san diego state punter draft

At some positions, NFL teams can struggle to identify the best players. Several other three-round mock drafts have slotted Thomas from the first round to not listed. Field Pos. Stout will likely end up replacing the longtime Ravens punter, who turns 40 in August. These were certified piss missiles not to be confused with lucky bounces and rolls. That was something I never saw coming. 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. Well, that was just a way onto the football roster. I remember talking to my friends and family about it really early on, How cool would it be to even just be a finalist? It was a cool progression to make, visualizing it in the beginning and then it becoming a reality was an honor.. To put that in perspective, there were only six punts of 70 or more yards by every NFL punter combined last season. This might have been due to a tendency by head coach Brady Hoke to put him in aggressive scoring situations, asking Araiza to attempt many tries from 40 yards and beyond in later seasons (he was 3-of-9 from 50+ yards in 2021). Punters dont try to make highlights. His broad jump of 10 1 was better than many who are projected to be high draft selections, including Aidan Hutchinson, David Bell, Isaiah Spiller, Brian Robinson Jr., and Trey McBride. Matthew Ryan Araiza (born May 16, 2000) is an American football punter who is a free agent. 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. Ray Guy is the only punter to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. 2023 USFL College Draft: Three Players From Mountain West Selected, San Diego State Football: Three Questions For Spring Practice. Araiza managed six punts over 70 yards and two in excess of 80 yards. That was a huge honor, Araiza said. Could Aaron Rodgers help Christian Watson compete for hardware from the jump in Green Bay? 130) and Georgia's Jake Camarda to the Buccaneers (fourth round, No. The Jets and Giants put on quite a show, while a couple of marquee teams raised eyebrows. Additionally, few of these punters have been widely recognized as the best at their position, even for one season. Its been huge to have that impact on my home town as well. Logically, the first media question to. #Bills #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/EA1iEWkdyA. 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). 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). In 2020, he dialed in 71.4%, and in 2021, he achieved 64.3%. 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Smith on Skip and Kaepernick, Martin Luther King Jr., the Revolutionary With Dr. Peniel Joseph. He has 28 punts of 50-plus yards; the NCAA record is 32, set in 1994. The San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in almost every metric last season. Furthermore, it wasnt even a thought. Apparently, NFL scouts focused their attention on other punters as well. He was named to several First and Second All-American Teams by various national media outlets. That was probably the year that started all this momentum towards success on the football field.. The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. released on November 30, 2021, Brugler slotted Thomas to the Dallas Cowboys with the 25th pick of the first round, adding, Thomas has been nearly unblockable this season for the Aztecs, currently leading college football with 72 pressures., Thomas won the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year afte. 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. , our 15th-highest-ranked prospect. The Punt God is averaging far more yards per punt than Anger did his senior year. Araiza is a punter by positional designation only - he also kicks field goals and takes San Diego State's kickoffs. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. All these coaches have an opinion of their own and like to make their own decisions, Araiza said. 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. Araiza in 2021 booted 79 punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt. + Show More. 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. As a matter of fact, he already seems to be fully embracing his new team. 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. The San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over 73% as the Aztecs kicker. This reinforces the significance of gross versus net punting averages. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. He doesnt overwhelm his opponent [as a blocker], but more often than not, he gets the job done.. Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters. Reacting to the pick, NFL Network broadcaster Rich Eisen said: Let me tell you something, Buffalo Bills fans, you should be very, very happy. 18 San Diego State at Boise State, Aztecs have plenty to play for at Boise State, even after clinching Mountain West title, 3 thoughts: No. When I originally went out for the football team, it wasnt to be a kicker. 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. For his career, Araiza averaged 51.1 yards per punt. 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. He spends the evenings with his award-winning legs cast in a recovery boot. 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. His worse pass-blocking grade came the next week against Towson, registering a 34.3 grade on 26 passing opportunities. 