MKFs unique style and gameplay make betting fun and easy. Position: K. 6-2 , 200lb (188cm, 90kg) Draft: 6th round, 180th overall of the 2022 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. Some draft projections have listed Araiza as a potential Day 2 selection, when rounds 2-3 will be conducted. Many even called him the 'Punt God.' And yet, the prediction of a multiple-punter class in the 2022 NFL Draft might surprise a few people. Kicking It With Matt Araiza: Former SDSU Kicker On His Punting Past, Present and NFL Future After declaring for the NFL Draft, former San Diego State kicker and Rancho Bernardo High School alum . holy crap.you know what I just realized? The temptation to declare it the greatest punting class of all time is understandable. According to NYup.com, Moulds shared a video of Shakir working out with him. If youre sitting comfortably, lets begin. 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. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. 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. He also has the ability to make tackles, with speed and athleticism. Of course, draft analysis, projections and rumors will be dominating the headlines until then. 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. That includes CBSSports.com, which lists Araiza as the 126th prospect in the draft. @matt_araiza. What Matt Araiza did in college football was revolutionary from a position where it's tough to disrupt how the game is played. 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. The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. 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. The reigning Ray Guy Award winner as the nation's top punter, Araiza set an FBS record with a 51.19-yard . He has the power to flip the field with one kick. His 32 vertical jump was the same as Chris Olave, our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. Youll see here part of what makes Araiza so special. But why wasnt he on the field for Georgia on third down? a general manager told NBCs Peter King at the combine. Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. He maintained composure in a penetrated backfield, and he was able to send the ball 65 yards through the air with ease. Matt Araiza Archives - NFL Draft Countdown 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). Field Pos. , our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. 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. Talk about ineptitude.) As a San Diego native, there was naturally just one choice. 5th Year Option Projections; Free Agency. Araizas leg power is also demonstrated as a field goal and kickoff specialist. Moreover, his lack of blocked kicks demonstrates that Araiza consistently gets good elevation. Two NFL teams had Matt Araiza red flags before draft Thats what teams are still trying to figure out. Theres simply no escaping it. But how have other drafted punters panned out in the NFL? The. C.J. 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. So that builds his value to your team especially if you have an older kicker who now you can take the kickoff duty from.. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. 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. The 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 28th. DB/Specialist Pre-Draft Notes (2022 NFL Draft) by Shane Hallam April 21, 2022 0 520. Following a flourish of free agency action, theres a clearer picture of NFL team needs. 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. While Araiza has been electrifying college football this season, Georgia punter Jake Camarda should earn himself the nickname Mr. Dicker The Kicker has a 46.3-yard career punting average and 75.9% career field-goal completion. 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. In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. Bills claim that they knew nothing of Matt Araiza allegations seems One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State University's Matt Araiza. During his three-year stint as the starter for Rancho Bernardo, Araiza boomed a 71-yard long punt. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . 2022 NFL Draft: The Matt Araiza film breakdown - Windy City Gridiron Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News, for example, projects Araiza to go 174th overall to the defending AFC champion Bengals. Entry: 2022 Draft, Round 6, #180 overall (Bills) Contract History. His footprints adorn the record books at the position. Above is a plot of the average Approximate Value (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. 2022 NFL Draft: Profiles for 20 potential LA Rams picks on Day 3 Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead recently explained to the Athletic why that's a concern. Could Matt Araiza be the next one? Although on-field punter drills werent televised, onlookers inside Lucas Oil Stadium reported that Araiza was impressive during those sessions at the NFL Combine. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . After the horrendous playoff performance, the Packers . 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. Thanks for contacting us. He believes it is worth taking chances on other positions earlier in the draft rather than a punter. Draft Order & Rookie Pools; . Used as a field-goal kicker for San Diego State and shows the ability to hit them from long distance. 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. FanSided.com; . Increasing his punt average with every year, Stout earned an invite to the Senior Bowl, where he impressed in sometimes torrid conditions. 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. But when you boom not just one, but two punts over 80 yards, you earn some attention. 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. 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. Of course, there were more rounds and selections back then. In addition to his prowess as a punter, Araiza has a 73.5% success rate as a field-goal kicker. Starting with the Punt God himself, lets examine the punter prospects that make up this unlikeliest of NFL Draft predictions. 