matt araiza draft projection
He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. Matt Araiza is San Diego State's record-setting punter. Of the 27 punters drafted in the past 15 seasons, just six of these players have made a Pro Bowl these six punters only made one Pro Bowl each. You cant even tell that traveling more than 60 yards through the air is a difficult task for a punter by how easy Araiza makes it look. The Buffalo Bills had no choice but to cut their youngpunter after so badly botching their response to our claim, Gilleon said in a statement, per the AP. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. 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. General manager Tom Telesco spoke to the media on Thursday and was asked about Araiza in the draft. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. Cut (s): Eli Ankou, Prince Emili, Mike Love, Kingsley Jonathan, Brandin Bryant, Daniel Joseph, C.J. 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. The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. Matt Araiza'The Weapon' Ready to Destroy Your Perception of an NFL Punter. Araiza can take up one spot on a roster, rather than a team having to carry a player at both punter and placekicker. 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. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. Pro football is a game of land acquisition, played four downs at a time. Jump around this article Click to show Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. Ethan Sears. 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. 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. Kiper's updated Big Board for the 2022 NFL draft: Ranking the best prospects at every position 1y Mel Kiper Jr. Araiza, who had one year left of eligibility, set the record for punting average in . All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. 2023 NFL Draft Top 25 Big Board: Young No. After the horrendous playoff performance, the Packers . P Matt Araiza earned $216,148 in his NFL career. He quantified the athletic ability displayed on punt return coverage with an excellent showing at the NFL Combine. The left-footer with the big leg has been widely projected by draft analysts as the top . 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. FILE - San Diego State's Matt Araiza (2) celebrates his field goal against . Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. Matt Araiza came into the 2022 NFL Draft as a fan favorite. If Araiza is the Punt God and Camarda is Mr. Positives: Strong-legged punter whos also an exceptional directional kicker. But now Araiza is gone, released Saturday afternoon, and with the preseason games over, the Bills have to trim . Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. The prolific punter also showcased his versatility as a powerful placekicker, hitting 77% of his 48 attempts with a career long of 53 yards. Consistent directional punter that can kick it out to the sidelines or place it inside the 10-yard line. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . All Rights Reserved. The 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 28th. All Rights Reserved. San Diego State P Matt Araiza. 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. 12.0Matt Araiza, SDSU (48 Punts)Inside 20 63%Inside 10 27%Touchback 29%Avg. However, even in recent history, multiple punters were selected in 2019 and 2020. Or so it seems. Forces a lot of fair catches. 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. If youre sitting comfortably, lets begin. Four punters were chosen in the 2016 NFL Draft. His season average of 51.19 yards set a new single-season record. Versatility, athleticism, and competitive toughness, Tony Paulines scouting report for Matt Araiza. Dallas Intends to Tag Pollard, Head of Pro Scouting, NFL Player Personnel Executive, One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State Universitys Matt Araiza. They'll give up some big returns, but they'll also have some giant flips of field position.". The NFL Draft doesn't usually surprise us much when it comes to punting, but on Saturday it came with two big surprises. Now time for my prediction: I believe Matt Araiza will be selected in the later portion of Round 4, or in Round 5 of the 2022 NFL Draft. 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. Win at all costs happens with every team. Despite those struggles,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. 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. the 341 lb Davis ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds. Daniel Faalele after Minnesotas win over Colorado in September. He also has the ability to make tackles, with speed and athleticism. 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. The biggest thing to note from the preseason is Epenesa. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. Punts in between the 30s (2021 only):Jordan Stout, Penn State (36 Punts)Inside 20 83%Inside 10 53%Touchback 6%Average Field Pos. Punting out of the end zone can be tough for some punters, as there isnt much margin for error if pressure gets into the backfield, and there is more of a condensed space to operation out of. For more 2022 NFL Draft coverage and player profiles, check out our NFL Draft page. This next punt traveled 88 yards through the air, landing from his own 12-yard line to the literal goal line. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. 