Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. Did anyone nail their first three picks more than the Eagles? Overflowing with accolades and a pious sobriquet, San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is going from the sunny skies of Southern California to the wintery winds of Buffalo, as the Bills selected him with the No. Hes also redefining how valuable punters can really be. Hes a smooth athlete. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! I dont want it to be in the same corner of the country my whole life. The NCAA record holder is extremely familiar with breaking records. Punter's names don't usually pop up as draft choices, so we figured it's a good time to look at the position's history in the draft. In the latest. In the fourth round, Baltimore selected Penn State Punter Jordan Stout with the 130th overall pick. We released a jersey with a company out of San Diego and to see those jerseys in the stands, was crazy to me. The signing bonus in that spot last year was $240,152. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. 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. Surely there's some NFL team that takes him earlier than you would expect. My sophomore season, we won the state championship, Araiza said. Hes quick to find the football, and hes always in pursuit mode., Another attribute teams love about Thomas is his versatility to play up and down the line of scrimmage. Wingspan 73 1/8 But the San Diego State punter, nicknamed "Punt God" by Twitter and anyone that has seen his 80-yard moonshots for three seasons with the Aztecs, has declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. The legend of the Punt God might have been born on Brookshire Street, but it truly began at the soccer park on 14530 Espola Road. What Matt Araiza did in college football was revolutionary from a position where it's tough to disrupt how the game is played. Specialists often aren't taken until. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Though the Buffalo Bills got the third punter of the 2022 NFL Draft's final day, they certainly got the one with the most fanfare. Please enter a valid email and try again. Certainly, a benefit for Araiza is his ability to also excel at kickoffs and handle place-kicking duties if necessary, providing more reason to use a middle-round pick on the Ray Guy Award winner. Personally, I would not draft a punter, regardless of how good he is, until the 7th-round the 6th-round at the earliest. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2022 Bowman Draft Paper Base #BD-73 Jakob Marsee - San Diego Padres at the best online prices at eBay! That was a fun year, and also the year I broke the record for field goals. Dunkle also earned First Team All-American by Pro Football Network and Second Team All-American by the Associated Press. His worse pass-blocking grade came the next week against Towson, registering a 34.3 grade on 26 passing opportunities. The only two FBS teams that gave him offers were San Diego State and UMass. Above is a plot of the average Approximate Value (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. Twenty-nine percent of his punts went for touchbacks. Labeled the "Punt God," Araiza set an NCAA record with a 51.2-yard average on his punts in 2021. 22 San Diego State 73, New Mexico 71 the last play, Darrion Trammell and the Minnesota job, Lamont Butlers buzzer-beater quiets Lobos, earns SDSU at least a share of Mountain West Conference title, Game preview: No. The social media explosion, and all the fans, the almost cult-like fans sometimes. Waring caught 31 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, almost identical to Bellingers final season. See college football stories in your feed, Araiza set a new all-time Football Bowl Subdivision record for yards per punt averaging 51.19 yards per punt, passing Texas A&M. Bellinger will have a massive opportunity to show teams that he should be drafted in the top 100 like his former tight end mate, starting with the Senior Bowl and then the NFL Combine. 12.0Matt Araiza, SDSU (48 Punts)Inside 20 63%Inside 10 27%Touchback 29%Avg. Pat McAfee, all that stuff was hilarious, seeing some of the memes were really funny, the nicknames, all that stuff. Jalen Carter Named Subject of Arrest Warrant After Fatal Crash That Killed Georgia Teammate, Seattle Seahawks 2023 NFL Draft Prospects To Target at the NFL Combine Include Brian Branch, Nolan Smith, 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 25 Prospects Heading Into NFL Combine Include Jalen Carter, Brian Branch, and Bijan Robinson, Boston Colleges Jaiden Woodbey Is Less Tweener, More Swiss Army Knife. Araiza is one of just four FBS players handling kicks, punts, and kickoffs this season. It was not an issue in college, where everyone at the line can release downfield after the snap. Bringing as much star power as a punter can, Araiza will also bring some questions, though, as he was a three-time All-CIF San Diego Section kicker at Rancho Bernando High before becoming an All-Mountain West Conference standout for the Aztecs. Will the Cowboys' big gamble pay off? Quarterbacks can put up gaudy stats because of their offensive scheme; wide receivers who dominate in college can look lost in the pros. The San Diego State punter is logical and industrious in his approach to the game both on and off the field. Weight 200 pounds But, thats not all Araiza can do. I grew up playing three on three on this tiny indoor field, and thats kind of where my love for soccer and sports started. Araiza in 2021 booted 79 punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt. Araiza may be the greatest college punter of all time. And remember, the Big Punt wasnt even Araizas longest punt of the year. I loved European football, soccer. Defensive end Cameron Thomas was chosen in the third round by Arizona and tight end Daniel Bellinger went in the fourth round to the New York Giants. It was definitely a cool experience.. Now time for my prediction: I believe Matt Araiza will be selected in the later portion of Round 4, or in Round 5 of the 2022 NFL Draft. According to Brugler, scouts are not overlooking Bellinger, understanding that the lack of production is more a by-product of the offense San Diego State ran than a lack of talent and ability by Bellinger. This reinforces the significance of gross versus net punting averages. Time will tell. Could Aaron Rodgers help Christian Watson compete for hardware from the jump in Green Bay? 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 addition to his record-setting punting, he's drilled three 50-yard field goals, second most in college football, and has the fourth-longest average kickoff distance (65.0 yards). That was a huge honor, Araiza said. They'll give up some big returns, but they'll also have some giant flips of field position.". The crash took place before 3 a.m. on Jan. 15., just hours after the Bulldogs . San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is no ordinary prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. 