Araiza denied the allegations in a statement released by his agent on Friday, but has not spoken publicly himself. 1. Based on net punting averages, you can usually find UDFAs who will rank above average at the position in directional punting and hang time.. Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his. He quickly became a nationally known name after delivering a 82-yard punt in the preseason. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. Before the 2022 NFL Draft, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Araiza to go in the third round. Past. 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. 2023 Mock Drafts 2024 Mock Drafts 2025 Mock Drafts. @matt_araiza. Colorado States Ryan Stonehouse featured just behind Araiza this year, with an average of 50.9 yards per punt. 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. His ceiling could be much higher. Chase Daniel: Young's Height Is Non-Issue, Stroud: I Don't Want to Be Drafted By Bears, Smith-Njigba: Packers Looking at Receivers, Dave Wannstedt: Mike McCarthy's 'Run the Damn Ball' Comment Ill-Advised, Samari Rolle: Forbes Worthy of Comp to Me, Friday's DB Workout Displayed Clear No. The team admits learning about the allegation in July. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. MKFs unique style and gameplay make betting fun and easy. They both feature within draftable range on my recently released 2022 NFL Draft Top 300 Big Board. All Rights Reserved. That was surprising.. Could Matt Araiza be the next one? Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. In 1976 and 1978, a whopping eight punters were drafted. The NFL only allows the two end defenders to do so. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Possesses a monster leg, gets tremendous hang time on punts, and allows coverage teams to get downfield and make the play. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at Meanwhile, Texas specialist Cameron Dicker has punting and kicking versatility. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Furthermore, its reported that Araiza routinely makes kicks from 50+ in practice. 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. Upon arriving at the school, he knocked on the door of the football coach. Davis was the force behind college footballs most dominant defense last season, fueling a Georgia group that carried their team to the national championship. Matt Araiza is currently projected to be drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals at No. Scroll through to view photos of P Matt Araiza, Buffalo's pick in the sixth round, 180th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. 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. In the first of these predictions pieces, Matt Araiza leads a cast of at least three punters selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Here are the San Diego State Aztecs headed for the 2022 NFL Draft, from Cameron Thomas to Matt Araiza. Matt Araiza is the greatest collegiate punter I have ever watched. WCGs Lead Draft Analyst shares brief anecdotes on each of his top performers from Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Combine. 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. Matt Araiza is one of the more fascinating prospects of the 2022 NFL Draft which is saying something, considering he's a punter. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images) In yesterdays game, Matt Araiza elevated his NCAA record with his 16th punt of 60+ yards this year. 5th Year Option Projections; Free Agency. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. and that Bill Belichick is already salivating over using a second-round pick on him in the 2022 NFL Draft. 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 . In addition to his prowess as a punter, Araiza has a 73.5% success rate as a field-goal kicker. As a junior, Araiza would be eligible for the NFL Draft in both 2022 and 2023. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Coffin corners, hang-time, and inside the 20 are phrases being used in evaluation that barely see the light of day ordinarily. On Aug. 25 shortly after the team awarded Araiza the starting punting job, he was accused of being part of a gang raping of a 17-year-old girl while he attended San Diego State, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, 17 punters have actually been selected on what we would now call Day 2 of the NFL Draft. Pro football is a game of land acquisition, played four downs at a time. Forces a lot of fair catches. Team Contract Type Status Year Signed Yrs Total APY Guarantees go off the board in the second round. Hes also hit a 60+ yarder in each of his four years for the Bulldogs. His 32 vertical jump was the same as Chris Olave, our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. 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. Round 5 - Philadelphia Eagles (No. Gambling problem? Punter prospects are rare, multiple in the same class are even more so. But why wasnt he on the field for Georgia on third down? a general manager told NBCs Peter King at the combine. 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. Matt Araiza Draft Stock & Draft Projection. 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. Even then, the potential power lingering in his left leg remained lowkey. No other punter has nailed two 80+ yard punts in 2021. Matt Araiza, better known as "Punt God", played for the San Diego State Aztecs for a total of three seasons between 2019 and 2021. However, this style doesnt really translate to the NFL. 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. That includes CBSSports.com, which lists Araiza as the 126th prospect in the draft. 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 . 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. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. Araiza, who began his career at San Diego State as a kicker, also converted 96 of 97 extra point attempts and 50 of 68 field goal attempts (73.5 percent), with a long of 54. That said, it appears unlikely that Araiza will be a realistic target for them unless he somehow falls to Round 5. All this high school success mattered very little when it came to the recruiting process. 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. Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux will feature as top picks later this month. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. That demonstrates a level of composure that will be invaluable at the next level. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The only other times it happened came in 1993 and 2007. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. During his first two seasons with the Aztecs, he hit long field goals of 48 yards (Wyoming 19, Colorado 20). It is not a good look for a franchise that prides itself on culture and character. , given to the best punter in college football. Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. Chicago Bears 2023 Free Agency Roundtable: Signing we expect. Its time to look at five of the upcoming classs most intriguing (rather than the best) prospects. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, . The Bills may not have known about the allegations hanging over punter Matt Araiza when they . All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. 1 CB, Paul Burmeister: Why Derek Carr Might Not Be QB to Win You a Championship, Tracker: Patriots Release QB Hoyer. But there are questions about Davis viability at the NFL level. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. (Interestingly, I found out while researching this that Cleveland used second round picks in both 1977 and 1978 to draft a punter. Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza, who has quickly risen to fame with a strong leg and a catchy nickname, faces a very serious off-field issue before his first NFL game.According to the Los Angeles . 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. Araiza, nicknamed the "Punt God," was a unanimous All-American and the winner of the Ray Guy Award in 2021. 12.0Matt Araiza, SDSU (48 Punts)Inside 20 63%Inside 10 27%Touchback 29%Avg. In his first season, Araiza handled kicking and kickoff duties, as his punting prowess remained hidden. This unit was added to a lot this offseason. 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. Of course, Ray Guys first-round selection in 1973 is an anomaly. 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. Landing both prospects would fill position needs, but that's a dream scenario because Gardner will likely be long gone if the Chargers decide to stay at No. For his career, Araiza averaged 51.1 yards per punt. Stout was slightly ahead of him at 44.5 while Camarda was well below both guys at 41.6. 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. Do you mind if I try playing football?. FILE - San Diego State's Matt Araiza (2) celebrates his field goal against . He can be seen putting his high school track athleticism to good use getting downfield. Super Bowl 2023 Daytona 500 College Basketball Rankings NBA All-Star . 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. With Camarda now in Tampa, that likely spells the end of Bradley Pinion's three-year run with the team. . Now for the burning question: where will Araiza be drafted in April? NFL Draft Provile. After the horrendous playoff performance, the Packers . Now, he is one of the rarest prospects in football: a punter with buzz. Additionally, few of these punters have been widely recognized as the best at their position, even for one season. General manager Tom Telesco spoke to the media on Thursday and was asked about Araiza in the draft. 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. Dicker The Kicker has a 46.3-yard career punting average and 75.9% career field-goal completion. 1. player. 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. 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. The Buffalo Bills released rookie punter Matt Araiza on Saturday night. 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. All the more impressive, the 2021 season was Araiza's first taking on full-time punting duties for the Aztecs. He probably wont be the first defensive lineman selected from his own team. Talk about ineptitude.) And yet, the prediction of a multiple-punter class in the 2022 NFL Draft might surprise a few people. SUBSCRIBEto the Vendetta YouTube Channel! 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. 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. While Araiza has been electrifying college football this season, Georgia punter Jake Camarda should earn himself the nickname Mr. The whole nfl knew. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. It's probable that he would have hit a fourth for 55 yards . He believes it is worth taking chances on other positions earlier in the draft rather than a punter. 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. This is what enablers do.. No other player this season has two 80+ yard punts. Together, they were unblockable. 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. Matt Araiza #19 of the Buffalo Bills takes the field during practice on Aug. 5, 2022, in Orchard Park, New York. Vendetta Sports Media is sponsored by Monkey Knife Fight, the fastest growing DFS site in the industry. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 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. 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. MORE:NFL Draft prospects 2022: Updated big board of top 150 players, rankings by position. 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. 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. He kicks returners back a considerable amount that the potential for big returns is still limited. Khalil Shakir is going down the well of a former Buffalo Bills great to hopefully improve in Year 2: Eric Moulds. As Araiza prepares to break positional norms in the 2022 NFL Draft class, his prolific performances as a punter can be traced back to his roots at Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego. The left-footer with the big leg has been widely projected by draft analysts as the top . I would rather draft depth at other positions, such as defensive back and linebacker, where the players can develop while contributing on special teams.. 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. This power was proved in the 2021 season, as he had 18 punts of 60+ yards and two of 80+ yards. Increasing his punt average with every year, Stout earned an invite to the Senior Bowl, where he impressed in sometimes torrid conditions. Araiza has as many 80-yard punts in just this season as the NFL has produced since 2013. 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. Our written profile to add to our NIL Apparel and Podcast Interview of College Football's #1 Punter #sdsu #NFLDraft. Former Eagles President and Browns CEO Joe Banner gave his take on how he would approach this unique prospect. His, was better than many who are projected to be high draft selections, including. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. You must be logged in to post a comment Matt Araiza. 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. For whatever reason, punters have been a popular position to pick in this year's draft. 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. In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. That said, it wouldnt be surprising at all if somebody took him as early as Round 3. 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. 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 . Incredible run. The coach offered Faalele a scholarship on the spot. 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. San Diego State's Matt Araiza headlines a potentially historic 2022 NFL Draft class with at least three punters picked in our projections.