Matt Araiza and the Draft

[billsbackto81]

On 3/2/2022 at 7:21 PM, artmalibu said:

If they are sold on him being a generational player I would say round 2.  May sound crazy but if he is that good the one pick could make a big change in the field position battle every week.  As a punter the transition to the NFL should be one of the easiest.  That is hard to say about any other position.   

 

I dont know the guy at all but would expect him to have more than a strong leg.  He would need to drop the ball inside the 20 every time.  

I know there have been a handful but how often do you hear the term "generational player" when it comes to punters.😂

[Captain Caveman]

I hope we carry no punter into next year.  On the rare occasion where we really need to do it just have Kumerow take a crack at it.

[CNYfan]

9 minutes ago, billsbackto81 said:

I know there have been a handful but how often do you hear the term "generational player" when it comes to punters.😂

Sebastian Janakowski (k) was a first round selection by Al Davis

[TheyCallMeAndy]

He’ll go in the 6th, weak arm, slow QBs and P/Ks never go as high as the hype.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

28 minutes ago, Captain Caveman said:

I hope we carry no punter into next year.  On the rare occasion where we really need to do it just have Kumerow take a crack at it.

Divine intervention? 🤔

[artmalibu]

33 minutes ago, billsbackto81 said:

I know there have been a handful but how often do you hear the term "generational player" when it comes to punters.😂

 

The term "generational player" was used in the OP and hence why I used it.  The OP made a case that the punter in question here is one.  No punters are not hyped like the players who generate fantasy points but a great punter can make a big difference in the the outcome of a game.   

[Draconator]

11 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

He’ll go in the 6th, weak arm, slow QBs and P/Ks never go as high as the hype.

 

Sebastian Janikowski

[TheyCallMeAndy]

3 minutes ago, Draconator said:

 

Sebastian Janikowski

That was like 20 years ago and an idiot owner lol

[Draconator]

12 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

That was like 20 years ago and an idiot owner lol

 

Fact remains, you said never, and it happened. 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

4 minutes ago, Draconator said:

 

Fact remains, you said never, and it happened. 

[Buffalo716]

13 minutes ago, Draconator said:

 

Fact remains, you said never, and it happened. 

Not to mention Tampa Bay took that idiot kicker in the second round a few years ago too

[Jay_Fixit]

Bills fans and punters.

 

 

 

Lol

[ColoradoBills]

19 minutes ago, Jay_Fixit said:

Bills fans and punters.

 

 

 

Lol

 

It is truly amazing.

[Turbo44]

1 hour ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

He’ll go in the 6th, weak arm, slow QBs and P/Ks never go as high as the hype.

I think the 5th. Two other great punters will go later (Penn state guy and GA guy) and any of the 3 will do.

[MrEpsYtown]

So to take Janikowski the Raiders passed on some good players like Shaun Alexander, Keith Bulluck. It was not a real strong first round aside from Brian Urlacher who was gone when they picked. They also passed on Erik Flowers and Travares Tillman. And some guy named Tom Brady. 

Also Michael Dickson went in the fifth. Pat O’Donnell in the 6th. Mitch Wishnowsky went in top of the 4th. Bryan Anger went in the 3rd. I think Araiza goes in the 3rd. 

[unbillievable]

I expect him to be gone in the 3rd round. I wouldn't be surprised if a team takes him in the 2nd. Some might be stupid enough to take him in the 1st.

 

Objectively speaking, he would have a 1st round grade. Only his position would stop teams from picking him high, but some teams still draft safeties, guards,centers, and Runningbacks high despite the warnings every year.

 

 

[Albany,n.y.]

2 hours ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

That was like 20 years ago and an idiot owner lol

He also drafted a HOF punter in the 1st round who, like the PK, lasted a lot longer than most of the other 1st round picks that year.  

 

Now there's no way I'm advocating a punter in the 1st round, but there was a method to Al Davis' madness.  He solidified a postion each time for a much longer time than most NFL careers last.  Of course the better way to go is the way the Ravens have handled things having a long time P who was a 6th round pick going into his 17th season & an undrafted PK, considered one of, if not the best PKs in the NFL, going into season 11.  

[hemma]

He’d be an immediate starter.

Don’t pigeonhole immediate starters into a poorly reasoned, preset round.

Espensa was a 2nd rounder and from what I can see, will have less impact over his entire career than Araiza will have as a rookie.

 

If he’s there in the 3rd, run up there.  Our punter sucks and was by far the worst starter on the team.

[BigDingus]

Absolutely no way you draft a punter in the first 3 rounds unless you're absolutely desperate. I wouldn't even draft one in the 4th round unless you have several additional picks throughout the draft, even if they're an immediate impact player.

 

Considering where this team's strengths are, do you really want to use a pick on someone who is only out there for 3 or 4 snaps a game, sometimes less? When the Bills are performing well (as they were in the playoffs), I don't want a valued draft pick going to someone who isn't even touching the field contributing to that.

 

Hell, they don't even get to at least put points on the board like a FG kicker who can literally win a game. Great punting is valuable, but ST coverage goes hand-in-hand with their success far more than a place holder does with a FG kicker. So sure, we can all envision the perfect scenario of punt pinning a team back & bouncing out of bounds at the 2 yard line, but that'll be relatively rare as opposed to pretty much anything else of value that happens on the field.

 

I'd rather have extra O-line, D-line, CB's, WR's, or even another RB before a punter... Just about anything else would be more impactful in 99% of snaps against key opponents throughout the year.

[MrEpsYtown]

You have to look at the teams with the most draft capital. Like the:

 

Ravens who have five 4th round picks.

Browns have two 3rds and three 4ths.

 

Giants have two 1s and two 3s. 

 

The Eagles have three 1s, then 2,3,4 and three 5ths. They have 6 picks in the first four rounds. They can easily grab a punter.

 

I think, the Bills would have to consider Araiza in front of these teams in the bottom of the third if they want him. 
 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by MrEpsYtown