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 | EVT caught up with, Dane Brugler, NFL Draft Analyst for The Athletic. 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. Also, a higher average yards per punt does not always mean better sometimes you want to directionally punt, so this can be misleading. April 26, 2022 7:52 am MT. As a matter of fact, he already seems to be fully embracing his new team. But since 2000, nobody has gone higher than Bryan Anger, who was picked 70th by the Jaguars in 2012. 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). In the latest CBS Sports mock draft published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. Stout was one of the top punters in this year's class and it wasn't a total shocker to see him become the first punter taken. Araiza doesnt just punt, though: He was the Aztecs place kicker before taking on double duty. Ray Guy, the only punter in the Hall of Fame, was drafted No. April 26, 2022 7:52 am, By Ted McGovern | Is MJF the Second Coming of CM Punk? Height 6 and 1 1/8 Araiza will remember that for some time to come, a perceived snub he will use as motivation. Several other three-round mock drafts have slotted Thomas from the first round to not listed. The Aztecs Punt God gained a national following for his record-setting exploits last season. Are the Bears failing Justin Fields? An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. In 2020, he dialed in 71.4%, and in 2021, he achieved 64.3%. "This is a great year for. They try to be consistent, perfecting their motion so its the same every time. r collecting 20.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks this past season. His big leg led him to being named the 2021 Ray Guy Award (nation's top punter) winner and a first-team AP All-American. But at the very least, Araiza has ensured that pro scouts will look at him, which didnt happen for him coming out of high school. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. I have a way bigger fan base because my Moms a teacher in the school district I grew up in. Araiza found a home at SDSU, not far from where he grew up. More than 300 prospects for the . , given to the best punter in college football. Former Eagles President and Browns CEO Joe Banner gave his take on how he would approach this unique prospect. March 25, 2022 5 min read. Between high school punting and a love of soccer, he developed a leg of steel that was easily the most powerful in college football this last season and beyond. Thomas will have a chance to separate himself from other edge rushers in his tier as the draft process unfolds with the combine and private team workouts to prove he belongs in one of the top 32 spots., A redshirt junior entering this season, Thomas quickly showed scouts he is a pro prospect with his play to start the season. If Araiza doesnt win this award, I will forever consider it illegitimate, and potentially commit arson at the Ray Guy Award headquarters. For whatever reason, punters have been a popular position to pick in this year's draft. Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News, for example, projects Araiza to go 174th overall to the defending AFC champion Bengals. Another attribute teams love about Thomas is his versatility to play up and down the line of scrimmage. Georgias Dominant Title Defense and a Curtain Call for the Ages, The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 1 Instant Reactions. The question mark on him will be whether he has the athleticism and the speed to hold up against quick, interior rushers in the NFL, said Brugler. To put that in perspective, there were only six punts of 70 or more yards by every NFL punter combined last season. He spent time at Qualcomm Stadium watching the San Diego Chargers, enjoying the passionate environment in person but still holding soccer in his heart. In the past 22 years, there have been several third-round selections at punter. Pro Football Network, LLC. As his team keeps winning games and his punts keep soaring over the heads of baffled punt returners, he also raises a question: Just how valuable can a punter truly be? Unlike other positions, not many teams are looking to add a rookie punter to their team, let alone willing to draft a punter with a precious draft pick. For his career, Araiza averaged 51.1 yards per punt. What happened to the Giants after Round 1? Araiza is ready and raring to go wherever the next step on his journey takes him. Araiza also played cornerback for a while. Would love your thoughts, please comment. + Show More. Three juniors, all local San Diego kids, were named to the Associated Press All-American Teams. Brugler praised Thomas lateral quickness and constant effort to get to the ball. As Matt Araiza prepares to break positional norms in the 2022 NFL Draft class, his talents as a punter can be traced back to his roots at Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego. Mountain West Football: Who Had The Most Turnover Luck In 2022? I know the type of season I put on. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? 0 Rate. To demonstrate the rarified air that the San Diego State punter is kicking in, fellow NFL Draft prospect Jake Camarda has a career-long of 68 yards. Didnt see the second one and my agent called me. Punters are an often-overlooked asset on a football squad but San Diego State punter/kicker Matt Araiza has been frequently referenced as the most talented punt prospect in recent history. Chicago took offensive tackle Zach Thomas, Camerons brother, in the sixth round. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. 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). Matt Araiza is one of the more fascinating prospects of the 2022 NFL Draft which is saying something, considering he's a punter. A kicker or punter has never finished in the top 10 of Heisman Trophy voting, but thats just because they fashioned the statue after a guy running instead of a guy punting. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. All You Touch and All You See: Dark Side of the Moon at 50. 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Smith on Skip and Kaepernick, Martin Luther King Jr., the Revolutionary With Dr. Peniel Joseph. Which teams knocked it out of the park? He was named to several First and Second All-American Teams by various national media outlets. The 2022 NFL Draft surprisingly saw just one QB taken in the first two rounds, but that doesn't doom the entire crop to irrelevance. Its not ordinary to find a punter dominating social media and football conversations across the country. By Oliver Hodgkinson January 31, 2022 Jump around this article Click to show Matt Araiza is not your average NFL Draft prospect. The relationship is not close to being statistically significant here, and the R-squared value is almost negligible. He now holds the record for single-season punt average, with 51.19 yards per punt. , posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects breaking records that spot last year $. 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