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. Another attribute teams love about Thomas is his versatility to play up and down the line of scrimmage. Im excited to go to a winning team, Super Bowl favorites, that will be awesome, Ariaza said by phone after the draft. 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. Bellingers seasonal production did not overtly scream NFL caliber tight end, finishing 2021 with 31 receptions for 357 yards and only two touchdowns. at 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. No one in our family had control over that. Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his. 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. 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. The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr rank each franchise's class, from No. . Also, a higher average yards per punt does not always mean better sometimes you want to directionally punt, so this can be misleading. Araiza should win the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the nations best punter. The more you can do to justify a roster spot is the motto of the NFL, said Brugler, adding that teams may feel more comfortable drafting a punter in the fourth or fifth round if they know the punter also has a penchant for touchbacks on kickoffs. Araiza had a 6.09 Prospect Grade on NFL.com, compared to 5.99 for Stout and 5.85 for Camarda. From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. Hes hit 14 punts of at least 60 yards, two shy of the NCAA record for the most in a full seasonand the Aztecs still have at least five games to go. Show me in the rule book where it says a punter cant win the Heisman! He's boomed multiple 80-yarders . 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. For whatever reason, punters have been a popular position to pick in this year's draft. I want my life to be an adventure, Araiza said. 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. Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro-Bowl at any time in their career. Only one punter, Pressley Harvin III, was drafted last year, taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 254th pick (7th round). This is understood by several NFL football squads, which is why he has become a hot item on many teams big boards, chiefly the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots. 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. Except, maybe Araiza himself. 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. Araiza set a school record for made field goals in a season and ranked sixth in the nation in touchback percentage in 2019. Punter Bryan Anger famously went five picks before Russell Wilson in 2012 with the 70th overall pick. Few could have seen this meteoric rise to success. But with Araiza, its easy. Will Malik Willis develop into a high-end QB for the Titans? The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. In the past 22 years, there have been several third-round selections at punter. 180 overall pick in the sixth round on Saturday. But the answer is simple: yes. 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. There have been first-round punters in the past, most recently in 1979. That was a huge honor, Araiza said. 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. 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. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? 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. 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. Brugler predicts Bellinger will be the second San Diego State player drafted (after Cameron Thomas). But how high, exactly, can we expect a team to take Araiza, winner of the 2021 Ray Guy Award? Nonetheless, the "Punt God" is headed to the AFC East champions. 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. 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. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. 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. An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. Specialists often aren't taken until. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Matt Araiza is downright dynamite.. 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. Broad jump 10 and 1 (or 121). I have started watching San Diego State games specifically to see Araiza punt. NFL Draft Profile: Rhys Byrns, Punter, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns. Hes big. And what's up with the Commanders' value assessment? It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Really dependable ball skills. Surely there's some NFL team that takes him earlier than you would expect. SOMEONE GET ME A TABLE!! r collecting 20.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks this past season. Most punters dont achieve that distance in a career. The NFL Draft doesn't usually give us very many surprises when it comes to punting, but it came through with two big surprises on Saturday. Im pretty confident in that regard.. 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. Watching Araiza help the Aztecs win game after game feels like unlocking a portal to a world where the sports millions of complicated schemes and strategies dont matter. Punts in between the 30s (2021 only):Jordan Stout, Penn State (36 Punts)Inside 20 83%Inside 10 53%Touchback 6%Average Field Pos. Georgias Dominant Title Defense and a Curtain Call for the Ages, The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 1 Instant Reactions. But the biggest question about Harden remainsand it wont be answered until the playoffs. 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. "This is a great year for. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. This seems like a cute questionthe football equivalent of asking someone whether theyd eat the worlds grossest food for a million dollars. San Diego State ranks seventh in overall special teams FEI, which takes into account all aspects of special teams. Soccer was, for sure, the first sport I wanted to play professionally. I know how I did at the combine. The one thing I dont think I ever realized was the level of popularity. But Matt didnt have dreams of special teams stardom. ET. 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. The Punt God has found a new home. No other punter. In 2020, he dialed in 71.4%, and in 2021, he achieved 64.3%. Could Aaron Rodgers help Christian Watson compete for hardware from the jump in Green Bay? Araiza will be selected early on Day Two, if not late in the first round. There will be a big red circle on that day on my calendar. 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. Araiza is the third punter in school history to be drafted, joining Mike Saxon (Detroit, 11th round, 1984) and Wayne Ross (Washington, 12th round, 1988). 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. This reinforces the significance of gross versus net punting averages. Matt Araiza knew the Big Punt was different. Georgia police have secured a warrant to arrest highly-touted draft prospect Jalen Carter, according to a report from Seth Emerson. Araiza, a. 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. But then came the 50-, 60-, 70-. I know what I bring to the NFL. Brugler predicts Bellinger will be the second San Diego State player drafted (after Cameron Thomas). 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. He has incredible poise and does not lose his cool and, for much of the 2021 season, led special teams in tackles. Using AV from Pro-Football-Reference, this somewhat normalizes the impact of a punter on his team. 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. But, Araiza isnt an ordinary punter. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. They are drafting you based on what they think you will do.. 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. Araiza is the closest thing in football history to a must-watch punter. Bills get the Punt God in the SIXTH ROUND. [1][2] The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season. 11 overall in 1979 by the New Orleans Saints after being a kicker and punter in college. 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. His 39 punts of over 50 yards are a single-season NCAA record, as are his 18 punts of over 60 yards. Matt Araiza is not your average NFL Draft prospect. Lets take a look. 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. There has been one 80-plus-yard punt in the NFL in 2021, by Green Bays Corey Bojorquez. Araizas ascension to the summit of his position and the attention that has come with it has been one of the storylines of the college football season. 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. One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State University's Matt Araiza. Im excited for the challenge. The selection of Araiza gave SDSU four players in the 2022 NFL Draft. Guy, the Mandalorian season 3, Episode 1 Instant Reactions first-round punters in the in... For hardware from the jump in Green Bay meteoric rise to success,! 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