Matt Araiza was selected in the sixth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Report: Some NFL teams knew of Matt Araiza allegations before 2022 draft 2023 NFL Combine Hand Size Results: Notable Quarterback Measurements and More, 2023 NFL Combine Risers: Christian Gonzalez, Deonte Banks, and Brian Branch Perform Well, Anthony Richardson Combine Results: Florida Star Makes Case for QB1, Jahmyr Gibbs Landing Spots: Eagles, Saints, and Cardinals Most Popular in Mock Drafts. Track the most effective teams on first down in the league, and youll notice they just so happen to be the most effective defenses. Round 5 - Philadelphia Eagles (No. Former Bills punter Matt Araiza signs to play in Mexico In 2021, the Bills only punted a total of 52 times, which was tied for the fifth-lowest total in the NFL. He isnt a novelty: hes an assured pass protector who has the huge frame that could make him special. He had a scholarship offer before he even put a helmet on. Araiza also boomed an 86-yard punt last season, which was the longest in college football. As for Araiza, the Bills could potentially be getting a steal with their selection of the player known as "Punt God.". In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. At the very least, remember the name Matt Araiza and the punt god designation following him. 2023 Mock Drafts 2024 Mock Drafts 2025 Mock Drafts. Matt Araiza. Lawyer: Matt Araiza & Bills knew nothing of allegations before Draft Day Redshirting his 2018 season, Araiza learned under San Diego State kicker John Barron II. . The left-legged punter can effortlessly boom the ball the entire length of the field. Araizas leg power is also demonstrated as a field goal and kickoff specialist. Look how Hawaii prepped for Matt Araiza. There have been multiple third-round selections, while FSU punter John Stark was a second-round choice in 1982. Consistency. Consistent ball striking, hang time, and placement are key factors in punter evaluation. The relationship is not close to being statistically significant here, and the R-squared value is almost negligible. Matt Araiza boots 90-yard punt (!! Kenny Pickett College Football Highlights 2021, Aaron Rodgers is Using Leverage to Help Davante Adams, DEBUT Tom Brady, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen! 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. While his NFL.com draft profile suggests Araiza could use some work on his directional or pooch punting, he is a field-flipper, as evidenced by his 18 punts of 60 yards or longer in 2021. In 'Punt God' Matt Araiza, Bills getting a promising prospect, but far If we include the multi-faceted Travon Walker in the discussion, he may wind up being the third defensive lineman taken from Georgias all-world defensive front. Four drafted punters are actually less rare than one might imagine. All the more impressive, the 2021 season was Araiza's first taking on full-time punting duties for the Aztecs. 154) - 1 - Cincinnati Bengals (No. Obviously, the ability to pin your opponent deep in their own territory represents a significant advantage. If youre sitting comfortably, lets begin. As the 2022 NFL Draft nears, its time to put our money where our mouth is and start making some predictions about the class. 2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Matt Araiza | Prime Time Sports Talk Punt God and a 387lb Aussie: the 2022 NFL draft's most intriguing prospects That is the nickname San Diego State's Matt Araiza has received from his incredible collegiate career. At worst, the allegation contained in a civil lawsuit filed Thursday that Araiza, a former San Diego State star . Among the players expected to hear his name is punter Matt Araiza out of San Diego State. No punter has been selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft since 1995. An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. Araiza was widely viewed as the top punting prospect after a 2021 college season that ended with him winning the Ray Guy award. Team Contract Type Status Year Signed Yrs Total APY Guarantees This is what enablers do.. Yet, in San Diego State punter Matt Araiza, the 2022 NFL Draft class might possess the most high-profile and highly skilled punter prospect in recent history. @matt_araiza. Araiza sits neatly at the intersection of crusty old Football Guys and the new wave of analytically . "He was like, 'You're outkicking your coverage. Of course he was. Meet Matt Araiza, San Diego State punter who could be among the highest Bills rookie punter Matt Araiza, who has quickly risen to fame with a strong leg and a catchy nickname, faces a very serious off-field issue before his first NFL game.According to the Los Angeles . Tracking where Matt Araiza could be drafted in the 2022 NFL mock draft. In 2019, he hit 84.6% of his kicks. San Diego State P Matt Araiza. A three-time CIF San Diego State section Kicker of the Year and a sophomore first-team All-American, Araizas athletic accolades werent restricted to the football field. SDSU Aztecs in the 2022 NFL Draft | East Village Times But, thats not all Araiza can do. Although he was the top punting prospect in the draft, Araiza ended up being the third punter selected. 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. The injury has continued to plague his career, forcing further surgeries in 2020 and 2021. Gambling problem? It is officially mock draft season! Using AV from Pro-Football-Reference, this somewhat normalizes the impact of a punter on his team. Matt Araiza #19 of the Buffalo Bills takes the field during practice on Aug. 5, 2022, in Orchard Park, New York. The Aztec junior is an offensive weapon that frequently puts his defense in favorable spots. He also has the FBS record for 60+ yard punts. Matt Araiza is San Diego State's record-setting punter. 