Some NFL punter history was made on Saturday, and it didn’t include the “punt god.”
For the first time since 2007, two punters were selected in the first four rounds of the NFL draft. The Baltimore Ravens selected Penn State’s Jordan Stout with the No. 130 overall pick, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Georgia’s Jake Camarda three spots later.
Stout and Camarda were surprisingly taken before San Diego State punter Matt Araiza, who became known as the “punt god” after setting an NCAA record last season with a booming 51.1-yard average.
Stout, who set a Penn State record with a 46.6-yard average, became the highest punter taken since 2019. Mitch Wishnowsky was drafted 110th overall by the San Francisco 49ers in that draft.
The arrival of Stout likely means the departure of Sam Koch, who has played in a franchise-record 256 games. Koch, 39, has the third-highest cap figure ($3.175 million) among punters this year. Baltimore can free up $2.1 million by cutting Koch, which could help the team sign a wide receiver or pass rusher after the draft.
The last time two punters were drafted in the first four rounds was 15 years ago, when Jacksonville Jaguars selected Adam Podlesh and Pittsburgh Steelers went with Daniel Sepulveda in the fourth round.