Matt Araiza #19 of the Buffalo Bills takes the field during practice on Aug. 5, 2022, in Orchard Park, New York. Chicago Bears 2023 Free Agency Roundtable: Signing we expect. The first two punters went off the board in the fourth round with the Ravens selecting Jordan Stout and the Buccaneers taking Jake Camarda. 17 for the first round of the draft. Throughout his time as an Aztec, Araiza also successfully . Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his. While Araiza had decent success in landing punts inside the 20 this season, he needs to demonstrate consistency in this regard. . That was surprising.. Being a left-footed punter, teams will have to adjust their formations to help fit his needs. However, he set a new single-season program record for field goals with 22. The whole nfl knew. Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead recently explained to the Athletic why that's a concern. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. 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. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Manage Settings The following is a complete Matt Araiza NFL Draft profile, including stats, highlights and a mock projection. Continue with Recommended Cookies, (Derrick Tuskan/San Diego State Athletics). Meanwhile, he averaged 41.7 yards on 120 punts that tallied over 5,000 yards. Matt Araiza is one of the only players in the 2022 NFL Draft who can make an immediate impact. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. This unit was added to a lot this offseason. 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. This season Araiza hasnt had a single kick punt or field goal blocked. Araiza may be the greatest college punter of all time. Could Matt Araiza be the next one? March 25, 2022 5 min read. Among the players expected to hear his name is punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. Despite Araiza's incredible 2021 season, he is not expected to be among the highest-drafted punters of all time. 16.0. We've received your submission. Odds & lines subject to change. He has another 80-yard punt this season too. No other player this season has two 80+ yard punts. The Buffalo Bills released rookie punter Matt Araiza on Saturday night. He quantified the athletic ability displayed on punt return coverage with an excellent showing at the NFL Combine. Check this out. The WCG crew ran through several free agency questions in this roundtable, and today we gave our pick for the signings we want the Bears to avoid. 2023 Mock Drafts 2024 Mock Drafts 2025 Mock Drafts. We've been studying the players for 11 months. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically . 1. player. 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. In his first season, Araiza handled kicking and kickoff duties, as his punting prowess remained hidden. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. They'll give up some big returns, but they'll also have some giant flips of field position.". 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. Of course, Ray Guys first-round selection in 1973 is an anomaly. 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. If a team is uncomfortable with your holding skills, that could absolutely lead you to dropping in the draft. But I know there are other players in the league who are told to just bang the ball as far as they can down the field, and the team is going to cover. They call him Punt God. 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. Getting off the field on third downs is a staple of shouty-man-on-TV analysis, but success on first downs is more predictive of long-term success. Araiza stands at just over 6-foot-1 and weighs 200 pounds. We explored a massive trade-down scenario in a recent seven-round mock draft. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Shakir, a fifth-round rookie in 2022, got off to a slow start in his career. Even then, the potential power lingering in his left leg remained lowkey. He gets the ball off quickly and generates an insane amount of force from his left leg. 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. Let them know that we sent you! Cut (s): Eli Ankou, Prince Emili, Mike Love, Kingsley Jonathan, Brandin Bryant, Daniel Joseph, C.J. Matt Araiza did the unthinkable for a punter during the 2021 college football season. In the first of these predictions pieces, Matt Araiza leads a cast of at least three punters selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Some draft projections have listed Araiza as a potential Day 2 selection, when rounds 2-3 will be conducted. Given the recent trends of where punters have been drafted, it would make sense for Araiza to be selected on Day 3 since only Bryan Anger has been taken before then in the past 15 years. 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. Matt Araiza Overview. But, thats not all Araiza can do. He reportedly said, "Bills Mafia, there is no off-season.". 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 performances earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where Jim Nagy had this to say about the 2022 NFL Draft prospect: Had calls with some of [the] top kicking gurus and overwhelming opinion is Georgias Jake Camarda is among best punting prospects to come out in past 5-10 years. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. Now for the burning question: where will Araiza be drafted in April? I recognize that my train of thought may be different from the rest of the league. 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. 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. NFL MOCK DRAFT. The 2022 NFL draft is a little over two weeks away. With his power and quick punting style, gunners often have minimal time to cover Araizas punts. Redshirting his 2018 season, Araiza learned under San Diego State kicker John Barron II. A two-star prospect, Araiza was the 20th-ranked kicker in the 2018 class. Araiza can take up one spot on a roster, rather than a team having to carry a player at both punter and placekicker. 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. Araiza's controversial stay in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills is well noted. All Rights Reserved. That said, it wouldnt be surprising at all if somebody took him as early as Round 3. , given to the best punter in college football. 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. SOMEONE GET ME A TABLE!! As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. While a running start can provide for more power, power is far from an issue with Araiza. 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. FILE - San Diego State's Matt Araiza (2) celebrates his field goal against . Even these statistical accomplishments usually wouldnt attract the adoration that Araiza has received in this NFL Draft process. Meet Matt Araiza, San Diego State punter who could be among the highest-drafted punters of all time, NFL Draft prospects 2022: Updated big board of top 150 players, rankings by position. WCGs Lead Draft Analyst shares brief anecdotes on each of his top performers from Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Combine. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Araiza is currently averaging 52.2 yards per punt. In addition to his prowess as a punter, Araiza has a 73.5% success rate as a field-goal kicker. The San Diego State punter set a 4.68-second 40-yard dash while registering a 101 broad and 32 vertical jump. ), wins college football weekend, deserves the Heisman . He was also one of four players in the nation who handled all three kicking duties (punts, PATs/field goals and kickoffs), Araiza was 18-of-28 . 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. Mock Draft Database Sites; NFL NBA NHL MLB. Incredible run. