This, surprises me. Three juniors, all local San Diego kids, were named to the Associated Press All-American Teams. But a few plays didn't quite go . He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. 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. 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. But Araiza has a rocket launcher for a leg, so for him consistency is making highlights. I have started watching San Diego State games specifically to see Araiza punt. Bellingers seasonal production did not overtly scream NFL caliber tight end, finishing 2021 with 31 receptions for 357 yards and only two touchdowns. 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. 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. They try to be consistent, perfecting their motion so its the same every time. "For a specialist, it's so random," Araiza said. Araiza served as SDSU's placekicker while he was in college, so he's never had to hold. Since NFL defenses vary their fronts constantly, Thomas versatility to play inside or outside will give him a boost to climb teams draft boards. Early success formed a catalyst for what was to come later. While his multipositionality enhances his college value, hell have to specialize in the prosnobody has been a full-time kicker and punter in the league since Frank Corral in 1981. The Raiders drafted him with the 23rd pick in 1973. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. 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. I wonder whether at some point they will simply stand farther back. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? Specialists often aren't taken until. Araiza is the closest thing in football history to a must-watch punter. While the PFF analytics are excellent indicators of success, NFL teams will trust their evaluations from watching game tape and in-person workouts. Bills select San Diego St. punter Matt Araiza in sixth round of 2022 NFL Draft Published: Apr 30, 2022 at 04:09 PM Grant Gordon Digital Content Editor Though the Buffalo Bills got the third. 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. No other punter. Im excited for change. 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. 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). 21, 54 and 85. He was being 100 percent serious, and hes 100 percent correct. More than 300 prospects for the . Will Malik Willis develop into a high-end QB for the Titans? Who failed to address serious needs? As Matt Araiza prepares to break positional norms in the 2022 NFL Draft class, his talents as a punter can be traced back to his roots at Rancho Bernardo High in San Diego. Waring caught 31 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, almost identical to Bellingers final season. 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. The 2022 NFL Draft surprisingly saw just one QB taken in the first two rounds, but that doesn't doom the entire crop to irrelevance. After the first game, I was kinda starting to visualize that. Will the Cowboys' big gamble pay off? Araiza is one of just four FBS players handling kicks, punts, and kickoffs this season. Above is a plot of the average. Since 2001, NFL teams starting drives from inside their own 5-yard line have scored just 16.8 percent of the time. We have an 86 yard punt EIGHTY SIX (CC @RKalland) pic.twitter.com/KIi5d3VTTO. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. A legitimate question is: Can Matt Araiza also be selected in the first round? 130) and Georgia's Jake Camarda to the Buccaneers (fourth round, No. Show me in the rule book where it says a punter cant win the Heisman! But Araiza took a while to realize that kicking was his path. He's expected to be one of the players chosen in the 2022 NFL draft next month. Apparently, NFL scouts focused their attention on other punters as well. 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. 133). He believes it is worth taking chances on other positions earlier in the draft rather than a punter. I know what I bring to the NFL. In this years tight end class, Brugler ranked Ferguson 12th, one spot higher than Bellinger. published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. His older brother has long thought so. The Punter That Was Promised would be the most valuable player in football by a wide margin. 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. If I can get my punter as an UDFA instead of using a draft selection on him, that would be preferable.. The reality is that Araiza is one of a kind, hence the nicknames Anomaly and Punt God.. What was surprising even shocking, to some is that two punters were selected Saturday ahead of Araiza. Araiza had a 6.09 Prospect Grade on NFL.com, compared to 5.99 for Stout and 5.85 for Camarda. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. 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. 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. 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. Furthermore, it wasnt even a thought. With Araiza now in Buffalo, that puts veteran punter Matt Haack on the hot seat. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the. Sorry, I cantPunt God is playing Fresno State on CBS Sports Network at 10:30 p.m. There will be a big red circle on that day on my calendar. A kicker or punter has never finished in the top 10 of Heisman Trophy voting, but thats just because they fashioned the statue after a guy running instead of a guy punting. . Not only did Matt Araiza launch a punt, but he also made the tackle (via @CBSSportsNet) #ForTheBrand | @PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/r1BvgmKKjS. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters. Around 20 minutes north of San Diego State University lies North County Soccer Park. Bellingers seasonal production did not overtly scream NFL caliber tight end, finishing 2021 with 31 receptions for 357 yards and only two touchdowns. Using AV from Pro-Football-Reference, this somewhat normalizes the impact of a punter on his team. 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. But how high, exactly, can we expect a team to take Araiza, winner of the 2021 Ray Guy Award? Angers cumulative yard per punt average in four years at California was 43.5, including a high of 45.6 in his junior season. He was named to several First and Second All-American Teams by various national media outlets. 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. 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). 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. 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. 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.. Not only has he shown his prowess as a punter, but Coach Maalouf adds he kicked off as well and was good at it. 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. 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. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is no ordinary prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. Punts in between the 30s (2021 only):Jordan Stout, Penn State (36 Punts)Inside 20 83%Inside 10 53%Touchback 6%Average Field Pos. 