Araiza managed six punts over 70 yards and two in excess of 80 yards. 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Smith on Skip and Kaepernick, Martin Luther King Jr., the Revolutionary With Dr. Peniel Joseph. Brugler ranked Bellinger as the 13th-best tight end in this draft class last month. The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. Between high school punting and a love of soccer, he developed a leg of steel that was easily the most powerful in college football this last season and beyond. Stout was among three finalists for the 2021 Ray Guy Award that went to Araiza as the nations top collegiate punter. 8 min read. The Aztecs are 7-0 and have the nation's 5th-ranked defense with a potent rushing offense. 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. 18 Aztecs collapse in final minutes, fall at Boise State, Game preview: No. Based on net punting averages, you can usually find UDFAs who will rank above average at the position in directional punting and hang time.. Some games you get a bunch of short field goals, he says. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. But with Araiza, its easy. Below are the top 10 highest-drafted punters in the history of the NFL draft: Of that group, Guy went onto become a Pro Football Hall of Famer; Stark was a first-team All Pro selection in 1983 and four-time Pro Bowler; Skladany was a 1981 Pro Bowler; Sauebrun was a four-time All-Pro selection, three-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL punt yards leader; Tupa was a 1999 All-Pro selection; and Anger was a 2021 second-team All-Pro selection, as well as the 2013 NFL punting yards leader. Kicking? But a few plays didn't quite go . Since 2001, NFL teams starting drives from inside their own 5-yard line have scored just 16.8 percent of the time. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his. 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. The Big Punt traveled more than 80. Time will tell. Im excited to go to a winning team, Super Bowl favorites, that will be awesome, Ariaza said by phone after the draft. 22 San Diego State at New Mexico, Structure of Manny Machados new contract leaves Padres room to add more big names, Spring training recap: Juan Soto stays hot, Nick Martinez earns extra work in rain-shortened Padres win, Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove fractures big toe in kettlebell accident; timetable for return tough to forecast, Column: Padres roller-coaster day includes Joe Musgrove injury, Manny Machado contract, Fernando Tatis debut, Februarys athletes of the month include CIF hoops and soccer champs, standout grapplers, David Benner, Indiana Pacers longtime PR director, dies, Panthers weighing options as quarterback hunt continues, Tennessee PG Zakai Zeigler suffers season-ending knee injury, Cadiz wants to halt Spanish league after refereeing mistake, Annecy stuns favorite Marseille to reach 1st French Cup semi, No. San Diego State punter and Ray Guy Award winner Matt Araiza announced Tuesday that he will be entering the 2022 NFL draft after putting together one of the best punting seasons in college football . Hang time was the primary concern for Araiza in the weeks and months leading up to the draft. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. 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. That was probably the year that started all this momentum towards success on the football field.. Pat McAfee later called the Big Punt a Piss Missile, which is just about the highest honor a punter can receive. 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. #Bills #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/EA1iEWkdyA. Ray Guy, for whom a college football award is named, was a first-round pick in 1973. Theyre three different skills that each require practice, and a human leg can swing only so many times before it gets overworked. The announcers were astounded. Hes going to make stops at all different points of the field, said Brugler. But its no secret that he enjoys punting the most. He's hit more 60-yard punts this year than anyone ever. Vertical jump 32 For whatever reason, punters have been a popular position to pick in this year's draft. Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. Soccer was, for sure, the first sport I wanted to play professionally. But, thats not all Araiza can do. 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. 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. Is Brad Holmes' enthusiastic drafting paying dividends for the Lions? Banners rationale is driven by the notion of replacement value. 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. + Show More. against San Jose State in October. Araiza, who began his career at San Diego State as a kicker, also converted 96 of 97 extra point attempts and 50 of 68 field goal attempts (73.5 percent), with a long of 54. Its been huge to have that impact on my home town as well. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the. 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. Chad Reuter ranks his favorite picks in each round. That was definitely my first love. Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. 2023 USFL College Draft: Three Players From Mountain West Selected, San Diego State Football: Three Questions For Spring Practice. Welcome to Buffalo, @Matt_Araiza! But whats the legacy of the blockbuster album? His 32 vertical jump was the same as Chris Olave, our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. But that's only half-true: Araiza is also statistically the most talented punter prospect of all time. In addition to his record-setting punting, hes drilled three 50-yard field goals, second most in college football, and has the fourth-longest average kickoff distance (65.0 yards). A fourth player, senior Daniel Bellinger, also took the next step in his career rather than return to SDSU for a super senior season. 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. What was surprising even shocking, to some is that two punters were selected Saturday ahead of Araiza. Two Arrest Warrants Issued for Potential Top Draft Pick Jalen Carter, Rodgers: 'This Is My Life,' Retirement Decision Will Come 'Soon Enough', Telesco: Keenan Allen Isn't Going Anywhere, Jets GM: 'Lot of Things to Like' About Carr, Bengals: Higgins Trade Rumors 'Ridiculous', Bears GM: Fields Is Our Starting QB in 2023, Joe Thomas: Why It's Time to Put Cameras In Player Interview Rooms, Scouts' Predictions: Small-School Players Who Will Become Household Names, Marc Trestman: Stroud Future Franchise QB, Chris Johnson: Predicting Indy's Fastest 5, Head of Pro Scouting, NFL Player Personnel Executive, One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State Universitys Matt Araiza. I would rather draft depth at other positions, such as defensive back and linebacker, where the players can develop while contributing on special teams.. 