ET. In reality, he is an offensive weapon, the kind that ra-ra football coaches . That motor really helps him frequently make tackles away from the line of scrimmage that a lot of defensive ends just dont make. Brugler praised Thomas lateral quickness and constant effort to get to the ball. [Scouts] see the traits, says Brugler. Waring caught 31 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, almost identical to Bellingers final season. Pat McAfee, all that stuff was hilarious, seeing some of the memes were really funny, the nicknames, all that stuff. Whats legacy, anyway? 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 | 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. Dan Hanzus takes stock of the NFL hierarchy with his post-draft Power Rankings. 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. Its been huge to have that impact on my home town as well. Foot meets ball; fireworks ensue. Broad jump 10 and 1 (or 121). The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. Araiza addressed the issue at the NFL Combine and SDSUs Pro Day, where he boomed punts that had a hang time as much as 5.3 seconds (the NFL average is 4.3 seconds). Of the 27 punters drafted in the past 15 seasons, just six of these players have made a Pro Bowl these six punters only made one Pro Bowl each. Just three years ago, another Aztec tight end with limited production in his collegiate career, Kahale Warring, was drafted by the Houston Texans with the 86th pick (3rd round) in the NFL Draft. 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. Sorry, I cantPunt God is playing Fresno State on CBS Sports Network at 10:30 p.m. Matt Araiza, Punt God of the 2022 NFL Draft, The Ray Guy Award caps off an unprecedented season, Staying at home for college, and making an impact on San Diego, Next Page: From struggles to NFL Draft ascension. 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? In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. 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. Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. The announcers were astounded. The reality is that Araiza is one of a kind, hence the nicknames Anomaly and Punt God.. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is no ordinary prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. . An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. did he lead the nation in punting average, McCarthy discusses taking over Cowboys' play-calling, Brett Favre welfare funds scandal explained, Reich says Carr 'checks a lot of boxes' after meeting, Lewan explains why Titans put his things in trash bags, Cardinals hire ND's all-time rushing leader as RB coach, Commanders GM: Howell has every chance to win QB job. Yet, hed only punted in one game prior to this season. No other punter. Stout was slightly ahead of him at 44.5 while Camarda was well below both guys at 41.6. Middle Tennessee State punter Kyle Ulbrich is . A story of soccer to San Diego, from punter to Punt God. Brugler predicts Bellinger will be the second San Diego State player drafted (after Cameron Thomas). The crash took place before 3 a.m. on Jan. 15., just hours after the Bulldogs . Welcome to Buffalo, @Matt_Araiza! . The only other times it happened came in 1993 and 2007. 40-yard time 4.68 seconds With the 2022 NFL Draft in the books, Adam Schein breaks down what he loved and loathed from the league's Vegas venture. 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). Labeled the "Punt God," Araiza set an NCAA record with a 51.2-yard average on his punts in 2021. 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. Hes going to make stops at all different points of the field, said Brugler. Should he be the Mountain West Player of the Year? Its a loaded defensive end class, Brugler said. 8 min read. Hand size 9 1/2 Not only has he shown his prowess as a punter, but Coach Maalouf adds he kicked off as well and was good at it. pic.twitter.com/8W8mTfGHTj. The earliest a punter has been selected over that period was the fourth round, the Niners selecting Mitch Wishnowsky. Bellingers seasonal production did not overtly scream NFL caliber tight end, finishing 2021 with 31 receptions for 357 yards and only two touchdowns. The first two punters went off the board in the fourth round with the Ravens selecting Jordan Stout and the Buccaneers taking Jake Camarda. A hundred percent, a hundred percent, said Araiza, who watched the draft from home with family and friends. In the past 22 years, there have been several third-round selections at punter. Is Araiza the Punter That Was Promised? Thomas won the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year after collecting 20.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks this past season. At the time, a young Araiza couldnt have imagined becoming a national punting icon. A legitimate question is: Can Matt Araiza also be selected in the first round? He now holds the record for single-season punt average, with 51.19 yards per punt. Who does Brady Hoke think is the MVP of the undefeated @AztecFB ?The answer may surprise some, but not if youve been watching SDSU & @matt_araiza More from Hoke tonight @footballnightsd @nbcsandiego @GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/6Vh3f56Ms7. No one in our family had control over that. Patriots coach Bill Belichick famously fetishizes lefty puntershe probably has a hard drive full of Araiza clips lying around his office. One theory on why he fell is because he's never held for extra point or field goals. The Aztecs Punt God gained a national following for his record-setting exploits last season. Around 20 minutes north of San Diego State University lies North County Soccer Park. 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. 21 UCLA women top ASU in OT in Pac 12 opener 81-70, Irving senses Mavs urgency in new star pairing with Doncic. 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. Their first three selections are Nos. 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. The first specialist chosen was LSU kicker Cade York, who went to Cleveland in the fourth round, six picks before Stout was taken. San Diego States Matt Araiza is the third punter in school history selected in the NFL Draft. 