Should the LA Chargers draft punter Matt Araiza in the 2022 NFL Draft?

Reasons for the LA Chargers drafting Matt Araiza:

1. The Bolts certainly have the draft capital

The LA Chargers not only head into the 2022 NFL Draft with all of their original draft picks but they also have a projected four compensatory picks to play with as well. Based on Over The Cap's projections, the Chargers are likely going to get one sixth-round pick and three seventh-round picks in the draft.

If there was ever a year to spend an extra pick on a punter then this is probably that year. The team has the capital where they can afford to spend a pick on Araiza and have later picks to fill some of the other depth issues or special teams needs on the roster.

This is the most draft picks that the Bolts will have in any one draft since the 2004 NFL Draft.

2. Matt Araiza is that good

I do not blame anyone for being skeptical of picking a punter in the 2022 NFL Draft but if you have not seen Matt Araiza punt a football then you need to go check out a YouTube highlight reel right now. The guy kicks absolute bombs.

Araiza averaged 51.2 yards per punt in 2021 but that is not the important number as oftentimes a punter wants to tone it down to place a ball inside the 20. Araiza's longest punt of the 2021 season was 86 yards. Araiza kicked the ball from his own goal-line, the ball landed at the 30 and rolled all the way to the three-yard line. He literally punted the ball the length of the entire football field.

For what it is worth, the longest punt in the NFL this season was an 82-yard punt by Green Bay's Corey Bojorquez. No other punter had one over 80 yards. The last time an NFL punter had a punt of 85 or more yards was 2001.