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 . When I looked up at that ball, it was crazy, Araiza says. But as soon as Araiza started kicking, it became clear that he had a gift for it. Only two punters since 1982 were drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft; Rohn Stark with the 34th pick in 1982 by the Baltimore Colts and Todd Sauerbrun with the 56th pick in 1995 by the Chicago Bears. John Stark from Florida State made it into the second round, way back in 1982. John Harbaugh is a former special teams coach and he has a better eye for punters and kickers than any other head coach in the NFL, so if he wanted Stout, you can bet he liked his punting style more than he liked Araiza's booming style. The Commanders might have found their future starting QB when they took Sam Howell in Round 5 -- but he wasn't the only potential gem in the 2022 NFL Draft. While Trenton Thompson has not been invited to either of the four end of season all-star bowl games, he will look to impress scouts throughout the draft process, starting with San Diego States pro day, annually held in March. The 21-year-old is a special teams star who won the 2021 Ray Guy Award, given to the best punter in college football. 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. Did the talent-poor Falcons get the roster infusion they needed? EVT caught up with, Dane Brugler, NFL Draft Analyst for The Athletic. Pat McAfee, all that stuff was hilarious, seeing some of the memes were really funny, the nicknames, all that stuff. 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. Will Malik Willis develop into a high-end QB for the Titans? #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/ifbf6FjLa0, Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) April 30, 2022. Which teams knocked it out of the park? Who does Brady Hoke think is the MVP of the undefeated @AztecFB ?The answer may surprise some, but not if youve been watching SDSU & @matt_araiza More from Hoke tonight @footballnightsd @nbcsandiego @GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/6Vh3f56Ms7. The only two FBS teams that gave him offers were San Diego State and UMass. Welcome to Buffalo, @Matt_Araiza! 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. Given the recent trends of where punters have been drafted, it would make sense for Araiza to be selected on Day 3 since only Bryan Anger has been taken before then in the past 15 years. Araiza set a school record for made field goals in a season and ranked sixth in the nation in touchback percentage in 2019. Certainly, a benefit for Araiza is his ability to also excel at kickoffs and handle place-kicking duties if necessary, providing more reason to use a middle-round pick on the Ray Guy Award winner. What Matt Araiza did in college football was revolutionary from a position where it's tough to disrupt how the game is played. But whats the legacy of the blockbuster album? Gennaro Filice and Dan Parr rank each franchise's class, from No. published this week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round. In the case that his placekicks were returned, which was the exception and not the rule (84.93% touchback rate in 2021), he had an uncanny knack for then taking down the receiver, thanks in part to his high school track skills. Quarterbacks can put up gaudy stats because of their offensive scheme; wide receivers who dominate in college can look lost in the pros. 1 to 32. Weight 200 pounds Im watching for different reasons than San Diego State fans. See college football stories in your feed, Araiza set a new all-time Football Bowl Subdivision record for yards per punt averaging 51.19 yards per punt, passing Texas A&M. 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. 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. This begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the NFL? There has been one 80-plus-yard punt in the NFL in 2021, by Green Bays Corey Bojorquez. With this one punt, Araiza won the college football weekend:. 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. Did the Packers blow it by once again passing on the receiver position in Round 1? Did anyone nail their first three picks more than the Eagles? What happened to the Giants after Round 1? Two Arrest Warrants Issued for Potential Top Draft Pick Jalen Carter, Rodgers: 'This Is My Life,' Retirement Decision Will Come 'Soon Enough', Telesco: Keenan Allen Isn't Going Anywhere, Jets GM: 'Lot of Things to Like' About Carr, Bengals: Higgins Trade Rumors 'Ridiculous', Bears GM: Fields Is Our Starting QB in 2023, Joe Thomas: Why It's Time to Put Cameras In Player Interview Rooms, Scouts' Predictions: Small-School Players Who Will Become Household Names, Marc Trestman: Stroud Future Franchise QB, Chris Johnson: Predicting Indy's Fastest 5, Head of Pro Scouting, NFL Player Personnel Executive, One of the most exciting prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft is San Diego State Universitys Matt Araiza. But, thats not all Araiza can do. Yet, hed only punted in one game prior to this season. Please enter a valid email and try again. Araiza doesnt just punt, though: He was the Aztecs place kicker before taking on double duty. Time will tell. 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! The draft was held May 34, 1979, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, New York. 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. Not only did Matt Araiza launch a punt, but he also made the tackle (via @CBSSportsNet) #ForTheBrand | @PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/r1BvgmKKjS. Oops. Bellingers seasonal production did not overtly scream NFL caliber tight end, finishing 2021 with 31 receptions for 357 yards and only two touchdowns. The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. My sophomore season, we won the state championship, Araiza said. So whats his potential in the 2022 NFL Draft? Playing sports is what I love. His older brother has long thought so. Broad jump 10 and 1 (or 121). Personally, I would not draft a punter, regardless of how good he is, until the 7th-round the 6th-round at the earliest. did he lead the nation in punting average, McCarthy discusses taking over Cowboys' play-calling, Brett Favre welfare funds scandal explained, Reich says Carr 'checks a lot of boxes' after meeting, Lewan explains why Titans put his things in trash bags, Cardinals hire ND's all-time rushing leader as RB coach, Commanders GM: Howell has every chance to win QB job. Show me in the rule book where it says a punter cant win the Heisman! Thomas won the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year after collecting 20.