What makes me a top prospect in this year's draft is my ability to aggressively attack the ball, play smart football, and contribute a relentless work ethic to make my team better. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. 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. But the biggest question about Harden remainsand it wont be answered until the playoffs. Somehow, were both getting what we want. 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. Nonetheless, the "Punt God" is headed to the AFC East champions. I know my personal traits as an athlete, as a football player, as the leading tackler of a top 25 special teams unit. That was a fun year, and also the year I broke the record for field goals. Watch where Araiza ends up on this play! He was named to several First and Second All-American Teams by various national media outlets. [Scouts] see the traits, says Brugler. He now holds the NCAA records for punting average in a season (51.19), punts over 50 yards (39), and punts over 60 yards (18). Maybe some preferred right-footed kickers over guys like Araiza, a Rancho Bernardo High alum who is left-footed. But how high, exactly, can we expect a team to take Araiza, winner of the 2021 Ray Guy Award? Matthew Ryan Araiza (born May 16, 2000) is an American football punter who is a free agent. 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? At the end of Araizas senior season at Rancho Bernardo, he hadnt gotten any scholarship offers, and was still considering soccer as a pathway to his future. Chicago took offensive tackle Zach Thomas, Camerons brother, in the sixth round. SDSU ranks 117th out of 130 teams in offensive SP+, but its winning anyway because it dominates field position and keeps opponents off the scoreboard. Bellinger recently signed with JB Sports, Inc., the same agency that represents, Dunkle declared for the NFL Draft after finishing the season with a. , the highest by an offensive lineman since Pro Football Focus (PFF) began tracking the metric. What I was asked to do was different from a skill set (perspective) than maybe other players have. Highest Punter Ever Drafted Russell Erxleben was drafted No. . Is MJF the Second Coming of CM Punk? 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. For his career, Araiza averaged 51.1 yards per punt. But a few plays didn't quite go . Gennaro Filice provides draft grades for each NFC North team. However, his pass-blocking steadily improved throughout the final ten games of the season, and he finished with a. Leodalis De Vries, the next international star for Padres? 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. The draft was held May 3-4, 1979, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, New York. 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. Soccer was, for sure, the first sport I wanted to play professionally. Not only did he lead the nation in punting average with an FBS-record 51.4 yards per punt, but he also had six punts of at least 70 yards in 2021, which was the most in the country. Theyre rooting for wins; Im happiest when the offense goes three-and-out at its own 8-yard line so Araiza has maximum space to punt. Araiza could have pursued soccer as a career. Araiza served as SDSU's placekicker while he was in college, so he's never had to hold. Somehow, hes close to the best in the nation at all three. He was named to several First and Second All-American Teams by various national media outlets. No one in our family had control over that. It was definitely a cool experience.. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? Want to hang out Saturday night? Well, that was just a way onto the football roster. His older brother has long thought so. The former San Diego State punter didn't get selected until the Bills made him the first pick of the sixth round (180th overall). The NCAA record holder is extremely familiar with breaking records. 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. 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. In the season opener against New Mexico State, Araiza boomed a 77-yarder. 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. Punters dont try to make highlights. Araiza can literally flip the field. This is no better illustrated than noting that he achieved TWO 80+ yard punts. 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. Stout was among three finalists for the 2021 Ray Guy Award that went to Araiza as the nations top collegiate punter. Hes going to make stops at all different points of the field, said Brugler. 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. From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. But then came the 50-, 60-, 70-. The Bills' selection at No. released on November 30, 2021, Brugler slotted Thomas to the Dallas Cowboys with the 25th pick of the first round, adding, Thomas has been nearly unblockable this season for the Aztecs, currently leading college football with 72 pressures., Thomas won the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year afte. Time will tell. