SAN DIEGO — 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.
Specialists often aren't taken until the draft's later rounds.
What was surprising — even shocking, to some — is that two punters were selected Saturday ahead of Araiza.
Two rounds ahead of him, in fact.
In the fourth round, Baltimore selected Penn State Punter Jordan Stout with the 130th overall pick. Georgia punter Jake Camarda was taken three picks later by Tampa Bay.
Stout was among three finalists for the 2021 Ray Guy Award that went to Araiza as the nation's top collegiate punter.
Camarda was not even a semifinalist for the award, not that pro scouts necessarily concern themselves with such things.
Araiza had a 6.09 Prospect Grade on NFL.com, compared to 5.99 for Stout and 5.85 for Camarda.
Hang time was the primary concern for Araiza in the weeks and months leading up to the draft. It was not an issue in college, where everyone at the line can release downfield after the snap. In the NFL, only two players can release, so additional time to get downfield is significant.
Araiza addressed the issue at the NFL combine and SDSU's Pro Day, where he boomed punts that had a hang time as much as 5.3 seconds (the NFL average is 4.3 seconds).
"I made a lot of changes, from more of a brute force-style punter to an NFL-style punter," Araiza said last month after SDSU's Pro Day.
The first specialist chosen was LSU kicker Cade York, who went to Cleveland in the fourth round, six picks before Stout was taken.
After Stout's selection was announced, an ESPN broadcaster said: "Not many things surprise me in the draft because you expect unpredictable things. This, surprises me. And it's not because it's Jordan Stout. I just mean Matt Araiza out of San Diego State is maybe the best punter I've seen in my lifetime and, yet, Baltimore likes Stout."
And after Camarda was selected: "Am I the only one ... Araiza's the guy we all focused in on."
Apparently, NFL scouts focused their attention on other punters as well.
Maybe some preferred right-footed kickers over guys like Araiza, who is left-footed.
Araiza was chosen with the first pick in the sixth round, the 180th pick overall. The signing bonus in that spot last year was $240,152.
Reacting to the pick, NFL Network broadcaster Rich Eisen said: "Let me tell you something, Buffalo Bills fans, you should be very, very happy. ... When you're playing a field position battle, this guy will just flip the field and put the ball inside the other 20 with just one swing of his leg. Matt Araiza is downright dynamite."
The Buffalo Bills tweeted out the announcement with a picture of Araiza wearing his red and black Aztecs jersey with now-familiar No. 2 and the words: "PUNT GOD!!," the nickname Araiza was given during his record-breaking 2021 season.
Araiza set an NCAA record with a 51.19-yard punting average — boosted by punts of 86 and 81 yards — as well as a record 39 punts of 50-plus yards and 18 punts of 60-plus yards.
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).
The selection of Araiza gave SDSU four players in the 2022 NFL draft. Defensive end Cameron Thomas was chosen in the third round by Arizona and tight end Daniel Bellinger went in the fourth round to the New York Giants. Chicago took offensive tackle Zach Thomas in the sixth round.
It's the most Aztecs drafted since four were taken in 2012.