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? Im watching for different reasons than San Diego State fans. Theyre three different skills that each require practice, and a human leg can swing only so many times before it gets overworked. Its the most Aztecs drafted since four were taken in 2012. 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. A fourth player, senior Daniel Bellinger, also took the next step in his career rather than return to SDSU for a super senior season. That was somewhat of a goal. 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. Over the past half-decade, 12 punters have been drafted. Chad Reuter identifies 12 rookies picked on Day 3 of the NFL draft who could be in line for starter snaps in Year 1. Who will take advantage of potential opportunities? In the fourth round, Baltimore selected Penn State Punter Jordan Stout with the 130th overall pick. 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. Did the Packers blow it by once again passing on the receiver position in Round 1? An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. H, es going to make stops at all different points of the field, said Brugler. Right now, that involves training hard and recovering sensibly. at 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. Araizas potential as a kicker and punter was immediately obvious at Rancho Bernardo. And remember, the Big Punt wasnt even Araizas longest punt of the year. Araiza was widely viewed as the top punting prospect after a 2021 college season that ended with him winning the Ray Guy award. 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. 8 min read. Hang time was the primary concern for Araiza in the weeks and months leading up to the draft. The legend of the Punt God might have been born on Brookshire Street, but it truly began at the soccer park on 14530 Espola Road. If Araiza doesnt win this award, I will forever consider it illegitimate, and potentially commit arson at the Ray Guy Award headquarters. Hes quick to find the football, and hes always in pursuit mode.. NFL Draft Profile: Rhys Byrns, Punter, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns. Marc Ross spotlights 10 rookies set up for success in the 2022 NFL season and beyond. 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. 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. When I looked up at that ball, it was crazy, Araiza says. In the latest. His, was better than many who are projected to be high draft selections, including. 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. 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. He spent time at Qualcomm Stadium watching the San Diego Chargers, enjoying the passionate environment in person but still holding soccer in his heart. 1 to 32. 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. He visited Buffalo years ago on a family vacation and is thrilled to return, even if it means purchasing a heavier jacket. Punters dont try to make highlights. [1][2] The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season. All these coaches have an opinion of their own and like to make their own decisions, Araiza said. 1, Ohio State linebacker Tom Cousineau, refused to sign with the Bills and instead inked a lucrative deal with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. That was a huge honor, Araiza said. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. 2 and the words: PUNT GOD! There have been first-round punters in the past, most recently in 1979. 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! When Araiza was younger, his brother took him out to a local field with some footballs and let him kick away. Where most players have a left leg, the San Diego product has what can only be described as a cannon. The Sixth Man award almost always goes to the NBAs highest-scoring bench player. Brugler praised Thomas lateral quickness and constant effort to get to the ball. I dont want it to be in the same corner of the country my whole life. , given to the best punter in college football. in this draft class last month and says teams view him as a second-round prospect. Brugler ranked Bellinger as the 13th-best tight end in this draft class last month. In 2021, the Bills only punted a total of 52 times, which was tied for the fifth-lowest total in the NFL. 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. While he played the edge role in San Diego States 3-man defensive line, Brugler sees Thomas best positional fit in the NFL as a defensive end in a 4-3 with the ability to kick inside on passing downs. Something went wrong. But, thats not all Araiza can do. We released a jersey with a company out of San Diego and to see those jerseys in the stands, was crazy to me. Are the Bears failing Justin Fields? They'll give up some big returns, but they'll also have some giant flips of field position.". San Diego State had three players selected on the final day of the 2022 NFL Draft Saturday in Las Vegas, . The NCAA record holder is extremely familiar with breaking records. It was something that Im going to be forever grateful for, and I hope to have that same effect on the next fan base, wherever I go. While he played the edge role in San Diego States 3-man defensive line, Brugler sees Thomas best positional fit in the NFL as a defensive end in a 4-3 with the ability to kick inside on passing downs. He now holds the record for single-season punt average, with 51.19 yards per punt. One other theory is that teams are afraid Araiza might outkick his coverage in the NFL. Didnt see the second one and my agent called me. I know my personal traits as an athlete, as a football player, as the leading tackler of a top 25 special teams unit. When I originally went out for the football team, it wasnt to be a kicker. How high is his ceiling at the NFL level? Logically, the first media question to. In the past 22 years, there have been several third-round selections at punter. EVT caught up with, Dane Brugler, NFL Draft Analyst for The Athletic. However, it was there that the power of his left leg was harnessed with a view to a long-term career goal. But the biggest question about Harden remainsand it wont be answered until the playoffs. 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. Georgia police have secured a warrant to arrest highly-touted draft prospect Jalen Carter, according to a report from Seth Emerson. Is Brad Holmes' enthusiastic drafting paying dividends for the Lions? . Oops. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Araizas performances have been record-setting. Please enter a valid email and try again. No wonder the "punt god" is generating NFL draft buzz. A half-century ago, Pink Floyd unleashed a classic that still lingers on the Billboard charts and in college dorms to this day. 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. Bills get the Punt God in the SIXTH ROUND. The Packers blow it by once again passing on the final day of the country my whole life so him! Draft after the first round learn more or opt-out, read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use which. Using is no longer supported on this site Georgia 's Jake Camarda to the.. Ordinary prospect in the rule book where it says a punter cant the... Now holds the record for single-season punt average in four years at was... 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