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 . Hes unlikely to be the first defensive lineman off the board. SUBSCRIBEto the Vendetta YouTube Channel! Use our promo code VENDETTA or use the link below to get a 100% instant matchon any deposit. 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. Talk about ineptitude.) This next punt traveled 88 yards through the air, landing from his own 12-yard line to the literal goal line. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. 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. Araiza is set to be one of the highest-selected punters in recent NFL Draft history. Furthermore, its reported that Araiza routinely makes kicks from 50+ in practice. Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically inclined general managers. C.J. The prolific punter also showcased his versatility as a powerful placekicker, hitting 77% of his 48 attempts with a career long of 53 yards. Through the first 180 picks, there were more punters selected (3) than were taken in the entire 2021 draft combined (The Steelers selection of Pressley Harvin was the only punter pick last year). NFL punter Matt Araiza and two San Diego State football players accused in gang-rape lawsuit. The Punt God is averaging far more yards per punt than Anger did his senior year. At the very least, remember the name Matt Araiza and the punt god designation following him. This versatility only adds to his value heading into the NFL Draft since he can be the kickoff specialist as well as fill in as an emergency kicker should the starter suffer an injury during a game. 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. 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. 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. Jordan Davis combines size and athleticism. He also has the ability to make tackles, with speed and athleticism. That's no fault to the other guys on the offensive or defensive side of the . Araiza's controversial stay in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills is well noted. 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? It's not often the best player on a team is the punter, but that was the case for the Aztecs last season. In 2021, Araiza has emerged as something of a rockstar in the punting community. It's probable that he would have hit a fourth for 55 yards . Copyright 2019-2023. Incredible run. 12.0Matt Araiza, SDSU (48 Punts)Inside 20 63%Inside 10 27%Touchback 29%Avg. Additionally, Ray Guy was a first-round pick in 1973, with the award for punting success named after him. Colorado States Ryan Stonehouse featured just behind Araiza this year, with an average of 50.9 yards per punt. 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 | The following is a complete Matt Araiza NFL Draft profile, including stats, highlights and a mock projection. I was 17 years old and I had no idea who Matt Araiza was," she said. As mentioned before, Araiza is incredibly versatile and can help the special teams unit in an impactful way. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. Yet, in San Diego State punter Matt Araiza, the 2022 NFL Draft class might possess the most high-profile and highly skilled . Versatility is next to ability or something of that nature. Stop by our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel for Bear Bones LIVE at FIVE as we get in on some mock draft fun! 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. He reportedly said, "Bills Mafia, there is no off-season.". P Matt Araiza earned $216,148 in his NFL career. For starters, college football allows for any player to go downfield after the snap on a punt. Hes not just the last line of defense, either. NFL GMs have got to love that. That demonstrates a level of composure that will be invaluable at the next level. From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. 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. While I ordinarily like to steer clear of pro comparisons, there are striking similarities between Stout and four-time first-team All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker. the 341 lb Davis ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds. . The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. However, that doesnt mean that his scouting report doesnt reveal some areas for improvement. Negatives: Takes a while to get the ball off his foot. Araizas punting style with a nose-down punt leaves improvement for coffin corners. No other punter in history has more 50+ and 60+ yard punts in a single season. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. The former San Diego State punter didn't get selected until the Bills made him the first pick of the sixth round (180th overall). Before we produce the punting protagonists of this 2022 NFL Draft prediction, its worth discussing the place this class could hold in NFL history. Copyright 2019-2023. T Formation Conversation: Live from the NFL Combine. At least three punters will be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft that is the prediction. 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. Personally, I would not draft a punter, regardless of how good he is, until the 7th-round the 6th-round at the earliest. 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. 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 is not a good look for a franchise that prides itself on culture and character. Two NFL teams had Matt Araiza red flags before draft. When and how often will Davis play? 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 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. Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. The first two punters went off the board in the fourth round with the Ravens selecting Jordan Stout and the Buccaneers taking Jake Camarda. 174) - 1. 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. Do It All. During a college career that started at Virginia Tech before his transfer to the Nittany Lions, Stout has been a kickoff specialist, punter, field-goal and extra-point kicker, and even turned his hand to playing quarterback on a fake punt against Michigan in his final season. Matt Araiza came into the 2022 NFL Draft as a fan favorite. 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. Punt God. Based on Over The Cap's projections, . In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. Faalele looks more like a long-lost third Clegane brother than a starting NFL tackle. From there, lift off. He quickly became a nationally known name after delivering a 82-yard punt in the preseason. 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. 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. Matt Araiza'The Weapon' Ready to Destroy Your Perception of an NFL Punter. 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. 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. His footprints adorn the record books at the position. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. Continue with Recommended Cookies, (Derrick Tuskan/San Diego State Athletics). The roster has been set for awhile in the defensive trenches. The temptation to declare it the greatest punting class of all time is understandable. San Diego State. 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. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. holy crap.you know what I just realized? Matt Araiza Position: PunterHeight: 61Weight: 200 lbsAge: 21College: San Diego State Aztecs. Updated. He possesses all the tools to start in the NFL and will be a very early draft pick for a punter. Araiza is set to be one of the highest-selected punters in recent NFL Draft history. For more 2022 NFL Draft coverage and player profiles, check out our NFL Draft page. Starting with the Punt God himself, lets examine the punter prospects that make up this unlikeliest of NFL Draft predictions. 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. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. Punts in between the 30s (2021 only):Jordan Stout, Penn State (36 Punts)Inside 20 83%Inside 10 53%Touchback 6%Average Field Pos. 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. During his three-year stint as the starter for Rancho Bernardo, Araiza boomed a 71-yard long punt. Following a flourish of free agency action, theres a clearer picture of NFL team needs. 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.