Cornerback Tayler Hawkins accepted an invite to the Hula Bowl, which takes place on January 15 in Orlando, FL. What was surprising even shocking, to some is that two punters were selected Saturday ahead of Araiza. The Sixth Man award almost always goes to the NBAs highest-scoring bench player. The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. Based on net punting averages, you can usually find UDFAs who will rank above average at the position in directional punting and hang time.. All You Touch and All You See: Dark Side of the Moon at 50. Wingspan 73 1/8 Maybe some preferred right-footed kickers over guys like Araiza, a Rancho Bernardo High alum who is left-footed. While punter prospects arent rare theyre more commonplace than youd expect no prospect at the position has captured the imagination with a mastery of their craft quite like the San Diego State standout. I wonder whether at some point they will simply stand farther back. Did the talent-poor Falcons get the roster infusion they needed? San Diego State punter Matt Araiza speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. 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. But then came the 50-, 60-, 70-. 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. Not only did Matt Araiza launch a punt, but he also made the tackle (via @CBSSportsNet) #ForTheBrand | @PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/r1BvgmKKjS. The Aztecs Punt God gained a national following for his record-setting exploits last season. We have a ton of connections and basically a ton of people rooting for me on Saturdays which was really fun.. 11 overall in 1979 by the New Orleans Saints after being a kicker and punter in college. 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? SOMEONE GET ME A TABLE!! Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Matt Araiza is downright dynamite.. Araiza may be the greatest college punter of all time. Two additional teammates will look to add to the recent list of secondary players who made the jump to the NFL after excelling at San Diego State. Araiza can literally flip the field. This is no better illustrated than noting that he achieved TWO 80+ yard punts. What happened to the Giants after Round 1? Right now, that involves training hard and recovering sensibly. Matt Araiza is not your average NFL Draft prospect. A fourth player, senior Daniel Bellinger, also took the next step in his career rather than return to SDSU for a super senior season. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. It was a special team, and a special group I got to be a part of. 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. Im excited to go to a winning team, Super Bowl favorites, that will be awesome, Ariaza said by phone after the draft. 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. That was a fun year, and also the year I broke the record for field goals. Three juniors, all local San Diego kids, were named to the Associated Press All-American Teams. Per the report, police implicated Carter in street racing, which . The announcers were astounded. Plus, Nadine Smith on the Agendas Behind Wrestling Documentaries. San Diego State hosts Fresno State on Saturday night. The one thing I dont think I ever realized was the level of popularity. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Since NFL defenses vary their fronts constantly, Thomas versatility to play inside or outside will give him a boost to climb teams draft boards. Avid sports fan and historian of basketball, baseball, football and soccer. 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). Ray Guy, for whom a college football award is named, was a first-round pick in 1973. Ill kind of get to squash that whole warm-weather kicker thing.. I knew with punting, I was only a couple of adjustments away from what I did this last year. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. The relationship is not close to being statistically significant here, and the R-squared value is almost negligible. I knew I just had to figure out a few things, dial in a few things, get some consistency and adjust to the college operation time. He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr rank each franchise's class, from No. The man they call 'Punt God' is going to be the first punter off of the board in the upcoming draft and could go as early as Day 2. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season. Are the Bears failing Justin Fields? 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. Achieving a historic 12-win season and earning a spot in the final College Football Playoff Top 25 Rankings brought many advantages for the San Diego State Aztecs. 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. 8 min read. The Aztecs are playing for the Mountain West title Saturday and Araiza was going to have a big role again. Draft doings The Chargers will arrive at the combine still armed with their original seven picks one in each round in the upcoming draft. 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. Araiza also played cornerback for a while. 0. Something went wrong. 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. 2 and the words: PUNT GOD! From the aforementioned information, it appears that Araiza is an elite punting prospect. 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. 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. You can almost hear return men yelling Oh crap! as the balls sail over their heads. EVT caught up with, Dane Brugler, NFL Draft Analyst for The Athletic. Cameron Thomas, Matt Araiza, and William Dunkle decided to forego their senior seasons on the Mesa and declare for the NFL Draft. Can Chris Olave revitalize the Saints' aerial attack? After the first game, I was kinda starting to visualize that. Hand size 9 1/2 As for Araiza, the Bills could potentially be getting a steal with their selection of the player known as "Punt God.". 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! He's the first SDSU player drafted by Buffalo since . As his team keeps winning games and his punts keep soaring over the heads of baffled punt returners, he also raises a question: Just how valuable can a punter truly be? Araizas performances have been record-setting. The Buffalo Bills tweeted out the announcement with a picture of Araiza wearing his red and black Aztecs jersey with now-familiar No. Playing sports is what I love. several third-round selections at punter. Using AV from Pro-Football-Reference, this somewhat normalizes the impact of a punter on his team. 12.0Matt Araiza, SDSU (48 Punts)Inside 20 63%Inside 10 27%Touchback 29%Avg. Behind guard Max Rices 12 straight points at the end, host Broncos score the games final 14 in the final five minutes to stun Aztecs, Stats and storylines to watch on Tuesday night, when San Diego State takes on Boise State at ExtraMile Arena, San Diego State sits on the cusp of a No. The Buffalo Bills held the first overall pick in the draft, acquired from the San Francisco 49ers in the trade which sent O. J. Simpson to his hometown team. And remember, the Big Punt wasnt even Araizas longest punt of the year. 