Even then, the potential power lingering in his left leg remained lowkey. They also dont currently have a fourth-round pick, barring some wheeling and dealing on Draft Day. Araiza must ensure that his strides and ball striking remain consistent from kick to kick. 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. Like clockwork. go off the board in the second round. Shakir, a fifth-round rookie in 2022, got off to a slow start in his career. 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. He can be seen putting his high school track athleticism to good use getting downfield. Araiza leads the punter predictions for this 2022 NFL Draft. With Camarda now in Tampa, that likely spells the end of Bradley Pinion's three-year run with the team. Khalil Shakir is going down the well of a former Buffalo Bills great to hopefully improve in Year 2: Eric Moulds. holy crap.you know what I just realized? Simply put, Araiza is the best punting prospect to enter the NFL Draft in quite some time. He believes it is worth taking chances on other positions earlier in the draft rather than a punter. 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 | 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. I hope he is back in the NFL soon., Asked about the decision not to contact Gilleon, Bills GM Brandon Beane said in a press conference that Kathryn DAngelo, the teams attorney, heard what he had to say and thats when we began our process., Were not perfect. 901 Gambling problem? Can he step, drop, and reset to cut off Khalil Mack trying to knife inside? The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. The list of accomplishments is unreal. . 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 . The only other times it happened came in 1993 and 2007. The NFL only allows the two end defenders to do so. More than just power, Araiza has a punting style that causes the ball to roll forward if it is not caught. He quantified the athletic ability displayed on punt return coverage with an excellent showing at the NFL Combine. Predicting Four 2023 Middle Linebacker Free Agent Destinations The 2023 NFL offseason should be stacked, Von Miller Eyeing GM Career Post Retirement NFL legend and current Buffalo Bills Edge rusher, Former OSU quarterback C.J. In fact, there hasnt been an NFL starter in the 21st century built as big as the Aussie. Troy . His season average of 51.19 yards set a new single-season record. 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. Im tougher, stronger, more athletic than Odafe Oweh. From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. 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. 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. In yesterdays game, Matt Araiza elevated his NCAA record with his 16th punt of 60+ yards this year. That was surprising.. After the horrendous playoff performance, the Packers . 1. player. The [] While Araiza had decent success in landing punts inside the 20 this season, he needs to demonstrate consistency in this regard. We've received your submission. He has the power to flip the field with one kick. 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. Certainly, the conversation around Araiza as a potential Day 2 prospect fuels that narrative. Additionally, few of these punters have been widely recognized as the best at their position, even for one season. He only makes two steps upon catching the ball, as opposed to a running start that some college punters use. Incredible run. These primarily center around consistency. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. 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). Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically . The Buffalo Bills released rookie punter Matt Araiza on Saturday night. That said, it appears unlikely that Araiza will be a realistic target for them unless he somehow falls to Round 5. 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. 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. 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? It is not a good look for a franchise that prides itself on culture and character. NFL MOCK DRAFT. Negatives: Takes a while to get the ball off his foot. Matt Araiza is one of the more fascinating prospects of the 2022 NFL Draft which is saying something, considering he's a punter. @matt_araiza. 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. Araiza is currently averaging 52.2 yards per punt. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. While a running start can provide for more power, power is far from an issue with Araiza. I would rather draft depth at other positions, such as defensive back and linebacker, where the players can develop while contributing on special teams.. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. 2023 Mock Drafts 2024 Mock Drafts 2025 Mock Drafts. This power was proved in the 2021 season, as he had 18 punts of 60+ yards and two of 80+ yards. For more 2022 NFL Draft coverage and player profiles, check out our NFL Draft page. 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 . 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 . Araizas punting style with a nose-down punt leaves improvement for coffin corners. . 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. The prolific punter also showcased his versatility as a powerful placekicker, hitting 77% of his 48 attempts with a career long of 53 yards. At 6ft 9in (!) Its time to look at five of the upcoming classs most intriguing (rather than the best) prospects. The temptation to declare it the greatest punting class of all time is understandable. But how have other drafted punters panned out in the NFL? Hutchinson was an effort player; Ojabo the beat-them-out-of-their-cleats, vintage, get-off-and-go rusher. NFL Draft Provile. 1. Pro football is a game of land acquisition, played four downs at a time. Above is a plot of the average Approximate Value (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. Theres simply no escaping it. I was 17 years old and I had no idea who Matt Araiza was," she said. All Rights Reserved. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. Before the 2022 NFL Draft, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Araiza to go in the third round. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. Although Araiza saw plenty of action at San Diego State, he might not see the field much in Buffalo. Talk about ineptitude.) At least three punters will be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft that is the prediction. 