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 . With the NFL Draft fast approaching, six former San Diego State players soon may learn their football fates. 174. Former San Diego State Punter Matt Araiza Discusses NFL Future - NBC 7 Jordan Davis combines size and athleticism. Matt Araiza had two punts of more than 80 yards last season, including an 86-yarder that was the longest punt in college football. And yet in a weak quarterback class, Strong remains the most gifted thrower of the bunch, a fact that should matter when a quarterbacks principal responsibility is to pass the ball. The LA Chargers could consider drafting Matt Araiza in the 2022 NFL Draft. 147, a high fifth-round pick. 2022 NFL Draft shocker: Bills land 'Punt God' Matt Araiza who In his first season, Araiza handled kicking and kickoff duties, as his punting prowess remained hidden. Matt Araiza Draft Stock & Draft Projection. 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. Should the LA Chargers draft punter Matt Araiza in the 2022 NFL Draft? Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images) For this reason, I believe its time for me to do something Ive only done once before: a special teamer breakdown. To put that in perspective, there were only six punts of 70 or more yards by every NFL punter combined last season. On his list of the top 150 prospects on NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah listed Araiza at No. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. 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. We've been studying the players for 11 months. Indeed, it wouldnt be jaw-dropping to see Araiza a punter! A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. No other punter has nailed two 80+ yard punts in 2021. 2022 NFL Draft: Many position groups boosted by early entrants Matt Araiza boots 90-yard punt (!! The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. 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. NFL draft projection. Of course, Ray Guys first-round selection in 1973 is an anomaly. The list of accomplishments is unreal. Currently, Matt Araiza is projected to go around the 5th or 6th round, but that could easily change as we get closer . Matt Araiza is San Diego State's record-setting punter. T Formation Conversation: Live from the NFL Combine. FREE Boxing fight stream. 17 for the first round of the draft. He also set the FBS mark for 50-yard punts with his 33rd of the season. The previous year, he punted five times for 249 yards, averaging 49.8 yards per punt. Daniel Faalele after Minnesotas win over Colorado in September. 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. Stout was slightly ahead of him at 44.5 while Camarda was well below both guys at 41.6. 174) - 1. Former Bills punter Matt Araiza could be in big trouble in gang-rape 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. Matt Araiza Draft Profile 2022 | NFL Mock Draft Database Mock Draft Database Sites; NFL NBA NHL MLB. NFL punter Matt Araiza and two San Diego State football players accused in gang-rape lawsuit. Before we get into the sexier traits of punter scouting if such a thing exists I want to get into San Diego States punt formation being a benefit for Araiza. Araiza is set to be one of the highest-selected punters in recent NFL Draft history. go off the board in the second round. Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. Stroud: I dont want to go to the Bears; thats Fields team, OPINION: Cocaine Bear is stupid, but in a really good way. and 387lb (!!) (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. Of course, draft analysis, projections and rumors will be dominating the headlines until then. These arent just courtesy of a lucky bounce either these punts are traveling through the air. 2023 NFL Draft Top 25 Big Board: Young No. Pro football is a game of land acquisition, played four downs at a time. The LA Chargers have 11 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft and there is a chance that the team could draft San Diego State punter Matt Araiza. 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 | Although Araiza saw plenty of action at San Diego State, he might not see the field much in Buffalo. DBs and Specialists. 12.0Matt Araiza, SDSU (48 Punts)Inside 20 63%Inside 10 27%Touchback 29%Avg. Matt Araiza, Daniel Bellinger and Cameron Thomas, though, have gotten the most buzz . With Araiza now in Buffalo, that puts veteran punter Matt Haack on the hot seat. The Packers in 2021 saw Mason Crosby struggle and it may have been the end of his Packers career. 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. In the rare occurrence that one of his kicks is returned, Araiza can be found taking down the returner. The 2022 NFL draft is a little over two weeks away. But now Araiza is gone, released Saturday afternoon, and with the preseason games over, the Bills have to trim . Where most people have legs attached to their torso, Araiza has an actual cannon. He wound up landing at Minnesota, using the Madden video game series to swot up on the rules and regulations. Based on net punting averages, you can usually find UDFAs who will rank above average at the position in directional punting and hang time.. All the more impressive, the 2021 season was Araiza's first taking on full-time punting duties for the Aztecs. Four punters were chosen in the 2016 NFL Draft. If a team is uncomfortable with your holding skills, that could absolutely lead you to dropping in the draft. Reportedly other teams did. 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. His, was better than many who are projected to be high draft selections, including. Matt Araiza Position: PunterHeight: 61Weight: 200 lbsAge: 21College: San Diego State Aztecs. 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. In our heart of hearts, I can lay my head down at night knowing that Ive tried to do whats right., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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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. He kicks returners back a considerable amount that the potential for big returns is still limited. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? | 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!