ET. What Matt Araiza did in college football was revolutionary from a position where it's tough to disrupt how the game is played. In reality, he is an offensive weapon, the kind that ra-ra football coaches . Ray Guy is the only punter to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. 12.0Matt Araiza, SDSU (48 Punts)Inside 20 63%Inside 10 27%Touchback 29%Avg. When Araiza was younger, his brother took him out to a local field with some footballs and let him kick away. Araizas leg strength is remarkable; however, he will need to cut down on the power in certain instances to further achieve NFL success. All Rights Reserved. But he still wasnt punting. But Araiza took a while to realize that kicking was his path. These were certified piss missiles not to be confused with lucky bounces and rolls. That motor really helps him frequently make tackles away from the line of scrimmage that a lot of defensive ends just dont make. But, thats not all Araiza can do. Above is a plot of the average. Bills get the Punt God in the SIXTH ROUND. 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. Except, maybe Araiza himself. 40-yard time 4.68 seconds There are times where he gets crossed up in pass protection, and his feet get a little stuck in the mud, something Brugler saw on tape against Utah and Arizona, two Power 5 opponents the Aztecs played this year. Somehow, hes close to the best in the nation at all three. 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. Matthew Ryan Araiza (born May 16, 2000) is an American football punter who is a free agent. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. 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. 0 Rate. Teams are not drafting you based on what you have done, notes Brugler. SOMEONE GET ME A TABLE!! Mountain West Football: Who Had The Most Turnover Luck In 2022? Want to hang out Saturday night? Its been huge to have that impact on my home town as well. Brugler assesses that Araiza, the top punter in the draft, will likely be a Day 3 draftee (rounds four through seven) and could go early in Day 3 depending on how impressive he performs during team workouts. While that makes him significantly less employable as an NFL kickerif a righty kicker gets hurt, teams would never reach out to a lefty for tryouts, since its complicated to have a holder relearn how to get the snap down in reverseit makes him significantly more employable as a punter, as its believed that lefty punters put reverse spin on the ball that makes it tougher to catch. Araiza was chosen with the first pick in the sixth round, the 180th pick overall. Hes averaging 54.0 yards per punt, which would smash the NCAA and NFL records51.0 in college and 51.4 in the NFL, the latter set by Slingin Sammy Baugh in 1940. Few could have seen this meteoric rise to success. With the new changes to the touchback rules, pretty much every kickoff is a touchback. I knew I just had to figure out a few things, dial in a few things, get some consistency and adjust to the college operation time. Plus Stetson and Duggan as Pros With Trent Dilfer (Bonus Episode). The junior punter-placekicker from San Diego State is headed to the Buffalo Bills after being chosen Saturday with the first pick in the sixth round of the annual NFL Draft. The San Diego State punter is logical and industrious in his approach to the game both on and off the field. Achieving a historic 12-win season and earning a spot in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 Rankings brought many advantages for the San Diego State Aztecs. 2:39 pm ET. Even now, on the precipice of turning professional, there is still the glint of pursuing soccer in the eyes of the San Diego State punter. Araiza managed six punts over 70 yards and two in excess of 80 yards. They try to be consistent, perfecting their motion so its the same every time. With its great weather, miles of sandy beaches, and major attractions, San Diego is known worldwide as one of the best tourist destinations and a great place for residents to relax year round. 18 San Diego State at Boise State, Aztecs have plenty to play for at Boise State, even after clinching Mountain West title, 3 thoughts: No. published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. There have been first-round punters in the past, most recently in 1979. 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. Most punters dont achieve that distance in a career. Using AV from Pro-Football-Reference, this somewhat normalizes the impact of a punter on his team. While punter prospects arent rare theyre more commonplace than youd expect no prospect at the position has captured the imagination with a mastery of their craft quite like the San Diego State standout. Camarda was not even a semifinalist for the award, not that pro scouts necessarily concern themselves with such things. This punter would make the average opponent worse than the 2021 Jets, who score on 22.1 percent of their drives. Big, big leg. County of San Diego; State of California; Federal . It was awesome. Is Araiza the Punter That Was Promised? in this draft class last month and says teams view him as a second-round prospect. 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. His 39 punts of over 50 yards are a single-season NCAA record, as are his 18 punts of over 60 yards. Although there's some concern that Araiza's booming punts could lead to him outkicking his coverage, San Diego State seemed to do just fine covering his punts. I know what Im going to bring to the Bills, and Id rather be on my new team than any other team in the NFL, so lets ride. Brugler praised Thomas lateral quickness and constant effort to get to the ball. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. He ran track as an underclassman at Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, and recently told the Union-Tribune that the hurdles helped his footwork on punting. But thats only half-true: Araiza is also statistically the most talented punter prospect of all time. 