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. The Buffalo Bills are going to have a tough decision to make. Araiza denied the allegations in a statement released by his agent on Friday, but has not spoken publicly himself. Corey Bojorquez has also shown inconsistency. Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead recently explained to the Athletic why that's a concern. He might be able to punt a football from San Diego to Buffalo. In the rare occurrence that one of his kicks is returned, Araiza can be found taking down the returner. , our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. Banners rationale is driven by the notion of replacement value. 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. The Punt God has a legitimate shot at being a day two selection. While his power has never been in question, the San Diego State punter displayed accuracy while placing punts with aplomb in front of the eyes of the NFL. Matt Araiza, Daniel Bellinger and Cameron Thomas, though, have gotten the most buzz . 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. Four punters were chosen in the 2016 NFL Draft. 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. 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. Here's everything you need to know about Araiza heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. | 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! In 2021, the Bills only punted a total of 52 times, which was tied for the fifth-lowest total in the NFL. The. DATABASE. The injury has continued to plague his career, forcing further surgeries in 2020 and 2021. They both feature within draftable range on my recently released 2022 NFL Draft Top 300 Big Board. 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. Araiza can be quite a weapon for NFL teams adding a punter in the 2022 draft. Punter prospects in the NFL Draft are more commonplace than youd presume. Draft Order & Rookie Pools; . Matt Araiza is San Diego State's record-setting punter. With Araiza now in Buffalo, that puts veteran punter Matt Haack on the hot seat. Camarda has averaged 46.8, 46.6, and 46.7 yards per punt, respectively, over the past three seasons. Here are the San Diego State Aztecs headed for the 2022 NFL Draft, from Cameron Thomas to Matt Araiza. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. MKFs unique style and gameplay make betting fun and easy. Bills get the Punt God in the SIXTH ROUND. 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. Araiza now holds the record for punts of 50+ yards. In 2019, he hit 84.6% of his kicks. Does a terrific job selling fake punts. 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. When a guy leads college football in all major punting statistics including average yards, punt yards per game, punts inside the 20 yard line, and PATs made, he's going to draw NFL draft attention. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? August 26, 2022. Faalele looks more like a long-lost third Clegane brother than a starting NFL tackle. All Rights Reserved. ), wins college football weekend, deserves the Heisman . But when you boom not just one, but two punts over 80 yards, you earn some attention. This provides for a quicker delivery and is the standard in the NFL. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. Past. During his three-year stint as the starter for Rancho Bernardo, Araiza boomed a 71-yard long punt. 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. Think thats an exaggeration? Araiza seems like he's going to be a good fit in Buffalo. 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. . The NFL Draft doesn't usually surprise us much when it comes to punting, but on Saturday it came with two big surprises. All the more impressive, the 2021 season was Araiza's first taking on full-time punting duties for the Aztecs. The San Diego State punter set a 4.68-second 40-yard dash while registering a 101 broad and 32 vertical jump. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. Super Bowl 2023 Daytona 500 College Basketball Rankings NBA All-Star . 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. FanSided.com; . As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. The San Diego State punter has a career-long 53-yard field goal to his name. 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. These arent just courtesy of a lucky bounce either these punts are traveling through the air. As a San Diego native, there was naturally just one choice. Use our promo code VENDETTA or use the link below to get a 100% instant matchon any deposit. Reportedly other teams did. When and how often will Davis play? Finally, Araiza has shown toughness and athletic ability during his time at San Diego State. 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. John Harbaugh is a former special teams coach and he has a better eye for punters and kickers than any other head coach in the NFL, so if he wanted Stout, you can bet he liked his punting style more than he liked Araiza's booming style. 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. Although on-field punter drills werent televised, onlookers inside Lucas Oil Stadium reported that Araiza was impressive during those sessions at the NFL Combine. Former Eagles President and Browns CEO Joe Banner gave his take on how he would approach this unique prospect. However, 17 punters have actually been selected on what we would now call Day 2 of the NFL Draft. Araiza was selected by the Bills in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. 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. DB/Specialist Pre-Draft Notes (2022 NFL Draft) by Shane Hallam April 21, 2022 0 520. Current. But, thats not all Araiza can do. 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. Thats what teams are still trying to figure out. Mock Draft Database Sites; NFL NBA NHL MLB. FREE Boxing fight stream. The 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 28th. P Matt Araiza earned $216,148 in his NFL career. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. One other theory is that teams are afraid Araiza might outkick his coverage in the NFL. My names David Ojabo. 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). Yep, thats his shirt size and thats eight Xs for those keeping score at home. This is what enablers do.. As soon as the ball left Matt Araiza's foot, the competition between the rookie and Matt Haack was over. Consistency. Consistent ball striking, hang time, and placement are key factors in punter evaluation.