The Buffalo Bills selected a punter at the 2022 NFL draft, San Diego State’s Matt Araiza, in the sixth round.
Araiza was not the first punter taken off the draft board, but prior to the event he was certainly the most popular.
With that, here are 10 things to know about Araiza:
Versatile, even as a kicker
San Diego State Aztecs kicker Matt Araiza (2) Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
The Bills love their versatility in every position.
But kickers only have one job, right? Not Araiza.
Araiza was both a punters and a placekicker in college. He can do a lot.
The accolades
San Diego State kicker Matt Araiza (01) . (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)
Along with his “dual-threat” ability punting and kicker, Araiza caught headlines because of his award-winning efforts. He won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter last season and earned multiple all-conference honors during his college career.
He set an NCAA record by averaging 51.19 yards per punt last season, eclipsing the record set by Texas A&M’s Braden Mann in 2018.
That nickname… that he doesn’t like
San Diego State kicker Matt Araiza (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Finally, the top reason you’ve likely heard of Araiza: The nickname.
In social media circles, he’s called the “Punt God.”
It’s a lofty nickname… and one he revealed to not even like after the draft. As a rookie, it’s probably smart to say you don’t like it.
Another lefty
Matt Araiza #2 of the San Diego State Aztecs i. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
Throughout the tenure of Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott, he has specifically targeted one type of punter: a lefty.
The idea is that the ball spins differently when kicked and is something an opposing return man has to think about. McDermott wants any advantage he can get and that’s one of them.
Interestingly, Araiza is…