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According to PFF, Dunkle registered a 38.0 pass-blocking grade and committed two penalties against Arizona and a 55.6 grade against Utah the following week on 18 pass opportunities in each game. He was the San Diego sectional kicker of the year in all three years he kicked, and broke the county record for career field goals. Bellinger began training with Jeremy Holt, Owner of AthELITE Performance, yesterday in Music City, USA, along with tight ends Chase Allen (Iowa State) and Jake Ferguson (Wisconsin) in preparation for the NFL Draft. During his freshman and sophomore years he was put in charge of placekicking and kickoffs; very few schools let one player kick, punt, and handle kickoffs. With Camarda now in Tampa, that likely spells the end of Bradley Pinion's three-year run with the. It wasn't surprising that San Diego State punter Matt Araiza lasted until the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, where the Buffalo Bills chose Araiza. We have a ton of connections and basically a ton of people rooting for me on Saturdays which was really fun.. Im excited for change. And starting this fall, San Diego State also tasked Araiza with doing the thing that he was put on this earth to do: punt the football. (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. John Stark from Florida State made it into the second round, way back in 1982. 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. 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. He is also highly accurate as a punter, with 37 of his 79 punts (46.8%) landing inside the opponents 20-yard line in 2021 against just 15 touchbacks. 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! Hes also redefining how valuable punters can really be. It wasnt surprising that San Diego State punter Matt Araiza lasted until the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, where the Buffalo Bills chose Araiza. Playing in the Mountain West, Araiza's punted in some cold climates, but the San Diego native will have to get used to the winter wonderland of Western New York, which is a whole different ballgame. Gennaro Filice provides draft grades for each NFC East team. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Bucky Brooks highlights 10 perfect rookie-team fits from the 2022 NFL Draft. Ten years from now well know the truth. That was something I never saw coming. But colleges dont scout kickers based on who makes the most high school field goals; they scout guys who come recommended by kicking coaches, who often assess only players who paid to go to their camps. 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. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. Vertical jump 32 More than 300 prospects for the . I would rather draft depth at other positions, such as defensive back and linebacker, where the players can develop while contributing on special teams.. The Aztecs are playing for the Mountain West title Saturday and Araiza was going to have a big role again. 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. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. San Diego State's Matt Araiza put in a historic year. And, thats kind of where the ability with my feet come from.. Former Saints punter Thomas Morstead recently explained to the Athletic why that's a concern. Punters dont try to make highlights. Copyright 2019-2023. pic.twitter.com/8W8mTfGHTj. 130) and Georgia's Jake Camarda to the Buccaneers (fourth round, No. We released a jersey with a company out of San Diego and to see those jerseys in the stands, was crazy to me. Araiza also boomed an 86-yard punt last season, which was the longest in college football. The reality is that Araiza is one of a kind, hence the nicknames Anomaly and Punt God.. Which teams knocked it out of the park? That was probably the year that started all this momentum towards success on the football field.. Height 6 and 1 1/8 He could have even pursued a career in track after setting high school records in the 110m and 300m hurdles at Rancho Bernardo High School. Stout was among three finalists for the 2021 Ray Guy Award that went to Araiza as the nations top collegiate punter. Maybe hell hit one 90 yards this week! That shows up when he has to make a tackle. Youd think the players at Air Force would be used to dealing with airborne projectiles, but the punt returner just watched as the ball flew over his head. He was named to several First and Second All-American Teams by various national media outlets. The 2022 NFL Draft is in the rearview. How high is his ceiling at the NFL level? What was surprising even shocking, to some is that two punters were selected Saturday ahead of Araiza. Sorry, I cantPunt God is playing Fresno State on CBS Sports Network at 10:30 p.m. + Show More. His selection will depend more on his hangtime and ability to prevent big returns than his record-setting statsin the NFL, returners are faster and better, and might be able to get under the balls that are flying over college players heads. In the case that his placekicks were returned, which was the exception and not the rule (84.93% touchback rate in 2021), he had an uncanny knack for then taking down the receiver, thanks in part to his high school track skills. The crash took place before 3 a.m. on Jan. 15., just hours after the Bulldogs . 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. 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. Only two punters since 1982 were drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft; Rohn Stark with the 34th pick in 1982 by the Baltimore Colts and Todd Sauerbrun with the 56th pick in 1995 by the Chicago Bears. However, for all the pomp and ballyhoo surrounding the special teams immortal, he was the third punter selected in the draft, following Penn State's Jordan Stout to the Ravens (fourth round, No. 18 Aztecs collapse in final minutes, fall at Boise State, Game preview: No. He's hit more 60-yard punts this year than anyone ever. A story of soccer to San Diego, from punter to Punt God. Should he be the Mountain West Player of the Year? An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. But if the Aztecs go undefeated, and Araiza remains their most valuable player, shouldnt he get something more? Hand size 9 1/2 But since 2000, nobody has gone higher than Bryan Anger, who was picked 70th by the Jaguars in 2012. All four players have the talent to compete and excel at the next level. But a few plays didn't quite go . Braden Mann, the punter who previously held the FBS record with a 50.98 average, was drafted by the New York Jets in the 6th round in 2020. Per the report, police implicated Carter in street racing, which . I knew with punting, I was only a couple of adjustments away from what I did this last year. . I remember seeing a hypothetical at some point in the past few years: If you were an NFL general manager, would you use a first-round draft pick on a magical punter who could pin every single punt within the opposing 5-yard line? Banners rationale is driven by the notion of replacement value. His, was better than many who are projected to be high draft selections, including. But Matt didnt have dreams of special teams stardom. 