Araiza has made three 50-yard field goals so far this season, the second most in NCAA football. After the horrendous playoff performance, the Packers . All Rights Reserved. 31, the Cincinnati Bengals sit in one of the most interesting spots of any team in the 2022 NFL draft. In 2019, he hit 84.6% of his kicks. In Araizas scouting report, we break through the numbers and noise to scrutinize his pro potential ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. This provides for a quicker delivery and is the standard in the NFL. However, even in recent history, multiple punters were selected in 2019 and 2020. Matt Araiza came into the 2022 NFL Draft as a fan favorite. That said, Matt Araiza is a generational talent at punter. 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. This unit was added to a lot this offseason. 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. Surely theres some NFL team that takes him earlier than you would expect. Fewer punters have been more consistent than the Georgia prospect. PFN Draft Analyst Tony Pauline has Araiza graded as a top-100 player on his latest big board. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Redshirting his 2018 season, Araiza learned under San Diego State kicker John Barron II. 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. Consistency. Consistent ball striking, hang time, and placement are key factors in punter evaluation. Pro Football Network, LLC. Heading into the pre-draft process, Ojabo was projected to be a top-15 pick. Davis was the force behind college footballs most dominant defense last season, fueling a Georgia group that carried their team to the national championship. A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. You dont get the award that celebrates collegiate punting excellence without being exceptional. That was surprising.. He maintained composure in a penetrated backfield, and he was able to send the ball 65 yards through the air with ease. No wonder the "punt god" is generating NFL draft buzz. (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. Some draft projections have listed Araiza as a potential Day 2 selection, when rounds 2-3 will be conducted. As a San Diego native, there was naturally just one choice. During his first two seasons with the Aztecs, he hit long field goals of 48 yards (Wyoming 19, Colorado 20). Other Aztecs are also headed for the NFL Draft as well. 201. Of course, Ray Guys first-round selection in 1973 is an anomaly. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. Kenny Pickett College Football Highlights 2021, Aaron Rodgers is Using Leverage to Help Davante Adams, DEBUT Tom Brady, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen! 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. 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. Reportedly other teams did. But how have other drafted punters panned out in the NFL? All Combine and Draft-Related Analysis, News, Video, and Biographical Information for Matt Araiza He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Matt Araiza is currently projected to be drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals at No. Win at all costs happens with every team. No other punter has nailed two 80+ yard punts in 2021. Matt Araiza Scouting Report. For the . We're not controlling field position.' My names David Ojabo. The. The Bills, though, were aware that Araiza was the subject of a police investigation when they releasedMatt Haack his competition for the starting punter job on Monday. Araizas game against UNLV gave the football world its first glimpse of him as a punter, nailing 4 of 5 punts over 50 yards. 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. He wound up at the same school as Odafe Oweh, a first-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens in last years draft. Camarda has averaged 46.8, 46.6, and 46.7 yards per punt, respectively, over the past three seasons. During his three-year stint as the starter for Rancho Bernardo, Araiza boomed a 71-yard long punt. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. Here's everything you need to know about Araiza heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. This power was proved in the 2021 season, as he had 18 punts of 60+ yards and two of 80+ yards. Yet, in San Diego State punter Matt Araiza, the 2022 NFL Draft class might possess the most high-profile and highly skilled . 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. Matt Araiza, Daniel Bellinger and Cameron Thomas, though, have gotten the most buzz . Matt Araiza Overview. The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. As the 2022 NFL Draft nears, its time to put our money where our mouth is and start making some predictions about the class. On his list of the top 150 prospects on NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah listed Araiza at No. and 387lb (!!) He also has the ability to make tackles, with speed and athleticism. For starters, college football allows for any player to go downfield after the snap on a punt. 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 . 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. A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. However, this style doesnt really translate to the NFL. At Michigan, he excelled as partner in crime for Aidan Hutchinson, the projected first-overall pick in the upcoming draft. 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. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Pro Football Network, LLC. Meanwhile, he averaged 41.7 yards on 120 punts that tallied over 5,000 yards. These traits make for an incredibly impressive athlete, but how would he test at the NFL Combine? While a replication of Guys first-round selection is as unlikely as Pat Bradys 99-yard punt for Nevada in 1950, Araizas scouting report reveals an NFL-worthy talent who should hear his name called as early as Day 2 in the 2022 NFL Draft. Team Contract Type Status Year Signed Yrs Total APY Guarantees 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. That said, it wouldnt be surprising at all if somebody took him as early as Round 3. Before the 2022 NFL Draft, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Araiza to go in the third round. All this high school success mattered very little when it came to the recruiting process. 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. The San Diego, California native has a. as the Aztecs kicker. There have only been two draft classes since the turn of the century where a punter hasnt been selected in the NFL Draft. He quantified the athletic ability displayed on punt return coverage with an excellent showing at the NFL Combine. For reference, the NFL single-season record for average punt is 51.4 yards. Current. Twenty-nine percent of his punts went for touchbacks. The coach offered Faalele a scholarship on the spot. Before the 2022 NFL Draft, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Araiza to go in the third round. Being a left-footed punter, teams will have to adjust their formations to help fit his needs. Other Draft Prospects: TE Daniel Bellinger (UFA), LB Caden McDonald (UFA) 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. Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. Get the latest on Buffalo Bills P Matt Araiza including news, stats, videos, and more on CBSSports.com . The 22-year-old was expected to be the Bills' starting punter after playing well during the preseason. MKFs unique style and gameplay make betting fun and easy. As a FG kicker, his completion percentage has declined with every college season. But why wasnt he on the field for Georgia on third down? a general manager told NBCs Peter King at the combine. That includes CBSSports.com, which lists Araiza as the 126th prospect in the draft. He believes it is worth taking chances on other positions earlier in the draft rather than a punter. 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). He gets the ball off quickly and generates an insane amount of force from his left leg. Ethan Sears. Furthermore, its reported that Araiza routinely makes kicks from 50+ in practice. DATABASE. Matt Araiza was selected in the sixth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He also has the FBS record for 60+ yard punts. MattAraiza. Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux will feature as top picks later this month. The victims lawyer, Dan Gilleon, said the Bills also ignored his warnings about Araiza in late July. Here are the San Diego State Aztecs headed for the 2022 NFL Draft, from Cameron Thomas to Matt Araiza. But when you boom not just one, but two punts over 80 yards, you earn some attention. Chicago Bears 2023 Free Agency Roundtable: Signing we dont want to see. Matt Araiza NFL Draft projections. 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. SOMEONE GET ME A TABLE!! 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 . Currently, Matt Araiza is projected to go around the 5th or 6th round, but that could easily change as we get closer . 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. This reinforces the significance of gross versus net punting averages. The Buffalo Bills are going to have a tough decision to make. Araiza may be the greatest college punter of all time. One theory on why he fell is because he's never held for extra point or field goals. They both feature within draftable range on my recently released 2022 NFL Draft Top 300 Big Board. 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. Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. In his first season, Araiza handled kicking and kickoff duties, as his punting prowess remained hidden. Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. 147, a high fifth-round pick. Personally, I would not draft a punter, regardless of how good he is, until the 7th-round the 6th-round at the earliest. 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. Super Bowl 2023 Daytona 500 College Basketball Rankings NBA All-Star . 2. Hang time and accuracy are just as important in the NFL. The temptation to declare it the greatest punting class of all time is understandable. 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. Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. Araiza must ensure that his strides and ball striking remain consistent from kick to kick. March 25, 2022 5 min read. All the more impressive, the 2021 season was Araiza's first taking on full-time punting duties for the Aztecs. Brewer. A fifth-round selection for Araiza would not be particularly noteworthy in the history of punters taken in the NFL draft. 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. The only other times it happened came in 1993 and 2007. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. At worst, the allegation contained in a civil lawsuit filed Thursday that Araiza, a former San Diego State star . Punter Bryan Anger famously went five picks before Russell Wilson in 2012 with the 70th overall pick. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the. I am sure he is very upset and disappointed that his career with the Bills ended not because he played poorly but because of false allegations leveled against him by a young lady and her attorney, Araizas lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, told the AP. Field Pos. There have only been 10 punts of 80 yards in the entirety of college football this century. Not too shabby. Where most people have legs attached to their torso, Araiza has an actual cannon. This wasnt just a one-off occurrence either. The relationship is not close to being statistically significant here, and the R-squared value is almost negligible. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. Many even called him the 'Punt God.' Before we produce the punting protagonists of this 2022 NFL Draft prediction, its worth discussing the place this class could hold in NFL history. 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. Punter. 154) - 1 - Cincinnati Bengals (No. Araiza joined the NFL in April as a sixth-round draft pick. His footprints adorn the record books at the position. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Shakir, a fifth-round rookie in 2022, got off to a slow start in his career. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images) Thats what teams are still trying to figure out. Round 5 - Philadelphia Eagles (No. Although on-field punter drills werent televised, onlookers inside Lucas Oil Stadium reported that Araiza was impressive during those sessions at the NFL Combine. 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. We've been studying the players for 11 months. 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 . He also set school records in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles during his high school career. 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. That might scare some people given the hype and eventual failures of Roberto Aguayo, but some team will still take a shot on him earlier than the average punter. 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. 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. Also, a higher average yards per punt does not always mean better sometimes you want to directionally punt, so this can be misleading. 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. 17 for the first round of the draft. While a running start can provide for more power, power is far from an issue with Araiza. Could Matt Araiza be the next one? Both Stout and Camarda carry draftable grades from NFL scouts. 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. Araiza is currently averaging 52.2 yards per punt. Some national NFL Draft analysts with NFL information have openly stated that he might be selected on Day 2. 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 | 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. Vendetta Sports Media is sponsored by Monkey Knife Fight, the fastest growing DFS site in the industry. Daniel Faalele after Minnesotas win over Colorado in September. Tracking where Matt Araiza could be drafted in the 2022 NFL mock draft. They'll give up some big returns, but they'll also have some giant flips of field position.". In fact, there hasnt been an NFL starter in the 21st century built as big as the Aussie. 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? From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. Of course, there were more rounds and selections back then. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. 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. DB/Specialist Pre-Draft Notes (2022 NFL Draft) by Shane Hallam April 21, 2022 0 520. But how have other drafted punters panned out in the NFL? He is a threat to cover his own punts and kicks. Some collegiate punters especially Australian punters with Aussie rule backgrounds work out of a rugby-style delivery, which includes wider splits between blockers and a running approach from the punter before kicking it low with the intention of having it bounce and be difficult for returners to field. The WCG crew ran through several free agency questions in this roundtable, and today we listed the one signing we expect Ryan Poles to make. The Bears find themselves not only needing a new punter to replace Pat ODonnell and compete with Ryan Winslow, but they also have several other needs on the roster. They ignored us, [when] I warned them [what] would happen could be avoided if they just kept their heads in the sand. Hutchinson was an effort player; Ojabo the beat-them-out-of-their-cleats, vintage, get-off-and-go rusher. The NFL only allows the two end defenders to do so. T Formation Conversation: Live from the NFL Combine. Jump around this article Click to show Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. Throughout his time as an Aztec, Araiza also successfully . Between high school punting and a love of soccer, he developed a powerful leg that has been comfortably the most powerful in college football this last season. What I was asked to do was different from a skill set (perspective) than maybe other players have. Entry: 2022 Draft, Round 6, #180 overall (Bills) Contract History. 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. The Packers in 2021 saw Mason Crosby struggle and it may have been the end of his Packers career. Do you mind if I try playing football?. With his cannon for a leg, positional versatility, and publicity few punters have ever attracted, Araiza has the potential to be selected significantly higher than most punters have in recent NFL Draft classes. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at But that style is outdated in the modern NFL, where the last remaining stick-slide-climb thrower is the ever-ageless Tom Brady. Draft Order & Rookie Pools; . For more 2022 NFL Draft coverage and player profiles, check out our NFL Draft page. Araiza can be quite a weapon for NFL teams adding a punter in the 2022 draft. Copyright 2019-2023. Im tougher, stronger, more athletic than Odafe Oweh. Used as a field-goal kicker for San Diego State and shows the ability to hit them from long distance. Matt Araiza came into the 2022 NFL Draft as a fan favorite. Now for the burning question: where will Araiza be drafted in April? 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 . To put that in perspective, there were only six punts of 70 or more yards by every NFL punter combined last season. The whole nfl knew. 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.
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