Could Aaron Rodgers help Christian Watson compete for hardware from the jump in Green Bay? An all-around special teams contributor, the 2021 unanimous All-American had kickoff duties for San Diego State. But, thats not all Araiza can do. So, what's next for this group -- in 2022 and beyond? I dont want it to be in the same corner of the country my whole life. However, his pass-blocking steadily improved throughout the final ten games of the season, and he finished with a. Leodalis De Vries, the next international star for Padres? The Raiders drafted him with the 23rd pick in 1973. 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). But, I knew I had the potential and once I got rocking and rolling, everything would work out as it did.. Also, a higher average yards per punt does not always mean better sometimes you want to directionally punt, so this can be misleading. The NFL scouting combine an intense and significant event in the pre-draft process is underway in Indianapolis. Draft doings The Chargers will arrive at the combine still armed with their original seven picks one in each round in the upcoming draft. 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. 130) and Georgia's Jake Camarda to the Buccaneers (fourth round, No. Kittle trains in the offseason in Nashville, Tennessee, and will work SDSUs tight end there. Araiza had a 6.09 Prospect Grade on NFL.com, compared to 5.99 for Stout and 5.85 for Camarda. I wonder whether at some point they will simply stand farther back. The San Diego State product has shot up draft boards (relatively) thanks to a season in which he set an NCAA record by averaging 51.19 yards per punt, eclipsing the record set by Texas A&M's Braden Mann in 2018. National Championship Game Recap: What Went Wrong? At some positions, NFL teams can struggle to identify the best players. Big, big leg. Freshman year of high school. 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 is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. Araiza is the highest drafted punter in program history and third Aztec punter selected in the NFL Draft, following Mike Saxon in 1984 (300th pick) and Wayne Ross in 1988 (315th pick). So whats his potential in the 2022 NFL Draft? That was a huge honor, Araiza said. Zac Al-Khateeb is a content producer for The Sporting News. 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. The first two punters went off the board in the fourth round with the Ravens selecting Jordan Stout and the Buccaneers taking Jake Camarda. 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. Stout was among three finalists for the 2021 Ray Guy Award that went to Araiza as the nations top collegiate punter. Quarterbacks can put up gaudy stats because of their offensive scheme; wide receivers who dominate in college can look lost in the pros. 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. All these coaches have an opinion of their own and like to make their own decisions, Araiza said. 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. 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. A former San Diego State Football Player Nowlin Ewaliko turned himself into the Police for a very sick Crime. Although it is important to recognize that some of these punters have not had as many seasons as others theyve competed against, some believe a player like Araiza should be one of the top NFL punters immediately upon entering the league. Twenty-nine percent of his punts went for touchbacks. Though the Bills are hardly known for punting, on the rare occasions they do, Araiza will be expected to tip the field and also be a weapon on kickoffs (he had 62 touchbacks in 73 kickoffs). If I can get my punter as an UDFA instead of using a draft selection on him, that would be preferable.. But whats the legacy of the blockbuster album? The biggest surprise is that college football's top punter, Matt Araiza, wasn't the first punter off the board this year. February 28, 2023 6:16 pm SI NFL Draft Bible. To generate that fan base was a really cool experience and it was awesome to see. Stout was one of the top punters in this year's class and it wasn't a total shocker to see him become the first punter taken. He spent time at Qualcomm Stadium watching the San Diego Chargers, enjoying the passionate environment in person but still holding soccer in his heart. That group includes not only several picks taken inside the top 100 overall players, but also four players taken in the second round and another two taken in the first round. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. All Rights Reserved. But at the very least, Araiza has ensured that pro scouts will look at him, which didnt happen for him coming out of high school. He was being 100 percent serious, and hes 100 percent correct. Dan Hanzus takes stock of the NFL hierarchy with his post-draft Power Rankings. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Soon after San Diego State's bowl win in December, Araiza declared early for the drafta rarity for a punterand began the transition from player to prospect. 0 Rate. 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. This season, hes put it to devastating use week in and week out. It's not clear why Araiza dropped all the way down to the sixth round, but there are plenty of theories. Chicago took offensive tackle Zach Thomas, Camerons brother, in the sixth round. 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. What I was asked to do was different from a skill set (perspective) than maybe other players have. Ray Guy, for whom a college football award is named, was a first-round pick in 1973. What was surprising even shocking, to some is that two punters were selected Saturday ahead of Araiza. Around 20 minutes north of San Diego State University lies North County Soccer Park. We have an 86 yard punt EIGHTY SIX (CC @RKalland) pic.twitter.com/KIi5d3VTTO. 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. Araiza, a. But the San Diego State punter, nicknamed "Punt God" by Twitter and anyone that has seen his 80-yard moonshots for three seasons with the Aztecs, has declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. Former Eagles President and Browns CEO Joe Banner gave his take on how he would approach this unique prospect. These were certified piss missiles not to be confused with lucky bounces and rolls. Bellinger recently signed with JB Sports, Inc., the same agency that represents, Dunkle declared for the NFL Draft after finishing the season with a. , the highest by an offensive lineman since Pro Football Focus (PFF) began tracking the metric. In 2015, he broke the San Diego sectional record for field goals in a single season, Rancho Bernardo won a state championship, and he was named to the MaxPreps sophomore All-American team. His older brother has long thought so. Pro Football Network strives to passionately deliver purposeful, captivating, and exceptional football content. He had an excellent showing in the combine, punting with stunning accuracy before impressing attendees with his sprinting. When I looked up at that ball, it was crazy, Araiza says. My sophomore season, we won the state championship, Araiza said. I thought I was going to play soccer overseas in Europe, he says, so that was the goal for a while., Most kickers and punters specialize in their chosen paths from an early age. Bills get the Punt God in the SIXTH ROUND. Araiza should win the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the nations best punter. The Bills' selection at No. Then theres his NFL potential: Just how high will Araiza be drafted? The signing bonus in that spot last year was $240,152. Punts in between the 30s (2021 only):Jordan Stout, Penn State (36 Punts)Inside 20 83%Inside 10 53%Touchback 6%Average Field Pos. Araizas leg strength is remarkable; however, he will need to cut down on the power in certain instances to further achieve NFL success. Dunkle also earned First Team All-American by Pro Football Network and Second Team All-American by the Associated Press. Brugler assesses that Araiza, the top punter in the draft, will likely be a Day 3 draftee (rounds four through seven) and could go early in Day 3 depending on how impressive he performs during team workouts. Ray Guy is the only punter to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. While a lot of kids growing up dream of playing in the NFL, at that time it wasnt even a consideration for Araiza. Araiza set a number of ALL-TIME records in this past season, and the lefty has shown that punters can be tough as nails to boot. NFL Draft Profile: Rhys Byrns, Punter, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns - Football Alliance. Field Pos. Gennaro Filice provides draft grades for each NFC South team. in this draft class last month. Time will tell. 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. In this graphic, there appears to be nearly no association between where a player was selected and his average AV per season. 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. Araiza is one of just four FBS players handling kicks, punts, and kickoffs this season. In the season opener against New Mexico State, Araiza boomed a 77-yarder. 10-yard split time 1.61 seconds Somehow, were both getting what we want. 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