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. While praising Bell for his vision and ability to find the cutback lane, he highlights the struggles in pass protection and ball security. But how have other drafted punters panned out in the NFL? His worse pass-blocking grade came the next week against Towson, registering a 34.3 grade on 26 passing opportunities. These were certified piss missiles not to be confused with lucky bounces and rolls. 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. Ray Guy, the only punter in the Hall of Fame, was drafted No. Pro Football Network, LLC. Chicago took offensive tackle Zach Thomas, Camerons brother, in the sixth round. 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. "The coach I had for my first eight years in New Orleans, if I hit a punt over 55 yards, he was mad," Morstead said. And, I was the only sophomore on the team at that time. April 26, 2022 7:52 am, By Ted McGovern | But, thats not all Araiza can do. Araiza is one of just four FBS players handling kicks, punts, and kickoffs this season. Only two punters have been drafted in the second round: Todd Sauerbrun (Chicago, 1995) and Rohn Stark (Baltimore, 1982). Bellingers seasonal production did not overtly scream NFL caliber tight end, finishing 2021 with 31 receptions for 357 yards and only two touchdowns. Camarda was not even a semifinalist for the award, not that pro scouts necessarily concern themselves with such things. So, what's next for this group -- in 2022 and beyond? NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! If Araiza doesnt win this award, I will forever consider it illegitimate, and potentially commit arson at the Ray Guy Award headquarters. Who failed to address serious needs? , given to the best punter in college football. 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. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, the highest he is projected to go is in the fifth round picks 144 through 179. 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. Did anyone nail their first three picks more than the Eagles? Specialists often arent taken until the drafts later rounds. 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. 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. A fourth player, senior Daniel Bellinger, also took the next step in his career rather than return to SDSU for a super senior season. 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. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? Araiza should win the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the nations best punter. Above is a plot of the average Approximate Value (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. 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. This reinforces the significance of gross versus net punting averages. 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. Matt Araiza had two punts of more than 80 yards last season, including an 86-yarder that was the longest punt in college football.He might be able to punt a football from San Diego to Buffalo. published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop. Gennaro Filice provides draft grades for each NFC East team. These traits make for an incredibly impressive athlete, but how would he test at the NFL Combine? NFL Draft Profile: Rhys Byrns, Punter, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns. These traits make for an incredibly impressive athlete, but how would he test at the NFL Combine? This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. 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. 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. "For a specialist, it's so random," Araiza said. (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. I just mean Matt Araiza out of San Diego State is maybe the best punter Ive seen in my lifetime and, yet, Baltimore likes Stout., And after Camarda was selected: Am I the only one Araizas the guy we all focused in on.. Araiza in 2021 booted 79 punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt. Given the recent trends of where punters have been drafted, it would make sense for Araiza to be selected on Day 3 since only Bryan Anger has been taken before then in the past 15 years. During his high school career, he set the CIF section record for field goals and was named the CIF Kicker of the Year three times. Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. But thats only half-true: Araiza is also statistically the most talented punter prospect of all time. A story of soccer to San Diego, from punter to Punt God. The relationship is not close to being statistically significant here, and the R-squared value is almost negligible. Georgias Dominant Title Defense and a Curtain Call for the Ages, The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 1 Instant Reactions. Where most players have a left leg, the San Diego product has what can only be described as a cannon. I wonder whether at some point they will simply stand farther back. Hang time was the primary concern for Araiza in the weeks and months leading up to the draft. Its been a huge honor.. The current Ray Guy Award winner is no stranger to accolades. With Camarda now in Tampa, that likely spells the end of Bradley Pinion's three-year run with the team. Hes big. 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? That was probably the year that started all this momentum towards success on the football field.. 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. Of course you would use a first-round pick on the Punter That Was Promised. He's hit more 60-yard punts this year than anyone ever. Hes a talented guy who should help with winning the field position category., However, just like any other special teams prospect, Coach Maalouf believes the San Diego State product should be worked out by coaches. San Diego State ranks seventh in overall special teams FEI, which takes into account all aspects of special teams. And its not because its Jordan Stout. Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr rank each franchise's class, from No. Pat McAfee later called the Big Punt a Piss Missile, which is just about the highest honor a punter can receive. Lets take a look. Every front office in the NFL may have Araiza at a different spot on their boards come the last week in April, but the standout college special teams player should hear his name called during the 2022 NFL Draft. 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. Graphic, there have been several third-round selections at punter full of Araiza, likely... 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