11 overall in 1979 by the New Orleans Saints after being a kicker and punter in college. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is unlike anyone who has ever played the position before. Its a loaded defensive end class, Brugler said. When youre playing a field position battle, this guy will just flip the field and put the ball inside the other 20 with just one swing of his leg. Somehow, hes close to the best in the nation at all three. The question mark on him will be whether he has the athleticism and the speed to hold up against quick, interior rushers in the NFL, said Brugler. 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. 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. 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. Thomas, a redshirt junior who earned his degree this December, accepted an invite to play in the Senior Bowl and will look to showcase his top-tier talent to NFL teams. Araizas leg strength is remarkable; however, he will need to cut down on the power in certain instances to further achieve NFL success. I know how I did at the Pro Day. No other punter. Matt Araiza is a certifiable weapon. 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. Spent pretty much countless hours at that field with my Dad, just practicing all different types of stuff for soccer. Specialists often aren't taken until. To put that in perspective, there were only six punts of 70 or more yards by every NFL punter combined last season. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? 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. This, surprises me. 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. Araiza in 2021 booted 79 punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt. With Camarda now in Tampa, that likely spells the end of Bradley Pinion's three-year run with the team. He. He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs, setting the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) season record for average punt yardage as a junior. No one in our family had control over that. Im watching for different reasons than San Diego State fans. NFL Draft. That was a fun year, and also the year I broke the record for field goals. Labeled the "Punt God," Araiza set an NCAA record with a 51.2-yard average on his punts in 2021. In the past 22 years, there have been several third-round selections at punter. In addition to his record-setting punting, he's drilled three 50-yard field goals, second most in college football, and has the fourth-longest average kickoff distance (65.0 yards). Surely there's some NFL team that takes him earlier than you would expect. 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. 0 Rate. Dunkle declared for the NFL Draft after finishing the season with a 98.8 run-blocking grade, the highest by an offensive lineman since Pro Football Focus (PFF) began tracking the metric. Apparently, NFL scouts focused their attention on other punters as well. 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. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. By submitting your email, you agree to our. Did the Packers blow it by once again passing on the receiver position in Round 1? Of Araiza's 79 punts, 37 went for at least 50 yards; 17 went for 60 yards or more; six went at least 70 yards; and two went for 80-plus yards (no other punter had two punts of 80 yards). I know the type of season I put on. Normally punters arent stars of undefeated teams, but Araiza is an exception. This season, hes put it to devastating use week in and week out. Watch where Araiza ends up on this play! But he still wasnt punting. Plus, Nadine Smith on the Agendas Behind Wrestling Documentaries. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? His worse pass-blocking grade came the next week against Towson, registering a 34.3 grade on 26 passing opportunities. Also, a higher average yards per punt does not always mean better sometimes you want to directionally punt, so this can be misleading. Matt Araiza is one of the more fascinating prospects of the 2022 NFL Draft which is saying something, considering he's a punter. NFL Draft Profile: Rhys Byrns, Punter, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns - Football Alliance. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza has a leg that can boot the football 80 yards. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. 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. All the more impressive, the 2021 season was Araiza's first taking on full-time punting duties for the Aztecs. NFL Draft Profile: Rhys Byrns, Punter, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns. But being at San Diego State for four years, really living it, it made me laugh that I even considered going anywhere else. The only two FBS teams that gave him offers were San Diego State and UMass. The only other times it happened came in 1993 and 2007. So, earning their respect and earning their trust, and becoming a part of that team was a big accomplishment for me. 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. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. They attend expensive camps and begin perfecting their form. 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. From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. 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. I wonder whether at some point they will simply stand farther back. But the biggest question about Harden remainsand it wont be answered until the playoffs. 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? The first specialist chosen was LSU kicker Cade York, who went to Cleveland in the fourth round, six picks before Stout was taken. We released a jersey with a company out of San Diego and to see those jerseys in the stands, was crazy to me. If Im punting five to seven times per game and the disparity in average yards is just a few, this doesnt translate to that significant of a difference overall. Big, big leg. Dunkle also earned First Team All-American by Pro Football Network and Second Team All-American by the Associated Press. 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. 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