Thomas will have a chance to separate himself from other edge rushers in his tier as the draft process unfolds with the combine and private team workouts to prove he belongs in one of the top 32 spots., A redshirt junior entering this season, Thomas quickly showed scouts he is a pro prospect with his play to start the season. 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. Thomas will have a chance to separate himself from other edge rushers in his tier as the draft process unfolds with the combine and private team workouts to prove he belongs in one of the top 32 spots., A redshirt junior entering this season, Thomas quickly showed scouts he is a pro prospect with his play to start the season. That was somewhat of a goal. The previous year, he punted five times for 249 yards, averaging 49.8 yards per punt. 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). He believes it is worth taking chances on other positions earlier in the draft rather than a punter. The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. That was definitely my first love. But its no secret that he enjoys punting the most. But Araiza has a rocket launcher for a leg, so for him consistency is making highlights. SDSU ranks 117th out of 130 teams in offensive SP+, but its winning anyway because it dominates field position and keeps opponents off the scoreboard. Theyre three different skills that each require practice, and a human leg can swing only so many times before it gets overworked. Before that, the last one came in 2013. 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. Punter's names don't usually pop up as draft choices, so we figured it's a good time to look at the position's history in the draft. The only other times it happened came in 1993 and 2007. Hes quick to find the football, and hes always in pursuit mode.. Well, that was just a way onto the football roster. But thats only half-true: Araiza is also statistically the most talented punter prospect of all time. Pro Football Network, LLC. Mountain West Football: Who Had The Most Turnover Luck In 2022? Dunkle also earned First Team All-American by Pro Football Network and Second Team All-American by the Associated Press. I grew up playing three on three on this tiny indoor field, and thats kind of where my love for soccer and sports started. 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. 1, Ohio State linebacker Tom Cousineau, refused to sign with the Bills and instead inked a lucrative deal with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. National Championship Game Recap: What Went Wrong? Want to hang out Saturday night? They'll give up some big returns, but they'll also have some giant flips of field position.". The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. Not only did Matt Araiza launch a punt, but he also made the tackle (via @CBSSportsNet) #ForTheBrand | @PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/r1BvgmKKjS. In reality, he is an offensive weapon, the kind that ra-ra football coaches . Although drafting a punter often indicates this player will be the unquestioned starter, the position simply is not at a premium where the best at the position and an average player are not too far apart from one another. Im pretty confident in that regard.. Hes going to make stops at all different points of the field, said Brugler. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Hes also redefining how valuable punters can really be. 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. Araiza has a cannon for a leg, shown with his. The draft was held May 34, 1979, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, New York. 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. 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). Furthermore, it wasnt even a thought. As for Araiza, the Bills could potentially be getting a steal with their selection of the player known as "Punt God.". He is exceptional on fourth down, averaging 51.2 yards per punt in his most recent season. 180 overall pick in the sixth round on Saturday. 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. But a few plays didn't quite go . His 32 vertical jump was the same as Chris Olave, our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. It was awesome. 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. Braden Mann, the punter who previously held the FBS record with a 50.98 average, was drafted by the New York Jets in the 6th round in 2020. 8 min read. 0 Rate. [1][2] The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season. in this draft class last month and says teams view him as a second-round prospect. , given to the best punter in college football. San Diego State hosts Fresno State on Saturday night. He was the striker for his high school soccer team, banging home game-winning goals in playoff games. This, surprises me. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza has a leg that can boot the football 80 yards. But since 2000, nobody has gone higher than Bryan Anger, who was picked 70th by the Jaguars in 2012. By Oliver Hodgkinson April 14, 2022 Jump Around This Article Click to show Punters are NFL Draft prospects, too always have been, always will be. 11 overall in 1979 by the New Orleans Saints after being a kicker and punter in college. Araiza served as SDSU's placekicker while he was in college, so he's never had to hold. H, es going to make stops at all different points of the field, said Brugler. Those two picks were also somewhat surprising, if only because you almost never see two punters get taken that early With Stout going at 130th overall and Camarda going three picks later, this year marked just the third time since 1993 that two punters were taken before the end of the fourth round. I have a way bigger fan base because my Moms a teacher in the school district I grew up in. Araiza found a home at SDSU, not far from where he grew up. The first specialist chosen was LSU kicker Cade York, who went to Cleveland in the fourth round, six picks before Stout was taken. Meet Matt Araiza, San Diego State punter who could be among the highest-drafted punters of all time, NFL Draft prospects 2022: Updated big board of top 150 players, rankings by position. They attend expensive camps and begin perfecting their form. All You Touch and All You See: Dark Side of the Moon at 50. 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. 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. Which teams helped themselves in Las Vegas -- and which teams are trending in the wrong direction? The San Diego, California native has a. as the Aztecs kicker. We released a jersey with a company out of San Diego and to see those jerseys in the stands, was crazy to me. Araiza may be the greatest college punter of all time. Did the Packers blow it by once again passing on the receiver position in Round 1? This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? Araiza has as many 80-plus-yard punts in the past two weeks as every punter in the NFL has in the past 10 seasons combined. Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News, for example, projects Araiza to go 174th overall to the defending AFC champion Bengals. 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 . 2023 USFL College Draft: Three Players From Mountain West Selected, San Diego State Football: Three Questions For Spring Practice. The Ray Guy Award winner and unanimous First-Team All-American declared for the NFL Draft last week with hopes of becoming the next punter drafted in the NFL. Soccer was, for sure, the first sport I wanted to play professionally. The Bills' selection at No. 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. San Diego State ranks seventh in overall special teams FEI, which takes into account all aspects of special teams. Unlike other positions, not many teams are looking to add a rookie punter to their team, let alone willing to draft a punter with a precious draft pick. Hes a talented guy who should help with winning the field position category., However, just like any other special teams prospect, Coach Maalouf believes the San Diego State product should be worked out by coaches. Araiza set the FBS record this year with a 51.19 average. 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. Coach Marwan Maalouf, currently coaching special teams at the University of Miami and longtime NFL special teams coach, thinks highly of Araiza. Kicking? The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last 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. One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State Universitys Matt Araiza. In the NFL, only two players can release, so additional time to get downfield is significant. It was definitely a cool experience.. I wonder whether at some point they will simply stand farther back. Georgias Dominant Title Defense and a Curtain Call for the Ages, The Mandalorian Season 3, Episode 1 Instant Reactions. Sorry, I cantPunt God is playing Fresno State on CBS Sports Network at 10:30 p.m. No other punter. Bellinger recently signed with JB Sports, Inc., the same agency that represents San Francisco 49ers tight end, George Kittle. NFL Draft. Maybe hell hit one 90 yards this week! Several other three-round mock drafts have slotted Thomas from the first round to not listed. Not only has he shown his prowess as a punter, but Coach Maalouf adds he kicked off as well and was good at it. Punter Bryan Anger famously went five picks before Russell Wilson in 2012 with the 70th overall pick.