2022 NFL Draft, Matt Araiza, Mountain West Football, San Diego State Football, Mountain West Football, NCAAF, NFL Draft, San Diego State, 2023 NFL Combine: Preview, Schedule, How To Watch. Araiza had the seasons longest punt, 86 yards against San Jose State. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. This reinforces the significance of gross versus net punting averages. John Stark from Florida State made it into the second round, way back in 1982. Can Chris Olave revitalize the Saints' aerial attack? SIGN UP NOW: $1,000 risk-free on FanDuel Sportsbook! The Jets and Giants put on quite a show, while a couple of marquee teams raised eyebrows. The NFL scouting combine an intense and significant event in the pre-draft process is underway in Indianapolis. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. Although Araiza saw plenty of action at San Diego State, he might not see the field much in Buffalo. Arm length 30 1/2 His worse pass-blocking grade came the next week against Towson, registering a 34.3 grade on 26 passing opportunities. Stout will likely end up replacing the longtime Ravens punter, who turns 40 in August. Now that hes finally showing off his best skill, hes immediately emerged as a punting legend. A two-star recruit who was ranked as the 19th kicker in the class, he could have elevated his profile at one of the big-name kicking camps. Araiza could have pursued soccer as a career. 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. I recognize that my train of thought may be different from the rest of the league. Brugler predicts Bellinger will be the second San Diego State player drafted (after Cameron Thomas). Brugler ranked Thomas as the 7th-best edge rusher in this draft class last month and says teams view him as a second-round prospect. John Harbaugh is a former special teams coach and he has a better eye for punters and kickers than any other head coach in the NFL, so if he wanted Stout, you can bet he liked his punting style more than he liked Araiza's booming style. 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. Yes, thats right Araiza truly flipped the field for the Aztecs, changing the line-of-scrimmage from their own 11-yard-line to the 3-yard-line of the Spartans. They attend expensive camps and begin perfecting their form. San Diego State Aztecs punter Matt Araiza has been the talk of the college football universe this season, with his ridiculous distance and precision playing a major role in San Diego State's victories. He had an excellent showing in the combine, punting with stunning accuracy before impressing attendees with his sprinting. Hed be worthy of going first. With the 2022 NFL Draft in the books, Adam Schein breaks down what he loved and loathed from the league's Vegas venture. He. These traits make for an incredibly impressive athlete, but how would he test at the NFL Combine? To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. He spent time at Qualcomm Stadium watching the San Diego Chargers, enjoying the passionate environment in person but still holding soccer in his heart. 0. [Scouts] see the traits, says Brugler. In the fourth round, Baltimore selected Penn State Punter Jordan Stout with the 130th overall pick. While Trenton Thompson has not been invited to either of the four end of season all-star bowl games, he will look to impress scouts throughout the draft process, starting with San Diego States pro day, annually held in March. Araiza seems like he's going to be a good fit in Buffalo. That motor really helps him frequently make tackles away from the line of scrimmage that a lot of defensive ends just dont make. He was named to several First and Second All-American Teams by various national media outlets. When we spoke on Tuesday night, Araiza called kicking a football really hard the greatest feeling. In addition to punting, he handles placekicking and kickoff duties for San Diego State. He has incredible poise and does not lose his cool and, for much of the 2021 season, led special teams in tackles. I loved European football, soccer. Kicking? Something I hadnt really told anyone yet is if my professional football career ends and I still have a bit of gas in the tank, Im going to go out and try to play semi-pro soccer somewhere. Middle Tennessee State punter Kyle Ulbrich is . I know how I did at the Pro Day. All these coaches have an opinion of their own and like to make their own decisions, Araiza said. When asked if there were any other Aztec players with potential draft stock, Brugler named left tackle Zach Thomas and running back Greg Bell as two guys who have a shot to be late-round picks or priority free agents (PFA). But Araiza described them to me as not being fun or real football. As a result, he stayed close to home, a decision that has meant more to him than he ever knew. These sites are not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with with these teams or institutions. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! As a field goal kicker, his completion percentage went down each college season. Another attribute teams love about Thomas is his versatility to play up and down the line of scrimmage. And opponents often have to go 90 yards against that incredible defense, because of Araizas amazing punts. Special teams coaches will want to see his mechanics, how quick hes able to transition, how the ball comes off his leg, the power that he has in person. , our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. 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. 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