Negatives: Takes a while to get the ball off his foot. The Sporting News breaks down everything you need to know about Araiza's record-breaking season in 2021, and the elite group of punters he hopes to join who managed to leverage their collegiate career into high draft picks: Despite Araiza's incredible 2021 season, he is not expected to be among the highest-drafted punters of all time. Mock drafts will dance around the internet for the next two months they've already started and in a cozy 5th-Round spot nestled will be the name Matt Araiza because every team should want a glimpse of the field-position machete.. And if Araiza's draft stock remains at the 5th Round or lower . 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 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. Araiza was widely viewed as the top punting prospect after a 2021 college season that ended with him winning the Ray Guy award. #Bills #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/EA1iEWkdyA. Or so it seems. Araizas leg power is also demonstrated as a field goal and kickoff specialist. and that Bill Belichick is already salivating over using a second-round pick on him in the 2022 NFL Draft. Multiple punters selected in the draft are also not as rare as youd think. 1. That said, Matt Araiza is a generational talent at punter. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? Possesses a monster leg, gets tremendous hang time on punts, and allows coverage teams to get downfield and make the play. Matt Araiza Draft Stock & Draft Projection. In yesterdays game, Matt Araiza elevated his NCAA record with his 16th punt of 60+ yards this year. Matt Araiza boots 90-yard punt (!! In our heart of hearts, I can lay my head down at night knowing that Ive tried to do whats right., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, accused of being involved in the gang rape of a 17-year-old, the Bills also ignored his warnings about Araiza, Josh Allen and girlfriend Brittany Williams kiss during offseason getaway, Bills GM provides Damar Hamlin update regarding potential comeback, Bills coordinator abruptly leaves team during critical time, The favorite to win NFLs Comeback Player of the Year may surprise you, Giants QB carted off after big hit by Jets lineman, Daniel Jones needs to see big picture in Giants negotiations, Red-hot Jon Rahm no match for wind-swept Bay Hill: 'F--king hard', The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Tom Sandoval breaks silence on Ariana Madix split amid cheating claims, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. 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. He quantified the athletic ability displayed on punt return coverage with an excellent showing at the NFL Combine. At least three punters will be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft that is the prediction. He quickly became a nationally known name after delivering a 82-yard punt in the preseason. Super Bowl 2023 Daytona 500 College Basketball Rankings NBA All-Star . 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. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Talk about flipping the field. Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. But that style is outdated in the modern NFL, where the last remaining stick-slide-climb thrower is the ever-ageless Tom Brady. In the first of these predictions pieces, Matt Araiza leads a cast of at least three punters selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. 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. 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. Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead recently explained to the Athletic why that's a concern. Tracking where Matt Araiza could be drafted in the 2022 NFL mock draft. The likes of Mitch Wishnowsky and Max Duffy from recent draft classes utilized this style of punting before entering the NFL. 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. 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. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. 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. All this high school success mattered very little when it came to the recruiting process. This power was proved in the 2021 season, as he had 18 punts of 60+ yards and two of 80+ yards. He was a sixth-round pick of the team at the 2022 NFL draft. Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically . Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. | NFL All Day Pack Opening, Jimbo Fisher Isnt Leaving Texas A&M Football, New Texas State Football Coach Wont Last Long, Best PrizePicks College Football DFS Picks and Player Props for CFP National Championship, TCU vs Georgia Prediction, Odds and College Football National Championship Betting Picks, Marcus Jones Draft Profile: Stats, Highlights and 2022 NFL Draft Projection, Cameron Dicker Draft Profile: Stats, Highlights and 2022 NFL Draft Projection, How To Watch Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury In Canada, Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury LIVE! That said, it appears unlikely that Araiza will be a realistic target for them unless he somehow falls to Round 5. While a replication of Guys first-round selection is as unlikely as Pat Bradys 99-yard punt for Nevada in 1950, Araizas scouting report reveals an NFL-worthy talent who should hear his name called as early as Day 2 in the 2022 NFL Draft. 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. 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. Although he didnt participate in any all-star games, Araizas ascension has continued through the pre-draft process. All the more impressive, the 2021 season was Araiza's first taking on full-time punting duties for the Aztecs. While Araiza had decent success in landing punts inside the 20 this season, he needs to demonstrate consistency in this regard. 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. To put that in perspective, there were only six punts of 70 or more yards by every NFL punter combined last season. Colorado States Ryan Stonehouse featured just behind Araiza this year, with an average of 50.9 yards per punt. Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his 86-yard punt against San Jose State in October. I would rather draft depth at other positions, such as defensive back and linebacker, where the players can develop while contributing on special teams.. With only two defenders shooting downfield, returning teams dont have to worry as much about initial pressure up the middle and have more of an opportunity to rush the punter. Redshirting his 2018 season, Araiza learned under San Diego State kicker John Barron II. Araiza, one of the Buffalo Bills' sixth round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, boomed a . Jimmypinthe416 says: August 28, 2022 at 11:39 am Was belichik lying when he drafted Hernandez. Talk about ineptitude.) Matt Araiza came into the 2022 NFL Draft as a fan favorite. Of course, Davis didnt need to play third downs at Georgia because the damage was already done on the first two downs. 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. NFL GMs have got to love that. That hasn't happened for a punter since 2012, when Jacksonville selected Cal's . Stop by our 2nd City Gridiron YouTube channel for Bear Bones LIVE at FIVE as we get in on some mock draft fun! The temptation to declare it the greatest punting class of all time is understandable. The only question now is whether the franchise that selects him is stocked up on enough XXXXXXXXL gear. Corey Bojorquez has also shown inconsistency. As a result, theres an ever-growing feeling that his floor in the 2022 NFL Draft will be the fifth round. Araizas leg power is also demonstrated as a field goal and kickoff specialist. NFL Draft: Meet Matt Araiza, Punt God His booming kicks made fourth-and-long must-watch TV at San Diego State. They are going to have to choose between cutting their sixth round draft pick who recently won the starting punter job, or getting harassed by the fans for not cutting him. 5th Year Option Projections; Free Agency. However, this style doesnt really translate to the NFL. The Buffalo Bills released rookie punter Matt Araiza on Saturday night. Although it is important to recognize that some of these punters have not had as many seasons as others theyve competed against, some believe a player like Araiza should be one of the top NFL punters immediately upon entering the league. Matt Araiza NFL Draft projections. and 387lb (!!) All this high school success mattered very little when it came to the recruiting process. The first two punters went off the board in the fourth round with the Ravens selecting Jordan Stout and the Buccaneers taking Jake Camarda. Matt Araiza came into the 2022 NFL Draft as a fan favorite. 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. I didnt know the positions or what roles they played. Matt Araiza, punter, San Diego State . 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. 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. DBs and Specialists. 174) - 1. , given to the best punter in college football. Punt God. Think thats an exaggeration? Incredible run. 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 . Punter Bryan Anger famously went five picks before Russell Wilson in 2012 with the 70th overall pick. 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. 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? Carson Strong has a great arm but teams will worry about his injury history. I am sure he is very upset and disappointed that his career with the Bills ended not because he played poorly but because of false allegations leveled against him by a young lady and her attorney, Araizas lawyer, Kerry Armstrong, told the AP. They call him Punt God. 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. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the.