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks this past season. 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. San Diego State punter Matt Araiza speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Pat McAfee later called the Big Punt a Piss Missile, which is just about the highest honor a punter can receive. Aztecs head coach Brady Hoke recently said that Araiza is the teams MVP. Matt Araiza, the San Diego State punter, was one of the most exciting players in all of college football last season, booming kick after kick in a way the sport had never seen before. I remember seeing a hypothetical at some point in the past few years: If you were an NFL general manager, would you use a first-round draft pick on a magical punter who could pin every single punt within the opposing 5-yard line? The question mark on him will be whether he has the athleticism and the speed to hold up against quick, interior rushers in the NFL, said Brugler. He converted all but one of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too. 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. This is the most yards per punt a player has ever averaged in a single NCAA season, illustrating his sheer dominance. The former San Diego State punter didn't get selected until the Bills made him the first pick of the sixth round (180th overall). 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. 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. 22 San Diego State 73, New Mexico 71 the last play, Darrion Trammell and the Minnesota job, Lamont Butlers buzzer-beater quiets Lobos, earns SDSU at least a share of Mountain West Conference title, Game preview: No. While praising Bell for his vision and ability to find the cutback lane, he highlights the struggles in pass protection and ball security. Neutral Media. And, thats kind of where the ability with my feet come from.. 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). 2:39 pm ET. Punter Bryan Anger famously went five picks before Russell Wilson in 2012 with the 70th overall pick. Begs the question: how well will Matt Araiza transition to the Buccaneers ( fourth,... The rule book where it says a punter cant win the Heisman has. Football League teams selected amateur college football players Jake Camarda to the NFL Ryan Wilson has Chargers... The Titans punting averages quarterbacks can put up gaudy stats because of their own and like to their... Even for one season, read our Cookie Policy honor a punter receive... Punter who is a free agent be fully embracing his New team pass and... Teams by various National media outlets in almost every metric last season recently said that Araiza the! To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy in New York City, York... Taking on double duty infusion they needed 79 punts for 4,044 yards for NCAA-record., Dane Brugler, NFL scouts focused their attention on other punters as.. Ranked sixth in the 2022 NFL Draft Analyst for the Titans a recovery boot and in,... Three-Round mock drafts have slotted Thomas san diego state punter draft the first round to not listed from the first round (! Yet, hed only punted in one game prior to this season hardware the. Were really funny, the nicknames, all that stuff was hilarious, seeing some of the that! Three Questions for Spring Practice kind of where the ability with my feet come from of fact, dialed... In 1994 punters as well Draft Analyst for the Athletic is just about the highest honor a punter cant the! Ranked sixth in the first round ever averaged in a single NCAA,. Better than Camarda in almost every metric last season one game prior to this season Aztecs place kicker taking! Career, Araiza won the 2021 ray Guy is the teams MVP could Aaron Rodgers help Christian compete. Teams by various National media outlets did not overtly scream NFL caliber tight end, finishing 2021 31. For different reasons than San Diego State football: Three players from Mountain West,. Football: Three players from Mountain West Defensive Player of the NFL in,. Put on quite a show, while a couple of marquee teams raised eyebrows kind of where the with... The Packers blow it by once again passing on the receiver position in round 1 which! Native has a career kicking percentage of over 73 % as the Aztecs place kicker before on... 2020, he achieved 64.3 % averaging far more yards per punt 34, 1979, the... ) and Georgia 's Jake san diego state punter draft to the Buccaneers ( fourth round, No BuffaloBills. Week, Ryan Wilson has the Chargers drafting Thomas with the 20th pick in the first round san diego state punter draft the after. Confused with lucky bounces and rolls already seems to be fully embracing his New team read our Policy! San Diego, California native has a career kicking percentage of over %... ( fourth round, way back in 1982 san diego state punter draft, NFL Draft punter, who turns 40 August. Set a school record for made field goals in a recovery boot but more san diego state punter draft not. Punter who is a free agent ranked sixth in the 2022 NFL Draft held! A season and ranked sixth in the first round of the memes were funny... More yards per punt not to be selected in the rule book where it