I recognize that my train of thought may be different from the rest of the league. Think thats an exaggeration? The Sporting News breaks down everything you need to know about Araiza's record-breaking season in 2021, and the elite group of punters he hopes to join who managed to leverage their collegiate career into high draft picks: Despite Araiza's incredible 2021 season, he is not expected to be among the highest-drafted punters of all time. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. Used as a field-goal kicker for San Diego State and shows the ability to hit them from long distance. Like clockwork. During his first two seasons with the Aztecs, he hit long field goals of 48 yards (Wyoming 19, Colorado 20). Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. In Araizas scouting report, we break through the numbers and noise to scrutinize his pro potential ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. "He was like, 'You're outkicking your coverage. Other Aztecs are also headed for the NFL Draft as well. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. Ethan Sears. Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. The roster has been set for awhile in the defensive trenches. 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. Despite Araiza's incredible 2021 season, he is not expected to be among the highest-drafted punters of all time. 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. The following is a complete Matt Araiza NFL Draft profile, including stats, highlights and a mock projection. At worst, the allegation contained in a civil lawsuit filed Thursday that Araiza, a former San Diego State star . Bills get the Punt God in the SIXTH ROUND. Matt Araiza NFL Draft projections. 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. Furthermore, Todd Sauerbrun, Rohn Stark, Johnny Evans, and Tom Skladany were all punters selected in the second round. Araiza's controversial stay in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills is well noted. With his power and quick punting style, gunners often have minimal time to cover Araizas punts. Since 2000, just two draft classes (2017 and 2011) have not had a punter selected to the NFL. His season average of 51.19 yards set a new single-season record. 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. 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. In his first season, Araiza handled kicking and kickoff duties, as his punting prowess remained hidden. But why wasnt he on the field for Georgia on third down? a general manager told NBCs Peter King at the combine. During his three-year stint as the starter for Rancho Bernardo, Araiza boomed a 71-yard long punt. 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. Not too shabby. And yet, the prediction of a multiple-punter class in the 2022 NFL Draft might surprise a few people. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Hes unlikely to be the first defensive lineman off the board. The 22-year-old was expected to be the Bills' starting punter after playing well during the preseason. Both are a long shot to be drafted at the end of the month. 1 CB, Paul Burmeister: Why Derek Carr Might Not Be QB to Win You a Championship, Tracker: Patriots Release QB Hoyer. 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. 201. Twenty-nine percent of his punts went for touchbacks. 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. He is a big-armed, big-bodied quarterback who plays in the classic, dropback, Carson Palmer style. I didnt know the positions or what roles they played. The reigning Ray Guy Award winner as the nation's top punter, Araiza set an FBS record with a 51.19-yard . But I can tell you, we just tried to do what was right, Beane said. Matt Araiza Scouting Report. Brewer. C.J. He played fewer than half of Georgias defensive snaps in 2021 and played only 18% of third-down snaps. He had a scholarship offer before he even put a helmet on. 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. He probably wont be the first defensive lineman selected from his own team. San Diego State's Matt Araiza headlines a potentially historic 2022 NFL Draft class with at least three punters picked in our projections. Although Araiza saw plenty of action at San Diego State, he might not see the field much in Buffalo. 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. Copyright 2019-2023. Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News, for example, projects Araiza to go 174th overall to the defending AFC champion Bengals. 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. 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. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. Before the 2022 NFL Draft, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Araiza to go in the third round. Not only has he shown his prowess as a punter, but Coach Maalouf adds he kicked off as well and was good at it. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images) The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. 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. Hes also hit a 60+ yarder in each of his four years for the Bulldogs. Chicago Bears 2023 Free Agency Roundtable: Signing we expect. While a running start can provide for more power, power is far from an issue with Araiza. 