. It is officially mock draft season! Stop by our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel for Bear Bones LIVE at FIVE as we get in on some mock draft fun! Bills get the Punt God in the SIXTH ROUND. Of course he was. Chicago Bears 2023 Free Agency Roundtable: Signing we dont want to see. Many even called him the 'Punt God.' The [] Before the 2022 NFL Draft, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Araiza to go in the third round. Odds & lines subject to change. 2023 NFL Draft Top 25 Big Board: Young No. According to Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus, 63 percent of Araiza's punts were downed inside the 20; another 27 were downed inside the 10. Did I mention that Araiza has a powerful leg? His, was better than many who are projected to be high draft selections, including. Can he step, drop, and reset to cut off Khalil Mack trying to knife inside? For this reason, I believe its time for me to do something Ive only done once before: a special teamer breakdown. Khalil Shakir is going down the well of a former Buffalo Bills great to hopefully improve in Year 2: Eric Moulds. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. For more 2022 NFL Draft coverage and player profiles, check out our NFL Draft page. According to PFF, Araiza had the eighth-lowest kickoff return percentage in the country at less than 15%. The Packers in 2021 saw Mason Crosby struggle and it may have been the end of his Packers career. These traits make for an incredibly impressive athlete, but how would he test at the NFL Combine? It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Stout will likely end up replacing the longtime Ravens punter, who turns 40 in August. 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 is currently averaging 52.2 yards per punt. The Bills may not have knownaboutthe allegations hanging over punter Matt Araiza when they drafted him, but at least two other teams had an inkling that something had happened. He is a threat to cover his own punts and kicks. DB/Specialist Pre-Draft Notes (2022 NFL Draft) by Shane Hallam April 21, 2022 0 520. For starters, college football allows for any player to go downfield after the snap on a punt. Or so it seems. , our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. That was surprising.. We explored a massive trade-down scenario in a recent seven-round mock draft. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. He possesses all the tools to start in the NFL and will be a very early draft pick for a punter. 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 joined the NFL in April as a sixth-round draft pick. The Ray Guy Award bears his name. Araiza can take up one spot on a roster, rather than a team having to carry a player at both punter and placekicker. Faalele is from Melbourne, and an assistant coach for Hawaii on a scouting trip to Australia discovered him while he was rehabbing an injury at a local gym. 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. That said, Matt Araiza is a generational talent at punter. 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. School: San Diego State. San Diego State. Copyright 2019-2023. 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 isnt the case with Araiza, who ran pro-style formations at San Diego State. 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. 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 consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. This next punt traveled 88 yards through the air, landing from his own 12-yard line to the literal goal line. As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. We've received your submission. 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. . 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. The. But how high, exactly, can we expect a team to take Araiza, winner of the 2021 Ray Guy Award? 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. 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. Round 5 - Philadelphia Eagles (No. The NFL only allows the two end defenders to do so. That's no fault to the other guys on the offensive or defensive side of the . You dont get the award that celebrates collegiate punting excellence without being exceptional. Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. 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. From his own end zone here, he manages to kick the ball roughly 70 yards through the air, and it bounces enough to make it an 86-yard punt in the stat book. All 2022 NFL Draft Projections are taken from the latest Sporting News NFL Mock Draft by Vinnie Iyer. 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. Win at all costs happens with every team. But I can tell you, we just tried to do what was right, Beane said. That demonstrates a level of composure that will be invaluable at the next level. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. 12.0Matt Araiza, SDSU (48 Punts)Inside 20 63%Inside 10 27%Touchback 29%Avg. Since 2000, just two draft classes (2017 and 2011) have not had a punter selected to the NFL. 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. Furthermore, Todd Sauerbrun, Rohn Stark, Johnny Evans, and Tom Skladany were all punters selected in the second round. What I was asked to do was different from a skill set (perspective) than maybe other players have. Araiza is set to be one of the highest-selected punters in recent NFL Draft history. Think thats an exaggeration? Weve been studying the players for 11 months. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. The Buffalo Bills released rookie punter Matt Araiza on Saturday night. 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. DATABASE. Troy . Araiza seems like he's going to be a good fit in Buffalo. With Camarda now in Tampa, that likely spells the end of Bradley Pinion's three-year run with the team. And yet, the prediction of a multiple-punter class in the 2022 NFL Draft might surprise a few people. What Matt Araiza did in college football was revolutionary from a position where it's tough to disrupt how the game is played. Check this out. 