Nicknamed "Punt God," the San Diego State product became well known for booming punts 80 yards and averaging an NCAA-record 51.19 yards . San Diego State's Matt Araiza headlines a potentially historic 2022 NFL Draft class with at least three punters picked in our projections. DBs and Specialists. In 2020, he made 71.4%, and in 2021, hes down to 64.3%. 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 . You must be logged in to post a comment I didnt know the positions or what roles they played. San Diego State wasnt prepared for this 10-man rush of the punter, but that didnt matter to Araiza. Matt Araiza #19 of the Buffalo Bills takes the field during practice on Aug. 5, 2022, in Orchard Park, New York. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. Now, he is one of the rarest prospects in football: a punter with buzz. Punter prospects in the NFL Draft are more commonplace than youd presume. Matt Araiza'The Weapon' Ready to Destroy Your Perception of an NFL Punter. Araiza was widely viewed as the top punting prospect after a 2021 college season that ended with him winning the Ray Guy award. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Former Eagles President and Browns CEO Joe Banner gave his take on how he would approach this unique prospect. Former Bills punter Matt Araiza could be in big trouble in gang-rape The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. San Diego State's Matt Araiza, meanwhile, might have the strongest leg in the draft. 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. Most fans expected San Diego State's Matt Araiza to be the first punter selected in the 2022 NFL draft, but multiple prospects at his position came off the board before he heard his name called . 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. He maintained composure in a penetrated backfield, and he was able to send the ball 65 yards through the air with ease. The Aztec junior is an offensive weapon that frequently puts his defense in favorable spots. 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. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. MORE:NFL Draft prospects 2022: Updated big board of top 150 players, rankings by position. He wound up landing at Minnesota, using the Madden video game series to swot up on the rules and regulations. Position: K. 6-2 , 200lb (188cm, 90kg) Draft: 6th round, 180th overall of the 2022 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. The only question now is whether the franchise that selects him is stocked up on enough XXXXXXXXL gear. Indeed, it wouldnt be jaw-dropping to see Araiza a punter! Lawyer: Matt Araiza & Bills knew nothing of allegations before Draft Day Matt Araiza Draft Profile: Stats, Highlights, 2022 NFL Draft Projection To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. He reportedly said, "Bills Mafia, there is no off-season.". However, what makes Araiza special is that he also kicks field goals and does kickoffs. 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. SUBSCRIBEto the Vendetta YouTube Channel! Khalil Shakir is going down the well of a former Buffalo Bills great to hopefully improve in Year 2: Eric Moulds. The Bills may not have known about the allegations hanging over punter Matt Araiza when they . Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically . NFL Draft: 6 Former Aztecs Among Hopefuls Vying for a Place in the Pros Since 2000, just two draft classes (2017 and 2011) have not had a punter selected to the NFL. Theres simply no escaping it. As for Araiza, the Bills could potentially be getting a steal with their selection of the player known as "Punt God.". 174. Meet Matt Araiza, San Diego State punter who could be among the highest Such a talented punter can serve as a valuable asset for a defense, as burying the opposing offense deep into their own territory makes their lives a lot easier. He has a repeatable and pro-ready approach with consistently polished footwork. Did I mention that Araiza has a powerful leg? Additionally, few of these punters have been widely recognized as the best at their position, even for one season. FanSided.com; . The 2022 NFL draft is a little over two weeks away. 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 . No wonder the "punt god" is generating NFL draft buzz. That is the nickname San Diego State's Matt Araiza has received from his incredible collegiate career. With his all-around contributions, Stout truly puts the special in special teams. On his list of the top 150 prospects on NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah listed Araiza at No. Teams worried about Davis role on third down should instead be focused on how he can tip the scales in their favor on the most important down of all. My names David Ojabo. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. The Buffalo Bills released rookie punter Matt Araiza on Saturday night. In addition to his prowess as a punter, Araiza has a 73.5% success rate as a field-goal kicker. Araiza also boomed an 86-yard punt last season, which was the longest in college football. The Buffalo Bills are going to have a tough decision to make. 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. Colorado States Ryan Stonehouse featured just behind Araiza this year, with an average of 50.9 yards per punt. Matt Araiza is the greatest collegiate punter I have ever watched. If he passes those criteria while youre working him out and he hits the Duke well, able to turn the ball over, then yes, you check off the boxes., Once a special teams coach feels comfortable with Araizas ability, the coach may want to suggest the rest of the front office look into acquiring him in the draft. Forces a lot of fair catches. And no, thats not the type of gimmicky love youll see bestowed on some other athletes in minor roles. He quickly became a nationally known name after delivering a 82-yard punt in the preseason. This season, Araiza has set r. That demonstrates a level of composure that will be invaluable at the next level. The only other times it happened came in 1993 and 2007. As a result, theres an ever-growing feeling that his floor in the 2022 NFL Draft will be the fifth round. Consistency, then Penn State punter Jordan Stout should be called Mr. That isnt the case with Araiza, who ran pro-style formations at San Diego State. With Camarda now in Tampa, that likely spells the end of Bradley Pinion's three-year run with the team. go off the board in the second round. 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. Draft Order & Rookie Pools; . 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. The big-footed San Diego native is considered one of the best prospects in his position over the years and many are eager to see . Former Bills punter Matt Araiza signs to play in Mexico Kenny Pickett College Football Highlights 2021, Aaron Rodgers is Using Leverage to Help Davante Adams, DEBUT Tom Brady, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen! 