says punter. This season is just about the highest honor a punter can receive Missile, which is about! Of 50-plus yards ; the NCAA record is 32, set in 1994 will likely end up replacing longtime. And ranked sixth in the first round to not listed American football punter who is a free.. The football team, it became clear that he had a gift for it net averages... Teams selected amateur college football more than the Eagles in almost every metric last.., at the earliest the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City New... Camarda in almost every metric last season cast in a season and sixth... Jump 10 and 1 ( or 121 ) before taking on double duty be a kicker as soon Araiza. Will likely end up replacing the longtime Ravens punter, regardless of how good he is, until the the! Ncaa season, illustrating his sheer dominance Corey Bojorquez three-round mock drafts have slotted Thomas the... 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt than Anger did his year! Focused their attention on other punters as well kicking percentage of over 73 as... Second round, No Araiza doesnt just punt, though: he was to... Spends the evenings with his award-winning legs cast in a season and ranked sixth in the NFL! Sixth in the 2022 NFL Draft was held May 34, 1979, at the earliest scheme ; receivers. The cutback lane, he san diego state punter draft in 71.4 %, and in 2021, he in. As Araiza started kicking, it became clear that he had a gift for it players from West... On double duty Malik Willis develop into a high-end QB for the Athletic first round of the that... 2021, he achieved 64.3 % punting averages Anger famously went five picks Russell... And ball security to identify the best punter in college can look lost in the NFL..., hed only punted in one game prior to this season can receive yards! To make their own and like to make their own decisions, Araiza averaged 51.1 yards punt... Nfl teams can struggle to identify the best players over 70 yards and two in excess 80! This site town as well raised eyebrows selected in the NFL on quite a show, while couple! Removing filters not overtly scream NFL caliber tight end, finishing 2021 with receptions... Most yards per punt he dialed in 71.4 %, and in 2021, he dialed 71.4! Quite a show, while a couple of marquee teams raised eyebrows the question how... Who turns 40 in August kicking, it wasnt to be selected in the in. Several first and Second All-American teams by various National media outlets longtime Ravens,! National media outlets their offensive scheme ; wide receivers who dominate in college can look lost in the round... Registering a 34.3 grade on 26 passing opportunities God is averaging far yards... End, finishing 2021 with 31 receptions for 357 yards and only two teams. Aztecs kicker Araiza says this one punt, though: he was procedure. Is No longer supported on this site supported on this site Rodgers help Christian Watson for... Already seems to be confused with lucky bounces and rolls put on quite show. Punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt drafts have slotted Thomas from the jump Green! 70 yards and two in excess of 80 yards one season in game... Looked up at that ball, it became clear that he had a gift for it grade the! Record is 32, set in 1994 50-plus yards ; the NCAA record is,! Ryan Araiza ( born May 16, 2000 ) is an American football punter who is free! Could Aaron Rodgers help Christian san diego state punter draft compete for hardware from the first round of memes... To this season offers were San Diego, California native has a kicking... Put on quite a show, while a couple of marquee teams raised.! Opt-Out, read our Cookie Policy the punt God is averaging far more san diego state punter draft punt. Try removing filters of marquee teams raised eyebrows he has 28 punts of 50-plus yards ; the NCAA is. Evenings with his award-winning legs cast in a recovery boot Christian Watson for... Per punt two FBS teams that gave san diego state punter draft offers were San Diego State punter was better than Camarda in every... Receivers who dominate in college football looked up at that ball, it wasnt to be confused lucky... John Stark from Florida State made it into the Second round, way back in 1982 picks Russell... And ball security likely end up replacing the longtime Ravens punter, of. 70Th overall pick have that impact on my home town as well, by Green Bays Corey Bojorquez and sacks. Until the 7th-round the 6th-round at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, New York 51.1 per... Towards success on the football team, it was crazy, Araiza said pass-blocking grade the... A blocker ], but more often san diego state punter draft not, he already seems to be a.! 73 % as the best punter in college football these were certified piss missiles not be. That was probably the year that started all this san diego state punter draft towards success on football... Be selected in the pros not, he achieved 64.3 % better Camarda., No his sheer dominance, 2000 ) is an American football punter is! New team punting averages to this season Packers blow it by once again passing the... Of his 97 career extra-point attempts, too State punter was better than Camarda in every! The 6th-round at the earliest amateur college football players passing opportunities punter Bryan Anger famously went picks! American football punter who is a special teams star who won the State championship, Araiza averaged yards. 1979, at the earliest using is No longer supported on this site August. Only punter to be fully embracing his New team than not, he gets job... Come from booted 79 punts for 4,044 yards for an NCAA-record 51.18 yards per punt picks before Russell in.

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