2023 USFL College Draft: Three Players From Mountain West Selected, San Diego State Football: Three Questions For Spring Practice. That was definitely my first love. That motor really helps him frequently make tackles away from the line of scrimmage that a lot of defensive ends just dont make. Didnt see the second one and my agent called me. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, the highest he is projected to go is in the fifth round picks 144 through 179. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. Brugler praised Thomas lateral quickness and constant effort to get to the ball. Pro Football Network, LLC. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. Is Brad Holmes' enthusiastic drafting paying dividends for the Lions? He was the San Diego sectional kicker of the year in all three years he kicked, and broke the county record for career field goals. The social media explosion, and all the fans, the almost cult-like fans sometimes. The Buffalo Bills tweeted out the announcement with a picture of Araiza wearing his red and black Aztecs jersey with now-familiar No. Its a loaded defensive end class, Brugler said. Ray Guy is the only punter to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Will another aggressive draft by Mickey Loomis pay off for the Saints? Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his. . , given to the best punter in college football. 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. Ten years from now well know the truth. The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. 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. 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.. A fourth player, senior Daniel Bellinger, also took the next step in his career rather than return to SDSU for a super senior season. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is unlike anyone who has ever played the position before. Araizas leg strength is remarkable; however, he will need to cut down on the power in certain instances to further achieve NFL success. Former Eagles President and Browns CEO Joe Banner gave his take on how he would approach this unique prospect. Over the past half-decade, 12 punters have been drafted. 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. I have a way bigger fan base because my Moms a teacher in the school district I grew up in. 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. A legitimate question is: Can Matt Araiza also be selected in the first round? The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. 8 min read. Lets take a look. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2022 Bowman Draft Paper Base #BD-73 Jakob Marsee - San Diego Padres at the best online prices at eBay! Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. Im excited for the challenge. After the first game, I was kinda starting to visualize that. San Diego State's Matt Araiza is putting punters on the map, and his scouting report reveals why he's a highly rated 2022 NFL Draft prospect. But he still wasnt punting. Waring caught 31 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns, almost identical to Bellingers final season. But the answer is simple: yes. There are times where he gets crossed up in pass protection, and his feet get a little stuck in the mud, something Brugler saw on tape against Utah and Arizona, two Power 5 opponents the Aztecs played this year. Some games you get a bunch of short field goals, he says. You can go as far as your work ethic can take you. So, I think that was probably when I knew I had a shot.. Their first three selections are Nos. 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! The Punt God has found a new home. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. 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. He also boomed an 86-yarder against San Jose State at sea level. His, was better than many who are projected to be high draft selections, including. Copyright 2019-2023. 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. 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. I loved European football, soccer. In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. It was just to play football, to branch out as an athlete.. 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. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? San Diego States Matt Araiza is the third punter in school history selected in the NFL Draft. March 25, 2022 5 min read. The Aztecs are playing for the Mountain West title Saturday and Araiza was going to have a big role again. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. The crash took place before 3 a.m. on Jan. 15., just hours after the Bulldogs . Furthermore, it wasnt even a thought. Before that, the last one came in 2013. EVT caught up with, Dane Brugler, NFL Draft Analyst for The Athletic. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season. Did the Packers blow it by once again passing on the receiver position in Round 1? And its not because its Jordan Stout. Vertical jump 32 This punter would make the average opponent worse than the 2021 Jets, who score on 22.1 percent of their drives. At some positions, NFL teams can struggle to identify the best players. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza has created a loyal following with his ridiculously strong leg. Cornerback Tayler Hawkins accepted an invite to the Hula Bowl, which takes place on January 15 in Orlando, FL. Time will tell. 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. 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. But a few plays didn't quite go . This, surprises me. Yet, hed only punted in one game prior to this season. Are the Bears failing Justin Fields? What makes me a top prospect in this year's draft is my ability to aggressively attack the ball, play smart football, and contribute a relentless work ethic to make my team better. Weight 200 pounds For his career, Araiza averaged 51.1 yards per punt. They are drafting you based on what they think you will do.. Sprint draft legal and classic sprint distance triathlon held at Mission Bay and Fiesta Island . For whatever reason, punters have been a popular position to pick in this year's draft. 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 | 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. 0 Rate. This last selection is commonly referred to as, List of 1990s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com, List of 2000s Hall of Fame Inductee's at profootballhof.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1979_NFL_Draft&oldid=1142347380, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 22:29. Its not ordinary to find a punter dominating social media and football conversations across the country. The current Ray Guy Award winner is no stranger to accolades. 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. Big, big leg. That was somewhat of a goal. Araiza managed six punts over 70 yards and two in excess of 80 yards. But that's only half-true: Araiza is also statistically the most talented punter prospect of all time. One of the most important punting stats is net punting average and Araiza finished the year at 44.3, which ranked sixth in the country. Freshman year of high school. Hes also redefining how valuable punters can really be. H, es going to make stops at all different points of the field, said Brugler. Will Deadly January Car Accident Tank Jalen Carters Draft Stock? #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/ifbf6FjLa0, Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) April 30, 2022. They attend expensive camps and begin perfecting their form. The Sporting News breaks down everything you need to know about Araiza's record-breaking season in 2021, and the elite group of punters he hopes to join who managed to leverage their collegiate career into high draft picks: Despite Araiza's incredible 2021 season, he is not expected to be among the highest-drafted punters of all time. But as soon as Araiza started kicking, it became clear that he had a gift for it. Its a loaded defensive end class, Brugler said. Of course you would use a first-round pick on the Punter That Was Promised. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the. 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. in this draft class last month. 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. MORE:NFL Draft prospects 2022: Updated big board of top 150 players, rankings by position. 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. These sites are not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with with these teams or institutions. Broad jump 10 and 1 (or 121). As for Araiza, the Bills could potentially be getting a steal with their selection of the player known as "Punt God.". He's boomed multiple 80-yarders . 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. Yet, Araiza went and nailed an 86-yard punt and an 81-yarder in consecutive games against San Jose State and Air Force. Three juniors, all local San Diego kids, were named to the Associated Press All-American Teams. 180 overall pick in the sixth round on Saturday. No other punter. Araiza's punts helped the San Diego State product earn the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation's top college punter, as he set NCAA records for punting average (51.2 per punt), punts over 50 . April 26, 2022 7:52 am, By Ted McGovern | published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. 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). 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. 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. 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. + Show More. After Stouts selection was announced, an ESPN broadcaster said: Not many things surprise me in the draft because you expect unpredictable things. Matt Araiza is downright dynamite.. Araizas performances have been record-setting. John Stark from Florida State made it into the second round, way back in 1982. San Diego State's Matt Araiza put in a historic year. The Bills' selection at No. Ill kind of get to squash that whole warm-weather kicker thing.. His 32 vertical jump was the same as Chris Olave, our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. SIGN UP NOW: $1,000 risk-free on FanDuel Sportsbook! There have been first-round punters in the past, most recently in 1979. 1 to 32. 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