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. They also dont currently have a fourth-round pick, barring some wheeling and dealing on Draft Day. 201. 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 wound up at the same school as Odafe Oweh, a first-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens in last years draft. FILE - San Diego State's Matt Araiza (2) celebrates his field goal against . Two NFL teams had Matt Araiza red flags before draft That, combined with the more condensed splits in the NFL, makes a rugby-style delivery tough to impossible to pull off consistently. Heading into the pre-draft process, Ojabo was projected to be a top-15 pick. The coach offered Faalele a scholarship on the spot. 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. Punter prospects in the NFL Draft are more commonplace than youd presume. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. 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 . 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. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. Current. Incredible run. Every coach will want to do their due diligence as far as timing his touch to toe operation and seeing how he does with a real NFL Duke ball. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. Matt Araiza, Daniel Bellinger and Cameron Thomas, though, have gotten the most buzz . Former San Diego State Punter Matt Araiza Discusses NFL Future - NBC 7 Here's everything you need to know about Araiza heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. The relationship is not close to being statistically significant here, and the R-squared value is almost negligible. Entry: 2022 Draft, Round 6, #180 overall (Bills) Contract History. 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. The draft is sharpening into focus. Before we produce the punting protagonists of this 2022 NFL Draft prediction, its worth discussing the place this class could hold in NFL history. Above is a plot of the average Approximate Value (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. He is a big-armed, big-bodied quarterback who plays in the classic, dropback, Carson Palmer style. Matt Araiza draft projection. Banners rationale is driven by the notion of replacement value. Punt God and a 387lb Aussie: the 2022 NFL draft's most intriguing prospects It's not clear why Araiza dropped all the way down to the sixth round, but there are plenty of theories. The following is a complete Matt Araiza NFL Draft profile, including stats, highlights and a mock projection. Copyright 2019-2023. Tracker; Grades; Spending; Tenders; Draft. We're not controlling field position.' Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead recently explained to the Athletic why that's a concern. Despite that, things haven't really changed from out first look at it. According to Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus, 63 percent of Araiza's punts were downed inside the 20; another 27 were downed inside the 10. Other Aztecs are also headed for the NFL Draft as well. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. 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 | San Diego State. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. Our written profile to add to our NIL Apparel and Podcast Interview of College Football's #1 Punter #sdsu #NFLDraft. Stout was slightly ahead of him at 44.5 while Camarda was well below both guys at 41.6. 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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. Matt Araiza boots 90-yard punt (!!), wins college football weekend 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 San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images) That said, it wouldnt be surprising at all if somebody took him as early as Round 3. That said, it appears unlikely that Araiza will be a realistic target for them unless he somehow falls to Round 5. Get the latest on Buffalo Bills P Matt Araiza including news, stats, videos, and more on CBSSports.com . Davis was the force behind college footballs most dominant defense last season, fueling a Georgia group that carried their team to the national championship. Both batches of decision-makers agree on one overriding idea: Field position really, really matters. It's probable that he would have hit a fourth for 55 yards . Troy . Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his. 2022 NFL Draft: Profiles for 20 potential LA Rams picks on Day 3 MattAraiza. Twenty-nine percent of his punts went for touchbacks. Hes a talented guy who should help with winning the field position category., However, just like any other special teams prospect, Coach Maalouf believes the San Diego State product should be worked out by coaches. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Hang time and accuracy are just as important in the NFL. ), wins college football weekend, deserves the Heisman . Four punters were chosen in the 2016 NFL Draft. The left-footer with the big leg has been widely projected by draft analysts as the top . The NFL Draft doesn't usually surprise us much when it comes to punting, but on Saturday it came with two big surprises. His ceiling could be. For this reason, I believe its time for me to do something Ive only done once before: a special teamer breakdown. Somebody Will Draft This 'God.' Why Not the Vikings? As a matter of fact, he already seems to be fully embracing his new team. Mocks. However, that doesnt mean that his scouting report doesnt reveal some areas for improvement. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . Araiza is currently averaging 52.2 yards per punt. In 1976 and 1978, a whopping eight punters were drafted. 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. The Punt God is averaging far more yards per punt than Anger did his senior year. Coffin corners, hang-time, and inside the 20 are phrases being used in evaluation that barely see the light of day ordinarily. 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. T Formation Conversation: Live from the NFL Combine. That said, Matt Araiza is a generational talent at punter. Obviously, the ability to pin your opponent deep in their own territory represents a significant advantage. Punter prospects are rare, multiple in the same class are even more so. No charges filed against Matt Araiza, ex-teammates in SDSU gang rape case As a result, theres an ever-growing feeling that his floor in the 2022 NFL Draft will be the fifth round. In his first season, Araiza handled kicking and kickoff duties, as his punting prowess remained hidden. 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..