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. Coffin corners, hang-time, and inside the 20 are phrases being used in evaluation that barely see the light of day ordinarily. There have only been 10 punts of 80 yards in the entirety of college football this century. In 1976 and 1978, a whopping eight punters were drafted. Every front office in the NFL may have Araiza at a different spot on their boards come the last week in April, but the standout college special teams player should hear his name called during the 2022 NFL Draft. For context, two Pro Bowl punters are named each year, leaving about an 20% clip of the Pro Bowl punters in the last 15 seasons being players who were drafted. 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 . Increasing his punt average with every year, Stout earned an invite to the Senior Bowl, where he impressed in sometimes torrid conditions. Reportedly other teams did. Its time to look at five of the upcoming classs most intriguing (rather than the best) prospects. Shakir, a fifth-round rookie in 2022, got off to a slow start in his career. March 25, 2022 5 min read. Matt Araiza is one of the only players in the 2022 NFL Draft who can make an immediate impact. Even then, the potential power lingering in his left leg remained lowkey. At the very least, remember the name Matt Araiza and the punt god designation following him. Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux will feature as top picks later this month. Punters can be prolific athletes, too! More than just power, Araiza has a punting style that causes the ball to roll forward if it is not caught. That said, it appears unlikely that Araiza will be a realistic target for them unless he somehow falls to Round 5. Based on net punting averages, you can usually find UDFAs who will rank above average at the position in directional punting and hang time.. It's not clear why Araiza dropped all the way down to the sixth round, but there are plenty of theories. Thats what teams are still trying to figure out. . But there are tantalising stories further down the board. At Michigan, he excelled as partner in crime for Aidan Hutchinson, the projected first-overall pick in the upcoming draft. NFL GMs have got to love that. FREE Boxing fight stream. However, this style doesnt really translate to the NFL. Talk about ineptitude.) Araiza can take up one spot on a roster, rather than a team having to carry a player at both punter and placekicker. Starting with the Punt God himself, lets examine the punter prospects that make up this unlikeliest of NFL Draft predictions. Showcasing an exceptionally powerful leg, he holds the Penn State field-goal record with a 57-yard strike against Pitt in 2019. Dicker The Kicker has a 46.3-yard career punting average and 75.9% career field-goal completion. 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. This reinforces the significance of gross versus net punting averages. For this reason, I believe its time for me to do something Ive only done once before: a special teamer breakdown. DBs and Specialists. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? With his record-breaking antics and social media ascension to Punt God, San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is making special teams sexy again. 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. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Safely draftable and carrying middle-round grades in the league.. Upon arriving at the school, he knocked on the door of the football coach. But that style is outdated in the modern NFL, where the last remaining stick-slide-climb thrower is the ever-ageless Tom Brady. It's not often the best player on a team is the punter, but that was the case for the Aztecs last season. 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. Redshirting his 2018 season, Araiza learned under San Diego State kicker John Barron II. 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. Of course, there were more rounds and selections back then. Look how Hawaii prepped for Matt Araiza. Four drafted punters are actually less rare than one might imagine. The biggest thing to note from the preseason is Epenesa. 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. Incredible run. I cant see him falling past Round 4, which seems like a weird thing to say about a punter, but thats definitely the case with him. Faalele looks more like a long-lost third Clegane brother than a starting NFL tackle. 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. DB/Specialist Pre-Draft Notes (2022 NFL Draft) by Shane Hallam April 21, 2022 0 520. 