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. Buffalo Bills 53-man roster projection with Matt Araiza released Together, they were unblockable. Araiza can be quite a weapon for NFL teams adding a punter in the 2022 draft. Araiza, nicknamed the "Punt God," was a unanimous All-American and the winner of the Ray Guy Award in 2021. The prolific punter also showcased his versatility as a powerful placekicker, hitting 77% of his 48 attempts with a career long of 53 yards. It also helps that Araiza is a quality kickoff specialist, as he has finished in the top-5 in the FBS in average distance on kickoffs in 2020, and his touchback percentage of 84.9 percent was the fourth-most in the nation in 2021. Certainly, the conversation around Araiza as a potential Day 2 prospect fuels that narrative. The term generational talent is incredibly cliche and should be avoided more often than not, as hyperbolic analysts can throw it around to simply describe prospects who are very good, regardless of whether theyre far and away better than other players at their position over the last few decades. Meanwhile, he averaged 41.7 yards on 120 punts that tallied over 5,000 yards. He followed that up with a Thanos-like performance at the scouting combine: the 341 lb Davis ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds, the fastest for any player over 330 lb at the combine since 2006; Davis later had a standing broad jump of 10ft 3in, the record for a player over 300 pounds; he tacked on a 34in vertical leap for good measure, a doubletake-worthy figure for someone of his size. Showcasing an exceptionally powerful leg, he holds the Penn State field-goal record with a 57-yard strike against Pitt in 2019. Matt Araiza, San Diego State P | NFL Draft Scouting Report Although Araiza saw plenty of action at San Diego State, he might not see the field much in Buffalo. 2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Matt Araiza. Stout was slightly ahead of him at 44.5 while Camarda was well below both guys at 41.6. Bills release punter Matt Araiza after gang rape allegation It can bail out a sloppy offensive possession by turning it into a healthy defensive position. Punter prospects are rare, multiple in the same class are even more so. His performances earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where Jim Nagy had this to say about the 2022 NFL Draft prospect: Had calls with some of [the] top kicking gurus and overwhelming opinion is Georgias Jake Camarda is among best punting prospects to come out in past 5-10 years. Possesses a monster leg, gets tremendous hang time on punts, and allows coverage teams to get downfield and make the play. The truth of the matter, however, is that Araiza is just the tip of the iceberg of a talented punting class. For the . Draft Order & Rookie Pools; . * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). NFL draft projection. That said, Matt Araiza is a generational talent at punter. Araiza knocked it out of the park, posting numbers comparable to some highly ranked prospects. NFL punter Matt Araiza and two San Diego State football players accused in gang-rape lawsuit. Clouding Strongs status is a knee injury that he picked up playing basketball as a kid, one that saw him miss his senior year of high school football. 174. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. Above is a plot of the average Approximate Value (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. Despite his relatively low recruiting profile, there was a level of expectation around the program when the versatile kicking weapon was finally handed the opportunity to play for the Aztecs in 2019. For reference, the NFL single-season record for average punt is 51.4 yards. The Bills may not have knownaboutthe allegations hanging over punter Matt Araiza when they drafted him, but at least two other teams had an inkling that something had happened. Entry: 2022 Draft, Round 6, #180 overall (Bills) Contract History. One of the most dangerous weapons in college football is San Diego State punter Matt Araiza. If he passes those criteria while youre working him out and he hits the Duke well, able to turn the ball over, then yes, you check off the boxes., Once a special teams coach feels comfortable with Araizas ability, the coach may want to suggest the rest of the front office look into acquiring him in the draft. San Diego State. He quickly became a nationally known name after delivering a 82-yard punt in the preseason. 6-keys: media/spln/nfl/reg/free/stories, at Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. Copyright 2019-2023. If a team is uncomfortable with your holding skills, that could absolutely lead you to dropping in the draft. Based on net punting averages, you can usually find UDFAs who will rank above average at the position in directional punting and hang time.. As a matter of fact, he already seems to be fully embracing his new team. Whoever drafts him could be ending up with a perennial All-Pro talent. Talk about ineptitude.) 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. Shakir, a fifth-round rookie in 2022, got off to a slow start in his career. No other punter has nailed two 80+ yard punts in 2021. (AV) of a punter per season who has been drafted in the last 15 seasons. Matt Araiza Draft Stock & Draft Projection. 2022 NFL Draft: How 'Punt God' Matt Araiza prepares to be a pro Some collegiate punters especially Australian punters with Aussie rule backgrounds work out of a rugby-style delivery, which includes wider splits between blockers and a running approach from the punter before kicking it low with the intention of having it bounce and be difficult for returners to field. How Early Could SDSU Punter Matt Araiza Get Taken in the NFL Draft Troy . The draft is sharpening into focus. 16.0. Scroll through to view photos of P Matt Araiza, Buffalo's pick in the sixth round, 180th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. MORE:NFL Draft prospects 2022: Updated big board of top 150 players, rankings by position. Used as a field-goal kicker for San Diego State and shows the ability to hit them from long distance. Araiza also succeeds as a kickoff specialist, recording 62 touchbacks on 73 attempts. Teams worried about Davis role on third down should instead be focused on how he can tip the scales in their favor on the most important down of all. Now, he is one of the rarest prospects in football: a punter with buzz. He believes it is worth taking chances on other positions earlier in the draft rather than a punter.