris Olave, our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. So that builds his value to your team especially if you have an older kicker who now you can take the kickoff duty from.. Now, he is one of the rarest prospects in football: a punter with buzz. Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically inclined general managers. Kenny Pickett College Football Highlights 2021, Aaron Rodgers is Using Leverage to Help Davante Adams, DEBUT Tom Brady, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen! 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. SOMEONE GET ME A TABLE!! If I can get my punter as an UDFA instead of using a draft selection on him, that would be preferable.. , given to the best punter in college football. 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. Certainly, the conversation around Araiza as a potential Day 2 prospect fuels that narrative. 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. 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. Both Stout and Camarda carry draftable grades from NFL scouts. 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.. Matt Araiza Contract Details, Salary Cap Charges, Bonus Money, and The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. 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 number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. With the 175th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the LA Rams select punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. , our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. Araiza, nicknamed the "Punt God," was a unanimous All-American and the winner of the Ray Guy Award in 2021. 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. All Rights Reserved. T Formation Conversation: Live from the NFL Combine. 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. Tracking where Matt Araiza could be drafted in the 2022 NFL mock draft. They ignored us, [when] I warned them [what] would happen could be avoided if they just kept their heads in the sand. This power was proved in the 2021 season, as he had 18 punts of 60+ yards and two of 80+ yards. His footprints adorn the record books at the position. Shakir, a fifth-round rookie in 2022, got off to a slow start in his career. For reference, the NFL single-season record for average punt is 51.4 yards. Araiza must ensure that his strides and ball striking remain consistent from kick to kick. 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. My names David Ojabo. Buffalo Bills 53-man roster projection with Matt Araiza released Matt Araiza Draft Profile 2022 | NFL Mock Draft Database Using AV from Pro-Football-Reference, this somewhat normalizes the impact of a punter on his team. He is a big-armed, big-bodied quarterback who plays in the classic, dropback, Carson Palmer style. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. Even these statistical accomplishments usually wouldnt attract the adoration that Araiza has received in this NFL Draft process. While Araiza has been electrifying college football this season, Georgia punter Jake Camarda should earn himself the nickname Mr. Araiza can take up one spot on a roster, rather than a team having to carry a player at both punter and placekicker. Although Araiza saw plenty of action at San Diego State, he might not see the field much in Buffalo. March 25, 2022 5 min read. But I can tell you, we just tried to do what was right, Beane said. 2022 NFL Draft: The Matt Araiza film breakdown - Windy City Gridiron Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. For this reason, I believe its time for me to do something Ive only done once before: a special teamer breakdown. He quickly became a nationally known name after delivering a 82-yard punt in the preseason. 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. 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. PFN Draft Analyst Tony Pauline has Araiza graded as a top-100 player on his latest big board. Araizas leg power is also demonstrated as a field goal and kickoff specialist. Positives: Strong-legged punter whos also an exceptional directional kicker. As a result, theres an ever-growing feeling that his floor in the 2022 NFL Draft will be the fifth round. 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. . Khalil Shakir is going down the well of a former Buffalo Bills great to hopefully improve in Year 2: Eric Moulds. 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. Achieving a historic 12-win season and earning a spot in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 Rankings brought many advantages for the San Diego State Aztecs. Matt Araiza: Did get drafted| NFL Draft| Parents| Highlights 2022 NFL Draft: How 'Punt God' Matt Araiza prepares to be a pro But there are questions about Davis viability at the NFL level. Here's everything you need to know about Araiza heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. Nicknamed "Punt God," the San Diego State product became well known for booming punts 80 yards and averaging an NCAA-record 51.19 yards . 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. FREE Boxing fight stream. Check this out. Stout was slightly ahead of him at 44.5 while Camarda was well below both guys at 41.6. Track the most effective teams on first down in the league, and youll notice they just so happen to be the most effective defenses. 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? Banners rationale is driven by the notion of replacement value. 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. NFL GMs have got to love that. Possesses a monster leg, gets tremendous hang time on punts, and allows coverage teams to get downfield and make the play. Im tougher, stronger, more athletic than Odafe Oweh. 2. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the. 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. In yesterdays game, Matt Araiza elevated his NCAA record with his 16th punt of 60+ yards this year. 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. NFL Draft Prospects in the 2021 Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. These primarily center around consistency. Punter prospects are rare, multiple in the same class are even more so. 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 . Scroll through to view photos of P Matt Araiza, Buffalo's pick in the sixth round, 180th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Case for the Dolphins Drafting Matt Araiza (Or Any Punter) Matt Araiza 2022 NFL Draft Profile. 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. He also set the FBS mark for 50-yard punts with his 33rd of the season. 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. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Punt God and a 387lb Aussie: the 2022 NFL draft's most intriguing prospects Meanwhile, he averaged 41.7 yards on 120 punts that tallied over 5,000 yards. 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). That's no fault to the other guys on the offensive or defensive side of the . Thanks for contacting us. The 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 28th. Indeed, it wouldnt be jaw-dropping to see Araiza a punter! No wonder the "punt god" is generating NFL draft buzz. Field Pos. Login. ), wins college football weekend, deserves the Heisman . He was a sixth-round pick of the team at the 2022 NFL draft. Meanwhile, Araiza saw some sophomore struggles, completing only 71% of his field goals and missing an extra point for the first time in his career. Twenty-nine percent of his punts went for touchbacks. Although on-field punter drills werent televised, onlookers inside Lucas Oil Stadium reported that Araiza was impressive during those sessions at the NFL Combine. The former San Diego State punter didn't get selected until the Bills made him the first pick of the sixth round (180th overall). Brugler's take: The Ray Guy Award winner last season, Araiza has a booming leg and showed it off as a punter and kicker (field goals, extra points, kickoffs . Can he shuffle his size-18 feet quickly enough to keep up with Von Miller off the edge? Based on net punting averages, you can usually find UDFAs who will rank above average at the position in directional punting and hang time.. 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. 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. @matt_araiza. You dont get the award that celebrates collegiate punting excellence without being exceptional. With his record-breaking antics and social media ascension to Punt God, San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is making special teams sexy again. As a matter of fact, he already seems to be fully embracing his new team. I would rather draft depth at other positions, such as defensive back and linebacker, where the players can develop while contributing on special teams.. 2022 NFL Draft: Profiles for 20 potential LA Rams picks on Day 3 If this was 2005, Strong would be in play to be the first name called. Furthermore, Todd Sauerbrun, Rohn Stark, Johnny Evans, and Tom Skladany were all punters selected in the second round. Dicker The Kicker has a 46.3-yard career punting average and 75.9% career field-goal completion. Matt Araiza, Daniel Bellinger and Cameron Thomas, though, have gotten the most buzz . This season, Araiza has set r. Former Eagles President and Browns CEO Joe Banner gave his take on how he would approach this unique prospect. But there can be no doubt that in a jumbled quarterback class, taking a punt on the best pure thrower would represent the best value play for quarterback-needy franchises.