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. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is no ordinary prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft. When I originally went out for the football team, it wasnt to be a kicker. 23 overall by the then-Oakland Raiders in 1973. 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 . National Championship Game Recap: What Went Wrong? Araiza in 2021 booted 79 punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt. UC San Diego and San Diego State alumni living in Americas Finest City. SIGN UP NOW: $1,000 risk-free on FanDuel Sportsbook! But I know there are other players in the league who are told to just bang the ball as far as they can down the field, and the team is going to cover. In the season opener against New Mexico State, Araiza boomed a 77-yarder. The Jets and Giants put on quite a show, while a couple of marquee teams raised eyebrows. He also boomed an 86-yarder against San Jose State at sea level. Araiza served as SDSU's placekicker while he was in college, so he's never had to hold. That motor really helps him frequently make tackles away from the line of scrimmage that a lot of defensive ends just dont make. The earliest a punter has been selected over that period was the fourth round, the Niners selecting Mitch Wishnowsky. That shows up when he has to make a tackle. Free shipping for many products! 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. NFL Draft Profile: Rhys Byrns, Punter, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns - Football Alliance. These sites are not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with with these teams or institutions. published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. With the new changes to the touchback rules, pretty much every kickoff is a touchback. 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. A legitimate question is: Can Matt Araiza also be selected in the first round? The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. So that builds his value to your team especially if you have an older kicker who now you can take the kickoff duty from.. 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. His 39 punts of over 50 yards are a single-season NCAA record, as are his 18 punts of over 60 yards. In 2019, he made 84.6% of his kicks. The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. Should he be the Mountain West Player of the Year? 2:39 pm ET. Freshman year of high school. Several other three-round mock drafts have slotted Thomas from the first round to not listed. Banners rationale is driven by the notion of replacement value. Its not ordinary to find a punter dominating social media and football conversations across the country. Few could have seen this meteoric rise to success. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. Where most players have a left leg, the San Diego product has what can only be described as a cannon. 1 to 32. I saw the first one (when Stout was selected). No wonder the "punt god" is generating NFL draft buzz. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza is unlike anyone who has ever played the position before. The number of seasons for each punter includes every season where at least half of a season was played. 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. Chad Reuter ranks his favorite picks in each round. Pro Football Network, LLC. Araiza shattered the all-time record of 32 punts of 50 or more yards in a single season, by achieving 39. The San Diego State punter is logical and industrious in his approach to the game both on and off the field. 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. On Wednesday, Georgia police announced a warrant for Carter's arrest on suspicion of reckless driving and racing. "The coach I had for my first eight years in New Orleans, if I hit a punt over 55 yards, he was mad," Morstead said. to gain some insight on how teams are evaluating the Aztecs enrollees as the draft process is set to begin. 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. 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. 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. Araiza was chosen with the first pick in the sixth round, the 180th pick overall. The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. In the NFL, only two players can release, so additional time to get downfield is significant. #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/ifbf6FjLa0, Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) April 30, 2022. 2023 USFL College Draft: Three Players From Mountain West Selected, San Diego State Football: Three Questions For Spring Practice. 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. And opponents often have to go 90 yards against that incredible defense, because of Araizas amazing punts. In this years tight end class, Brugler ranked Ferguson 12th, one spot higher than Bellinger. In fact, the San Diego State punter and placekicker had his eye on playing in his school's brand-new stadium next season while going for a master's degree. But the biggest question about Harden remainsand it wont be answered until the playoffs. Will Malik Willis develop into a high-end QB for the Titans? But since 2000, nobody has gone higher than Bryan Anger, who was picked 70th by the Jaguars in 2012. When asked if there were any other Aztec players with potential draft stock, Brugler named left tackle Zach Thomas and running back Greg Bell as two guys who have a shot to be late-round picks or priority free agents (PFA). According to PFF, Araiza had the eighth-lowest kickoff return percentage in the country at less than 15%. Punter Bryan Anger famously went five picks before Russell Wilson in 2012 with the 70th overall pick. It wasn't surprising that San Diego State punter Matt Araiza lasted until the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, where the Buffalo Bills chose Araiza. But Araiza has a rocket launcher for a leg, so for him consistency is making 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. Araiza had a 6.09 Prospect Grade on NFL.com, compared to 5.99 for Stout and 5.85 for Camarda. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? Matt Araiza knew the Big Punt was different. In the latest. 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. Middle Tennessee State punter Kyle Ulbrich is . Furthermore, it wasnt even a thought. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. 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