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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Jump around this article Click to show Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. Copyright 2019-2023. Matt Araiza Position: PunterHeight: 61Weight: 200 lbsAge: 21College: San Diego State Aztecs. Now for the burning question: where will Araiza be drafted in April? holy crap.you know what I just realized? Consistency, then Penn State punter Jordan Stout should be called Mr. He can be seen putting his high school track athleticism to good use getting downfield. 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. He gets the ball off quickly and generates an insane amount of force from his left leg. You must be logged in to post a comment Former Eagles President and Browns CEO Joe Banner gave his take on how he would approach this unique prospect. 2:39 pm ET, did he lead the nation in punting average, 2023 NFL free agent interior offensive linemen, NFL free agent offensive tackles: Sizing up 2023 market, Free agent WR market: Breaking down available talent, NFL 2023 free agency: Top TEs set to hit open market, NFL 2023 free agency: Top RBs set to hit open market, 'Punt God' Matt Araiza not first punter taken, NFL Combine: QB, WR, TE run 40s, compete in drills, Mock Draft: Panthers, Colts trade up for QBs, Rodgers' trade value, logistics, best fit, Pascal robbed at gunpoint, assaulted; WR 'doing fine', Bryce Young measures similar to former No. This power was proved in the 2021 season, as he had 18 punts of 60+ yards and two of 80+ yards. Where most people have legs attached to their torso, Araiza has an actual cannon. Stroud doesnt want to go to the Bears because Justin Fields, OPINION: Cocaine Bear is stupid, but in a really good way When the idea of, CONTENT 2018 2022 VENDETTA SPORTS MEDIA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions, Why Mitchell Trubisky Is Destined To Fail In The NFL, Barstool Sports Employee Jordyn Woodruff Joins OnlyFans, Sean Allen Sucks At Fantasy Hockey: 2022 Edition, Predicting Four 2023 Middle Linebacker Free Agent Destinations, Von Miller Eyeing GM Career Post Retirement, C.J. Both are a long shot to be drafted at the end of the month. 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 . Draft Order & Rookie Pools; . A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. The left-footer with the big leg has been widely projected by draft analysts as the top . The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. With the NFL Draft fast approaching, six former San Diego State players soon may learn their football fates. The San Diego State punter has a career-long 53-yard field goal to his name. Araiza was selected by the Bills in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. Starting with the Punt God himself, lets examine the punter prospects that make up this unlikeliest of NFL Draft predictions. Simply put, Araiza is the best punting prospect to enter the NFL Draft in quite some time. 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 . Above is a plot of the average. Matt Araiza Scouting Report. The injury has continued to plague his career, forcing further surgeries in 2020 and 2021. 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. Look how Hawaii prepped for Matt Araiza. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. According to NYup.com, Moulds shared a video of Shakir working out with him. No other player this season has two 80+ yard punts. 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. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). #Bills #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/EA1iEWkdyA. His 51.2 yards per punt is the most in a single season by any college punter in the history of the sport. Here are the San Diego State Aztecs headed for the 2022 NFL Draft, from Cameron Thomas to Matt 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. 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. 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. Analysis: Araiza took a step to the forefront last season and was a rockstar punter for the Aztecs. (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. Here's everything you need to know about Araiza heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. Together, they were unblockable. Davis was the force behind college footballs most dominant defense last season, fueling a Georgia group that carried their team to the national championship. All Rights Reserved. San Diego State's Matt Araiza headlines a potentially historic 2022 NFL Draft class with at least three punters picked in our projections. WCGs Lead Draft Analyst shares brief anecdotes on each of his top performers from Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Combine. Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically inclined general managers. An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. Despite Araiza's incredible 2021 season, he is not expected to be among the highest-drafted punters of all time. Field Pos. 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. Certainly, the conversation around Araiza as a potential Day 2 prospect fuels that narrative. 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. Hang time and accuracy are just as important in the NFL. Matt Araiza is currently projected to be drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 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. Based on net punting averages, you can usually find UDFAs who will rank above average at the position in directional punting and hang time.. As the 2022 NFL Draft nears, its time to put our money where our mouth is and start making some predictions about the class. 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. Araiza has made three 50-yard field goals so far this season, the second most in NCAA football. 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. His ceiling could be. He also has the ability to make tackles, with speed and athleticism. We're not controlling field position.' As a San Diego native, there was naturally just one choice. Finally, Araiza has shown toughness and athletic ability during his time at San Diego State. 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.