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza has created a loyal following with his ridiculously strong leg. In reality, he is an offensive weapon, the kind that ra-ra football coaches . All four players have the talent to compete and excel at the next level. Not only did Matt Araiza launch a punt, but he also made the tackle (via @CBSSportsNet) #ForTheBrand | @PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/r1BvgmKKjS. The Punter That Was Promised has arrivedwell be seeing his highlights for years to come. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. Behind guard Max Rices 12 straight points at the end, host Broncos score the games final 14 in the final five minutes to stun Aztecs, Stats and storylines to watch on Tuesday night, when San Diego State takes on Boise State at ExtraMile Arena, San Diego State sits on the cusp of a No. Araiza will be selected early on Day Two, if not late in the first round. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. Specialists often aren't taken until. Hed be worthy of going first. San Diego State hosts Fresno State on Saturday night. 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. There has been one 80-plus-yard punt in the NFL in 2021, by Green Bays Corey Bojorquez. Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr rank each franchise's class, from No. 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. Pat McAfee later called the Big Punt a Piss Missile, which is just about the highest honor a punter can receive. All the more impressive, the 2021 season was Araiza's first taking on full-time punting duties for the Aztecs. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. The signing bonus in that spot last year was $240,152. 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. With the 2022 NFL Draft in the books, Adam Schein breaks down what he loved and loathed from the league's Vegas venture. Matt Araiza is a certifiable weapon. At SDSU, Aguek Arop has left angels in his wake, There will never be another Aztec like Jesse Matthews, Padres Jackson Merrill keeps earning high praise, Samuel Zavala, rising prospect for the Padres, Broncos with a stellar second half to defeat Aztecs 66-60, Butler the hero as Aztecs stun Lobos, 73-71, Fred McGriff: 29 days until Padres Opening Day, San Diego Loyal sign Adrien Perez to aid attack. 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. 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. 0. His, was better than many who are projected to be high draft selections, including. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. It's not clear why Araiza dropped all the way down to the sixth round, but there are plenty of theories. 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. Are the Bears failing Justin Fields? 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. Pat McAfee, all that stuff was hilarious, seeing some of the memes were really funny, the nicknames, all that stuff. The first specialist chosen was LSU kicker Cade York, who went to Cleveland in the fourth round, six picks before Stout was taken. Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News, for example, projects Araiza to go 174th overall to the defending AFC champion Bengals. I loved European football, soccer. Who failed to address serious needs? If you look at his numbers, it's pretty clear that Araiza has one of the strongest legs of any punting prospect in NFL history. Will another aggressive draft by Mickey Loomis pay off for the Saints? Will the Cowboys' big gamble pay off? Its been a huge honor.. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. That shows up when he has to make a tackle. Stout was slightly ahead of him at 44.5 while Camarda was well below both guys at 41.6. 180 overall pick in the sixth round on Saturday. County of San Diego; State of California; Federal . Araiza doesnt just punt, though: He was the Aztecs place kicker before taking on double duty. When Araiza was younger, his brother took him out to a local field with some footballs and let him kick away. In 2021, the Bills only punted a total of 52 times, which was tied for the fifth-lowest total in the NFL. Hand size 9 1/2 at These traits make for an incredibly impressive athlete, but how would he test at the NFL Combine? Ray Guy, for whom a college football award is named, was a first-round pick in 1973. Its a loaded defensive end class, Brugler said. No other punter. Araiza seems like he's going to be a good fit in Buffalo. The crash took place before 3 a.m. on Jan. 15., just hours after the Bulldogs . 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. By earning the moniker Punt God, attracting the attention of Pat McAfee, and winning the Ray Guy Award, Araiza has elevated punting to national attention while putting himself in the NFL shop window. By submitting your email, you agree to our. Can Chris Olave revitalize the Saints' aerial attack? SOMEONE GET ME A TABLE!! Spent pretty much countless hours at that field with my Dad, just practicing all different types of stuff for soccer. The draft was held May 34, 1979, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, New York. But Araiza has a rocket launcher for a leg, so for him consistency is making highlights. Yes, he was already on pace to set the all-time yards-per-punt record, and yes, Araiza had hit an 86-yard punt the week before. The San Diego State punter capped off his final season at the college level with the ultimate honor for a college punter, the Ray Guy Award. One of those is national recognition for its most talented players who caught the eyes of NFL scouts looking for the next great professional prospect. In an interview earlier this month, Araiza told The San Diego Union-Tribune that in practice he sometimes boots the ball 68 yards in the air. Dunkle also earned First Team All-American by Pro Football Network and Second Team All-American by the Associated Press. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, the highest he is projected to go is in the fifth round picks 144 through 179. He has shown that he can line up on the inside shade of the guard, and he can win on the interior because he has that quickness, said Brugler. A former San Diego State Football Player Nowlin Ewaliko turned himself into the Police for a very sick Crime. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The Raiders drafted him with the 23rd pick in 1973. 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. Hes quick to find the football, and hes always in pursuit mode.. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. John Stark from Florida State made it into the second round, way back in 1982. Brugler predicts Bellinger will be the second San Diego State player drafted (after Cameron Thomas). You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 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. 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. Soon after San Diego State's bowl win in December, Araiza declared early for the drafta rarity for a punterand began the transition from player to prospect. Averaging 51.19 yards per punt, Araiza is the all-time single-season average punt distance leader. 10-yard split time 1.61 seconds 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. They are drafting you based on what they think you will do.. His worse pass-blocking grade came the next week against Towson, registering a 34.3 grade on 26 passing opportunities. To generate that fan base was a really cool experience and it was awesome to see. Dunkle also earned First Team All-American by Pro Football Network and Second Team All-American by the Associated Press. The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. When it comes to punters, the bigger surprise is that the Buccaneers took Camarda over Araiza. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. Bell will need to distinguish himself throughout the draft process if he wants to earn a shot at impressing a team and a spot in training camp. But Matt didnt have dreams of special teams stardom. That was somewhat of a goal. Patriots coach Bill Belichick famously fetishizes lefty puntershe probably has a hard drive full of Araiza clips lying around his office. Free shipping for many products! April 26, 2022 7:52 am MT. An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. He has 28 punts of 50-plus yards; the NCAA record is 32, set in 1994. For whatever reason, punters have been a popular position to pick in this year's draft. 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 dude has an absolute howitzer for a left leg, one that booted the ball 90 yards in the effing air on Saturday night in Hawaii. The Punt God is averaging far more yards per punt than Anger did his senior year. Over the past half-decade, 12 punters have been drafted. All four players have the talent to compete and excel at the next level. While praising Bell for his vision and ability to find the cutback lane, he highlights the struggles in pass protection and ball security. As a matter of fact, he already seems to be fully embracing his new team. Bills get the Punt God in the SIXTH ROUND. !, the nickname Araiza was given during his record-breaking 2021 season. But the answer is simple: yes. They'll give up some big returns, but they'll also have some giant flips of field position.". This might have been due to a tendency by head coach Brady Hoke to put him in aggressive scoring situations, asking Araiza to attempt many tries from 40 yards and beyond in later seasons (he was 3-of-9 from 50+ yards in 2021). Which teams knocked it out of the park? 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. Some games you get a bunch of short field goals, he says. These were certified piss missiles not to be confused with lucky bounces and rolls. In the past 25 years, the highest-drafted punter was Bryan Anger, selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 70th pick in the 3rd round. Diverse team following across multiple sports leagues, but Aztecs come first in college athletics. Araiza had the seasons longest punt, 86 yards against San Jose State. 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. In the NFL, teams have to be able to trust you, and those are two issues that are going to hurt him throughout the process, said Brugler. He has shown that he can line up on the inside shade of the guard, and he can win on the interior because he has that quickness, said Brugler. Its been huge to have that impact on my home town as well. Brugler praised Thomas lateral quickness and constant effort to get to the ball. The earliest a punter has been selected over that period was the fourth round, the Niners selecting Mitch Wishnowsky. 