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. Picking at No. But there can be no doubt that in a jumbled quarterback class, taking a punt on the best pure thrower would represent the best value play for quarterback-needy franchises. The 2022 NFL draft is a little over two weeks away. Not too shabby. Matt Araiza did the unthinkable for a punter during the 2021 college football season. One other theory is that teams are afraid Araiza might outkick his coverage in the NFL. 154) - 1 - Cincinnati Bengals (No. 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. Thanks for contacting us. That hasn't happened for a punter since 2012, when Jacksonville selected Cal's . The victims lawyer, Dan Gilleon, said the Bills also ignored his warnings about Araiza in late July. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. More important than the distance is Araizas unusual control of the ball, allowing him to pin opposing offenses deep in their own half rather than just booming the ball out the back of the endzone. | 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! 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. One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State Universitys Matt Araiza. 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 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 28th. 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. In Araizas scouting report, we break through the numbers and noise to scrutinize his pro potential ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | But how high, exactly, can we expect a team to take Araiza, winner of the 2021 Ray Guy Award? Pro Football Network, LLC. Of course, draft analysis, projections and rumors will be dominating the headlines until then. That's no fault to the other guys on the offensive or defensive side of the . Carson Strong has a great arm but teams will worry about his injury history. 5th Year Option Projections; Free Agency. NFL draft projection. Both are a long shot to be drafted at the end of the month. All the more impressive, the 2021 season was Araiza's first taking on full-time punting duties for the Aztecs. 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. Eric D. Williams goes to practice with Matt Araiza, who could be the first punter selected on Day 2 of a draft since 2012. . During his first two seasons with the Aztecs, he hit long field goals of 48 yards (Wyoming 19, Colorado 20). Jimmypinthe416 says: August 28, 2022 at 11:39 am Was belichik lying when he drafted Hernandez. On his list of the top 150 prospects on NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah listed Araiza at No. But, thats not all Araiza can do. Now for the burning question: where will Araiza be drafted in April? Of Araiza's 79 punts, 37 went for at least 50 yards; 17 went for 60 yards or more; six went at least 70 yards; and two went for 80-plus yards (no other punter had two punts of 80 yards). against San Jose State in October. Stop by our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel for Bear Bones LIVE at FIVE as we get in on some mock draft fun! This season, Araiza has set r. 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? Weve been studying the players for 11 months. Can he shuffle his size-18 feet quickly enough to keep up with Von Miller off the edge? Surely theres some NFL team that takes him earlier than you would expect. Whoever drafts him could be ending up with a perennial All-Pro talent. Araiza's controversial stay in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills is well noted. This unit was added to a lot this offseason. What I was asked to do was different from a skill set (perspective) than maybe other players have. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. Analysis: Araiza took a step to the forefront last season and was a rockstar punter for the Aztecs. holy crap.you know what I just realized? ), wins college football weekend, deserves the Heisman . 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. Araiza, one of the Buffalo Bills' sixth round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, boomed a . Jordan Davis combines size and athleticism. 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. 147, a high fifth-round pick. Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. Based on Over The Cap's projections, . A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. He has another 80-yard punt this season too. 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 . 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. 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. Certainly, the conversation around Araiza as a potential Day 2 prospect fuels that narrative. 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. Araiza can be quite a weapon for NFL teams adding a punter in the 2022 draft. The Punt God has a legitimate shot at being a day two selection. Stout will likely end up replacing the longtime Ravens punter, who turns 40 in August. His 51.2 yards per punt is the most in a single season by any college punter in the history of the sport. Twenty-nine percent of his punts went for touchbacks. Yep, thats his shirt size and thats eight Xs for those keeping score at home. He wound up at the same school as Odafe Oweh, a first-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens in last years draft. But when you boom not just one, but two punts over 80 yards, you earn some attention. 1 CB, Paul Burmeister: Why Derek Carr Might Not Be QB to Win You a Championship, Tracker: Patriots Release QB Hoyer. Stroud Shares Praise for Justin Fields, Fields former OSU teammate and top draft prospect spoke highly of the Bears QB at a Combine media session, Trevis Gipson to particpate in NFL Career Tours. Talk about ineptitude.) This is what enablers do.. Before the 2022 NFL Draft, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Araiza to go in the third round. # . Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. My names David Ojabo. The injury has continued to plague his career, forcing further surgeries in 2020 and 2021. Not only has he shown his prowess as a punter, but Coach Maalouf adds he kicked off as well and was good at it. Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically . The team admits learning about the allegation in July. The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. 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 . Could Matt Araiza be the next one? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. San Diego State's Matt Araiza, meanwhile, might have the strongest leg in the draft. Or are they? SUBSCRIBEto the Vendetta YouTube Channel! Colorado States Ryan Stonehouse featured just behind Araiza this year, with an average of 50.9 yards per punt. Being a left-footed punter, teams will have to adjust their formations to help fit his needs. 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. Copyright 2019-2023. His broad jump of 10 1 was better than many who are projected to be high draft selections, including Aidan Hutchinson, David Bell, Isaiah Spiller, Brian Robinson Jr., and Trey McBride. Did I mention that Araiza has a powerful leg? The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the. The following is a complete Matt Araiza NFL Draft profile, including stats, highlights and a mock projection. 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. . MattAraiza. 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. At the very least, remember the name Matt Araiza and the punt god designation following him. Araizas leg power is also demonstrated as a field goal and kickoff specialist. The. As a result, theres an ever-growing feeling that his floor in the 2022 NFL Draft will be the fifth round. He only makes two steps upon catching the ball, as opposed to a running start that some college punters use. Kenny Pickett College Football Highlights 2021, Aaron Rodgers is Using Leverage to Help Davante Adams, DEBUT Tom Brady, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen! A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. NFL Draft Provile. Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. 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. An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. You dont get the award that celebrates collegiate punting excellence without being exceptional. 201. 174. Matt Araiza. Camarda has averaged 46.8, 46.6, and 46.7 yards per punt, respectively, over the past three seasons. 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. Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. 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. Now, he is one of the rarest prospects in football: a punter with buzz. Odds & lines subject to change. Round 5 - Philadelphia Eagles (No. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. The Buffalo Bills are going to have a tough decision to make. Let them know that we sent you! That said, Matt Araiza is a generational talent at punter. 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. His ceiling could be. He has the power to flip the field with one kick. 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. Stout was one of the top punters in this year's class and it wasn't a total shocker to see him become the first punter taken. With his record-breaking antics and social media ascension to Punt God, San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is making special teams sexy again. 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? Talk about flipping the field. All this high school success mattered very little when it came to the recruiting process. 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. Incredible run. That was surprising.. Youll see here part of what makes Araiza so special. The likes of Mitch Wishnowsky and Max Duffy from recent draft classes utilized this style of punting before entering the NFL. Araiza also boomed an 86-yard punt last season, which was the longest in college football. I didnt know what a first down was or anything, Faalele told ESPN in 2018. As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. 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. What Matt Araiza did in college football was revolutionary from a position where it's tough to disrupt how the game is played. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. Simply put, Araiza is the best punting prospect to enter the NFL Draft in quite some time. Meanwhile, Texas specialist Cameron Dicker has punting and kicking versatility. FanSided.com; . At Michigan, he excelled as partner in crime for Aidan Hutchinson, the projected first-overall pick in the upcoming draft. @matt_araiza. Think thats an exaggeration? Manage Settings From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. As a FG kicker, his completion percentage has declined with every college season. From there, lift off. 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. Even then, the potential power lingering in his left leg remained lowkey. Shakir, a fifth-round rookie in 2022, got off to a slow start in his career. Stroud: I dont want to go to the Bears; thats Fields team, OPINION: Cocaine Bear is stupid, but in a really good way. He played fewer than half of Georgias defensive snaps in 2021 and played only 18% of third-down snaps. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. His 32 vertical jump was the same as Chris Olave, our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. No other player this season has two 80+ yard punts. He quickly became a nationally known name after delivering a 82-yard punt in the preseason.