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. August 26, 2022. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. Continue with Recommended Cookies, (Derrick Tuskan/San Diego State Athletics). Despite Araiza's incredible 2021 season, he is not expected to be among the highest-drafted punters of all time. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. Entry: 2022 Draft, Round 6, #180 overall (Bills) Contract History. 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. Bills get the Punt God in the SIXTH ROUND. Matt Araiza is one of the more fascinating prospects of the 2022 NFL Draft which is saying something, considering he's a punter. I didnt know the positions or what roles they played. 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? In 35 games across three years at San Diego State, he punted 84 times for 4,293 yards a 51.1 yards-per-punt rate. Upon arriving at the school, he knocked on the door of the football coach. 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. But how high, exactly, can we expect a team to take Araiza, winner of the 2021 Ray Guy Award? The Buffalo Bills released rookie punter Matt Araiza on Saturday night. Copyright 2019-2023. Consistency, then Penn State punter Jordan Stout should be called Mr. 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. 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. That demonstrates a level of composure that will be invaluable at the next level. As a FG kicker, his completion percentage has declined with every college season. A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. His footprints adorn the record books at the position. 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. Not only did he lead the nation in punting average with an FBS-record 51.4 yards per punt, but he also had six punts of at least 70 yards in 2021, which was the most in the country. Jump around this article Click to show Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. Whoever drafts him could be ending up with a perennial All-Pro talent. Above is a plot of the average Approximate Value (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. He gets the ball off quickly and generates an insane amount of force from his left leg. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, the highest he is projected to go is in the fifth round picks 144 through 179. That group includes not only several picks taken inside the top 100 overall players, but also four players taken in the second round and another two taken in the first round. 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. They call him Punt God. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. What Would a Zero-RB Fantasy Football Draft Look Like in 2022? Let them know that we sent you! Eric D. Williams goes to practice with Matt Araiza, who could be the first punter selected on Day 2 of a draft since 2012. . Since 2000, just two draft classes (2017 and 2011) have not had a punter selected to the NFL. 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 . Araiza also succeeds as a kickoff specialist, recording 62 touchbacks on 73 attempts. Check this out. Super Bowl 2023 Daytona 500 College Basketball Rankings NBA All-Star . 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. However, even in recent history, multiple punters were selected in 2019 and 2020. All Rights Reserved. # . The team admits learning about the allegation in July. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. How Early Could SDSU Punter Matt Araiza Get Taken in the NFL Draft Report: NFL Teams Could Make Surprising Decision At Punter Fewer punters have been more consistent than the Georgia prospect. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Furthermore, Todd Sauerbrun, Rohn Stark, Johnny Evans, and Tom Skladany were all punters selected in the second round. 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). Talk about flipping the field. In 1976 and 1978, a whopping eight punters were drafted. In 'Punt God' Matt Araiza, Bills getting a promising prospect, but far 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 is set to be one of the highest-selected punters in recent NFL Draft history. Matt Araiza Scouting Report. That said, Matt Araiza is a generational talent at punter. The roster has been set for awhile in the defensive trenches. 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. (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. You dont get the award that celebrates collegiate punting excellence without being exceptional. The San Diego State product has shot up draft boards (relatively) thanks to a season in which he set an NCAA record by averaging 51.19 yards per punt, eclipsing the record set by Texas A&M's Braden Mann in 2018. As a result, theres an ever-growing feeling that his floor in the 2022 NFL Draft will be the fifth round. He also set school records in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles during his high school career. He is a big-armed, big-bodied quarterback who plays in the classic, dropback, Carson Palmer style. SOMEONE GET ME A TABLE!! Draft Order & Rookie Pools; . Hes not just the last line of defense, either. Coffin corners, hang-time, and inside the 20 are phrases being used in evaluation that barely see the light of day ordinarily. San Diego State. Davis was the force behind college footballs most dominant defense last season, fueling a Georgia group that carried their team to the national championship. Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his. Carson Strong has a great arm but teams will worry about his injury history. For whatever reason, punters have been a popular position to pick in this year's draft. It's not clear why Araiza dropped all the way down to the sixth round, but there are plenty of theories. Meanwhile, Texas specialist Cameron Dicker has punting and kicking versatility. The former San Diego State punter didn't get selected until the Bills made him the first pick of the sixth round (180th overall). Araiza in 2021 booted 79 punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt. MORE:NFL Draft prospects 2022: Updated big board of top 150 players, rankings by position. He wound up landing at Minnesota, using the Madden video game series to swot up on the rules and regulations. DATABASE. However, that doesnt mean that his scouting report doesnt reveal some areas for improvement. Additionally, few of these punters have been widely recognized as the best at their position, even for one season. Matt Araiza. All this high school success mattered very little when it came to the recruiting process. Matt Araiza, Daniel Bellinger and Cameron Thomas, though, have gotten the most buzz . Punter prospects in the NFL Draft are more commonplace than youd presume. Matt Araiza 2022 NFL Draft Profile. 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. Stop by our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel for Bear Bones LIVE at FIVE as we get in on some mock draft fun! Araiza now holds the record for punts of 50+ yards. 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. Banners rationale is driven by the notion of replacement value. . C.J. For this reason, I believe its time for me to do something Ive only done once before: a special teamer breakdown. Above is a plot of the average. Although Araiza saw plenty of action at San Diego State, he might not see the field much in Buffalo. With his record-breaking antics and social media ascension to Punt God, San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is making special teams sexy again. 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. He might be able to punt a football from San Diego to Buffalo. 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. For more 2022 NFL Draft coverage and player profiles, check out our NFL Draft page. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. No other punter has nailed two 80+ yard punts in 2021. 1. His ceiling could be. More than just power, Araiza has a punting style that causes the ball to roll forward if it is not caught. He also has the ability to make tackles, with speed and athleticism. Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux will feature as top picks later this month. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. 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. The only question now is whether the franchise that selects him is stocked up on enough XXXXXXXXL gear. DBs and Specialists. Camarda has averaged 46.8, 46.6, and 46.7 yards per punt, respectively, over the past three seasons. As a matter of fact, he already seems to be fully embracing his new team. Talk about ineptitude.) Some NFL teams knew about Matt Araiza incident before the draft The biggest thing to note from the preseason is Epenesa. Araiza can take up one spot on a roster, rather than a team having to carry a player at both punter and placekicker. 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. They'll give up some big returns, but they'll also have some giant flips of field position.". Cut (s): Eli Ankou, Prince Emili, Mike Love, Kingsley Jonathan, Brandin Bryant, Daniel Joseph, C.J. 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. Obviously, the ability to pin your opponent deep in their own territory represents a significant advantage. He showcases very good touch and a repeatable delivery. Bills release punter Matt Araiza after gang rape allegation In 2020, he made 71.4%, and in 2021, hes down to 64.3%. All this high school success mattered very little when it came to the recruiting process. NFL Draft 2022: Why 'Punt God' Matt Araiza was third off the board Araiza must ensure that his strides and ball striking remain consistent from kick to kick. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. The relationship is not close to being statistically significant here, and the R-squared value is almost negligible. 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 . Using AV from Pro-Football-Reference, this somewhat normalizes the impact of a punter on his team. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. 17 for the first round of the draft. Picking at No. Apr 22, 2022. Matt Araiza is sued for gang rape - ProFootballTalk He created a draft buzz. Among the players expected to hear his name is punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. Matt Araiza is San Diego State's record-setting punter. go off the board in the second round. As soon as the ball left Matt Araiza's foot, the competition between the rookie and Matt Haack was over. Our written profile to add to our NIL Apparel and Podcast Interview of College Football's #1 Punter #sdsu #NFLDraft. In his first season, Araiza handled kicking and kickoff duties, as his punting prowess remained hidden. Potential Chargers draft targets: Punter Matt Araiza has their Consistent directional punter that can kick it out to the sidelines or place it inside the 10-yard line. 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 . And yet, the prediction of a multiple-punter class in the 2022 NFL Draft might surprise a few people. San Diego State's Matt Araiza headlines a potentially historic 2022 NFL Draft class with at least three punters picked in our projections. The [] But I can tell you, we just tried to do what was right, Beane said. 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. Inconsistent accuracy on his field goals. His ceiling could be much higher. 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. 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. 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. Matt (@matt_araiza) / Twitter 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. DB/Specialist Pre-Draft Notes (2022 NFL Draft) by Shane Hallam April 21, 2022 0 520. 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. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. If he passes those criteria while youre working him out and he hits the Duke well, able to turn the ball over, then yes, you check off the boxes., Once a special teams coach feels comfortable with Araizas ability, the coach may want to suggest the rest of the front office look into acquiring him in the draft. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. We've received your submission. 201. Matt Araiza, Buffalo Bills, P - News, Stats, Bio - CBSSports.com 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. In 2019, he hit 84.6% of his kicks. Matt Araiza, San Diego State P | NFL Draft Scouting Report (2023) 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. Like clockwork. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. ), wins college football weekend, deserves the Heisman . 17 for the first round of the draft. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . Former Bills punter Matt Araiza signs to play in Mexico And no, thats not the type of gimmicky love youll see bestowed on some other athletes in minor roles. With Araiza now in Buffalo, that puts veteran punter Matt Haack on the hot seat. Corey Bojorquez has also shown inconsistency. 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. He reportedly said, "Bills Mafia, there is no off-season.". What I was asked to do was different from a skill set (perspective) than maybe other players have. 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. Hi coach, Ojabo said. According to the Associated Press, executives from two different NFL teams became aware that Araiza had been involved in an incident in the lead-up to the draft, though they didnt know the extent of the allegations. 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. and 387lb (!!) 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 Packers in 2021 saw Mason Crosby struggle and it may have been the end of his Packers career. The punt went for a touchback, but when you still factor the flipping from San Diego States 21-yard line to Hawaiis 20-yard line, thats still a 59-yard flip with the touchback. If youre sitting comfortably, lets begin. School: San Diego State. 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. But how have other drafted punters panned out in the NFL? Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. Matt Araiza Overview. Dicker The Kicker has a 46.3-yard career punting average and 75.9% career field-goal completion. The Punt God is averaging far more yards per punt than Anger did his senior year. If that seems confusing/odd/laughable (delete as applicable), think about this: In 2021 he hit 18 punts of 60-plus yards and a pair of 80-plus yarders. Analysis: Araiza took a step to the forefront last season and was a rockstar punter for the Aztecs. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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. Can he step, drop, and reset to cut off Khalil Mack trying to knife inside? Cincinnati Bengals 7-round 2022 NFL mock draft: Trade-up edition 174) - 1. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. Yep, thats his shirt size and thats eight Xs for those keeping score at home. 2022 NFL Draft: Matt "Punt God" Araiza Scouting Report Thats what teams are still trying to figure out. The 2022 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off on Thursday, April 28th. FREE Boxing fight stream. The NFL Draft doesn't usually give us very many surprises when it comes to punting, but it came through with two big surprises on Saturday. MKFs unique style and gameplay make betting fun and easy. 2022 NFL Draft: Many position groups boosted by early entrants 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. 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 . Matt Araiza #19 of the Buffalo Bills takes the field during practice on Aug. 5, 2022, in Orchard Park, New York. 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.