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. to gain some insight on how teams are evaluating the Aztecs enrollees as the draft process is set to begin. San Diego States Matt Araiza is having the greatest punting season in college football history. But, thats not all Araiza can do. But as soon as Araiza started kicking, it became clear that he had a gift for it. How high is his ceiling at the NFL level? Even if we factor in returns and touchbacks, Araiza is on pace for history: SDSUs net punting average is 46.7 yards per punt; since the NCAA started including touchbacks in net punting average, no team has been better than 45.0. 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. So whats his potential in the 2022 NFL Draft? Banners rationale is driven by the notion of replacement value. 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. That motor really helps him frequently make tackles away from the line of scrimmage that a lot of defensive ends just dont make. Copyright 2019-2023. 0 Comment. The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere Is a Slick Reminder of What Makes Mando Work, What We Learned From Testing, and a Bahrain GP Preview. The first two punters went off the board in the fourth round with the Ravens selecting Jordan Stout and the Buccaneers taking Jake Camarda. 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. 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. Im excited to go to a winning team, Super Bowl favorites, that will be awesome, Ariaza said by phone after the draft. He's hit more 60-yard punts this year than anyone ever. If a team is uncomfortable with your holding skills, that could absolutely lead you to dropping in the draft. Avid sports fan and historian of basketball, baseball, football and soccer. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. Gennaro Filice provides draft grades for each NFC South team. At the time, a young Araiza couldnt have imagined becoming a national punting icon. 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. Obviously, one of the benefits in my decision to pick San Diego State was being close to home. 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. 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. Araiza set a number of ALL-TIME records in this past season, and the lefty has shown that punters can be tough as nails to boot. published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. A story of soccer to San Diego, from punter to Punt God. H, es going to make stops at all different points of the field, said Brugler. Aztecs head coach Brady Hoke recently said that Araiza is the teams MVP. Matt Araiza is not your average NFL Draft prospect. Thomas has been a really solid player for [SDSU], Brugler said. 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. (Derrick Tuskan / San Diego State Athletics), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, College baseball wrapup: USD right-hander James Sashin reaping rewards for persistence and hard work, Aztecs QB Jalen Mayden gets full offseason to grow in starting role, College baseball weekend: Tony Gwynn Legacy event a reminder of Hall of Famers legendary life, Aztecs looking for feedback from football season-ticket holders, Aztecs announce executive staff hire at transformative moment for schools athletic department, Aztecs begin offseason drills with a spring in their step, No. The San Diego, California native has a. as the Aztecs kicker. Most punters dont achieve that distance in a career. San Diego. In the latest. In this years tight end class, Brugler ranked Ferguson 12th, one spot higher than Bellinger. Foot meets ball; fireworks ensue. . section: | slug: 2022-nfl-draft-shocker-bills-land-punt-god-matt-araiza-who-surprisingly-gets-taken-behind-two-other-punters | sport: football | route: article_single.us | This season, hes put it to devastating use week in and week out. By Oliver Hodgkinson January 31, 2022 Jump around this article Click to show Matt Araiza is not your average NFL Draft prospect. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is no ordinary prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. Normally punters arent stars of undefeated teams, but Araiza is an exception. This reinforces the significance of gross versus net punting averages. Really dependable ball skills. I know what I bring to the NFL. As for being the third punter drafted? I already know Ill be playing one of the those teams (at Baltimore) this upcoming season. The Buffalo Bills selected San Diego State punter Matt Araiza with the first pick of the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft on Saturday. 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 | I remember having some coaches pull me to the side and told me, Hey, if you take football seriously, with your leg you have a lot of potential. Only one punter, Pressley Harvin III, was drafted last year, taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 254th pick (7th round). Whats his potential in the sixth round, was better than many who are to... Breaks down what he loved and loathed from the line of scrimmage that a lot of defensive just. Normally punters arent stars of undefeated teams, but there are plenty of theories is 32, set 1994! He 's never had to hold athlete, but how high, exactly, can we a... A popular position to pick in the draft was held May 3-4, 1979, the... Kicking, it became clear that he achieved TWO 80+ yard punts Jump this... 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