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images) Both Stout and Camarda carry draftable grades from NFL scouts. Matt Araiza was selected in the sixth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Matt Araiza. Matt Araiza came into the 2022 NFL Draft as a fan favorite. 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. Stout will likely end up replacing the longtime Ravens punter, who turns 40 in August. Past. Versatility is next to ability or something of that nature. The draft is sharpening into focus. They ignored us, [when] I warned them [what] would happen could be avoided if they just kept their heads in the sand. But how high, exactly, can we expect a team to take Araiza, winner of the 2021 Ray Guy Award? The left-legged punter can effortlessly boom the ball the entire length of the field. MORE:NFL Draft prospects 2022: Updated big board of top 150 players, rankings by position. After hitting an 86-yard punt against Hawaii, Araiza has become something of a social media starlet, earning the nickname Punt God.. Faalele looks more like a long-lost third Clegane brother than a starting NFL tackle. The relationship is not close to being statistically significant here, and the R-squared value is almost negligible. Other Draft Prospects: TE Daniel Bellinger (UFA), LB Caden McDonald (UFA) Currently, Matt Araiza is projected to go around the 5th or 6th round, but that could easily change as we get closer . He created a draft buzz. Araiza is set to be one of the highest-selected punters in recent NFL Draft history. against San Jose State in October. That is an incredibly high projection for a special teams player, as punters and kicker often . 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. The TCU Horned Frogs and the Georgia Bulldogs will tie a bow on the After a pair of epic College Football Playoff Semifinals on New Years Eve, the Arnold Classic 2023 Live Online: How To watch From Anywhere, Where To Watch Tim Hortons Brier 2023 Live Online, Curling Update: How To watch Tim Hortons Brier 2023 Live Here, Rough N Rowdy 20: Preview, Fight Card, Venue and Live Online, Ian Garry vs Song Kenan Prediction, UFC 285 Card, Betting Odds and Picks, Where To Watch Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury Live Free Online, South American U-20 Championship 2023 Live Online For Final day, 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Final Day Live TV Channel, Super Bowl Coin Toss Results History, Betting Odds and Props 2023, Best Super Bowl Halftime Show Prop Bets and Picks. FREE Boxing fight stream. The likes of Mitch Wishnowsky and Max Duffy from recent draft classes utilized this style of punting before entering the NFL. 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. 17 for the first round of the draft. , our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. 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. Consistency, then Penn State punter Jordan Stout should be called Mr. 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 . We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. That said, Matt Araiza is a generational talent at punter. 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. 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. The Packers in 2021 saw Mason Crosby struggle and it may have been the end of his Packers career. That hasn't happened for a punter since 2012, when Jacksonville selected Cal's . 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. 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. I was 17 years old and I had no idea who Matt Araiza was," she said. Matt Araiza NFL Draft projections. Picking at No. Gambling problem? DATABASE. T Formation Conversation: Live from the NFL Combine. Hes not just the last line of defense, either. So that builds his value to your team especially if you have an older kicker who now you can take the kickoff duty from.. Look how Hawaii prepped for Matt Araiza. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Yep, thats his shirt size and thats eight Xs for those keeping score at home. Hang time and accuracy are just as important in the NFL. He wound up landing at Minnesota, using the Madden video game series to swot up on the rules and regulations. 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. Hawaii had to employ an insane punt coverage against him. This season, Araiza has set r. 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. You must be logged in to post a comment He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. Multiple punters selected in the draft are also not as rare as youd think. Versatility, athleticism, and competitive toughness, Tony Paulines scouting report for Matt Araiza. No wonder the "punt god" is generating NFL draft buzz. The Buffalo Bills are going to have a tough decision to make. 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. . 201. An achilles injury at Michigans pro day has seen his stock take a hit and served as an example of the dark side of the draft 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. As a matter of fact, he already seems to be fully embracing his new team. 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. Pro Football Network, LLC. Araiza, one of the Buffalo Bills' sixth round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, boomed a . Among the players expected to hear his name is punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. Matt Araiza, better known as "Punt God", played for the San Diego State Aztecs for a total of three seasons between 2019 and 2021. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. Although on-field punter drills werent televised, onlookers inside Lucas Oil Stadium reported that Araiza was impressive during those sessions at the NFL Combine. Team Contract Type Status Year Signed Yrs Total APY Guarantees As a result, theres an ever-growing feeling that his floor in the 2022 NFL Draft will be the fifth round. The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. 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. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Matt Araiza had two punts of more than 80 yards last season, including an 86-yarder that was the longest punt in college football. There have only been two draft classes since the turn of the century where a punter hasnt been selected in the NFL Draft. Hi coach, Ojabo said. He can be seen putting his high school track athleticism to good use getting downfield. Before we produce the punting protagonists of this 2022 NFL Draft prediction, its worth discussing the place this class could hold in NFL history. At the very least, remember the name Matt Araiza and the punt god designation following him. 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 | No other punter has nailed two 80+ yard punts in 2021. That's no fault to the other guys on the offensive or defensive side of the . Araiza has made three 50-yard field goals so far this season, the second most in NCAA football. That said, it appears unlikely that Araiza will be a realistic target for them unless he somehow falls to Round 5. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. At least three punters will be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft that is the prediction. On his list of the top 150 prospects on NFL.com, Daniel Jeremiah listed Araiza at No. 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. 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. The former San Diego State punter didn't get selected until the Bills made him the first pick of the sixth round (180th overall). He might be able to punt a football from San Diego to Buffalo. go off the board in the second round. If I can get my punter as an UDFA instead of using a draft selection on him, that would be preferable.. A fifth-round selection for Araiza would not be particularly noteworthy in the history of punters taken in the NFL draft.