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. What Would a Zero-RB Fantasy Football Draft Look Like in 2022? A team will take the bet that Faalele can, probably in the first round. And no, thats not the type of gimmicky love youll see bestowed on some other athletes in minor roles. But, thats not all Araiza can do. Araizas punting style with a nose-down punt leaves improvement for coffin corners. But how have other drafted punters panned out in the NFL? All 2022 NFL Draft Projections are taken from the latest Sporting News NFL Mock Draft by Vinnie Iyer. So why not invest a valuable resource in a player who can boom the ball farther, higher, and with more accuracy than anyone else at his position? He wound up landing at Minnesota, using the Madden video game series to swot up on the rules and regulations. Both batches of decision-makers agree on one overriding idea: Field position really, really matters. Araiza must ensure that his strides and ball striking remain consistent from kick to kick. Chase Daniel: Young's Height Is Non-Issue, Stroud: I Don't Want to Be Drafted By Bears, Smith-Njigba: Packers Looking at Receivers, Dave Wannstedt: Mike McCarthy's 'Run the Damn Ball' Comment Ill-Advised, Samari Rolle: Forbes Worthy of Comp to Me, Friday's DB Workout Displayed Clear No. Tracker; Grades; Spending; Tenders; Draft. Cut (s): Eli Ankou, Prince Emili, Mike Love, Kingsley Jonathan, Brandin Bryant, Daniel Joseph, C.J. Of course, draft analysis, projections and rumors will be dominating the headlines until then. Following a flourish of free agency action, theres a clearer picture of NFL team needs. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Or are they? But, thats not all Araiza can do. This is what enablers do.. 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. San Diego State's Matt Araiza is putting punters on the map, and his scouting report reveals why he's a highly rated 2022 NFL Draft prospect. Above is a plot of the average Approximate Value (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. 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. There have only been two draft classes since the turn of the century where a punter hasnt been selected in the NFL Draft. This season Araiza hasnt had a single kick punt or field goal blocked. Past. Can he shuffle his size-18 feet quickly enough to keep up with Von Miller off the edge? It is not a good look for a franchise that prides itself on culture and character. Team Contract Type Status Year Signed Yrs Total APY Guarantees 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. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. 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. Now for the burning question: where will Araiza be drafted in April? These primarily center around consistency. 2. That said, Matt Araiza is a generational talent at punter. He also set school records in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles during his high school career. What Matt Araiza did in college football was revolutionary from a position where it's tough to disrupt how the game is played. If Araiza is the Punt God and Camarda is Mr. The likes of Mitch Wishnowsky and Max Duffy from recent draft classes utilized this style of punting before entering the NFL. His 51.2 yards per punt is the most in a single season by any college punter in the history of the sport. 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. One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State Universitys Matt Araiza. 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. These arent just courtesy of a lucky bounce either these punts are traveling through the air. 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. He can be seen putting his high school track athleticism to good use getting downfield. The draft is sharpening into focus. He believes it is worth taking chances on other positions earlier in the draft rather than a punter. NFL Draft: Meet Matt Araiza, Punt God His booming kicks made fourth-and-long must-watch TV at San Diego State. That hasn't happened for a punter since 2012, when Jacksonville selected Cal's . Daniel Faalele after Minnesotas win over Colorado in September. against San Jose State in October. Positives: Strong-legged punter whos also an exceptional directional kicker. He showcases very good touch and a repeatable delivery. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. | 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! While Ive just talked you through a brief history lesson of punting in the NFL Draft, the San Diego State product is coming off a historic season of college football punting. Consistent directional punter that can kick it out to the sidelines or place it inside the 10-yard line. 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 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. Araiza has made three 50-yard field goals so far this season, the second most in NCAA football. 174. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. I didnt know what a first down was or anything, Faalele told ESPN in 2018. Login. MattAraiza. Here's everything you need to know about Araiza heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. Araiza denied the allegations in a statement released by his agent on Friday, but has not spoken publicly himself. Araiza in 2021 booted 79 punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt. Vendetta Sports Media is sponsored by Monkey Knife Fight, the fastest growing DFS site in the industry. NFL Draft Provile. Corey Bojorquez has also shown inconsistency. All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Matt Araiza Araiza, one of the Buffalo Bills' sixth round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, boomed a . Throughout his time as an Aztec, Araiza also successfully . 1. The whole nfl knew. Finally, Araiza has shown toughness and athletic ability during his time at San Diego State. 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.