Georgia football: Jake Camarda will be a late-round weapon in 2022 NFL Draft

Georgia football has the potential to see over 10 players drafted in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.

All 15 guys who entered the Draft could get picked up or sign free-agent contracts, which is a true testament to what head coach Kirby Smart keeps doing with this program.

A position that doesn’t always get the most respect is the punter and how pivotal they can be for a team. Georgia has gotten spoiled with Jake Camarda for the last four years, and now he will make his next team very happy.

Teams don’t usually go for punters early on in the draft but can snag one in the later rounds if they are available.

Georgia football punter Jake Camarda will be a weapon for whoever gets him in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Camarda was a 3-star out of high school from Norcross and ranked as the No.1 punter in the country. Since he stepped foot on campus, everyone knew this guy had a massive leg and would be super beneficial.

Special teams emphasize head coach Kirby Smart, so having a punter like Camarda was huge for him.

Last season he also took over the kickoff duties for the Dawgs, so Camarda did it all. He averaged 46.74 yards a punt during the 2021 national championship season. Of his 47 punts, his longest was a 68-yarder, 17 were inside the 20-yard line, and 18 went for 50-plus yards.

Camarda recorded 102 kickoffs in 2021 and 71 of those went for touchbacks. Those are impressive numbers and will only benefit him moving forward.

During his 4-year career in Athens, Camarda kicked 187 punts, averaging 45.8 yards. He had 29 touchbacks, 57 of those called for a fair catch, 70 went inside the 20-yard line and 67 were 50-plus yards.

So 35.8% of his kicks went for 50-plus yards, which is impressive.

Camarda only grew stronger the longer he was in Athens, and now that it’s time to go to the NFL, he will prove that punters are big weapons.

He can flip a field and pin an opponent deep into their territory. This ability can help a defense have the upper hand, and the NFL should take note.

Jake Camarda’s strengths and weaknesses

While Camarda’s stats are NFL-worthy, he does have some consistency issues. However, his strengths outweigh his weaknesses.

Camarada is such a solid directional punter and can be the ball where he needs to. His ability to do kickoffs, too, elevates him. That high touchback percentage is also a major strength for him.

Something he could improve on is his punting hang time, and it isn’t as consistent as it could be. According to NFL.com, he could improve on field-flipping opportunities, and his high returnable punt percentage could hurt him.

However, those are two things that he isn’t the most consistent at but are fixable things.

Where does Jake Camarda lands in the 2022 NFL Draft?

Camarda isn’t the only punter in this class, and despite having a solid leg, there are guys like San Diego State punter Matt Araiza who have a little more strength.

Pro Football Focus has Camarda going at the 241st overall pick and as the No.1 special teams prospect. While guys like Araiza have a stronger leg, Camarda is accurate and his ability to place it where teams need him to puts him higher.

He is one of the 14 Dawgs competing in the NFL Combine this week, and this could be where he could prove some of those things that aren’t the most appealing can be looked past.

Not to mention, the Georgia pro day will be good for him too. Camarda is such a solid player and should have a long career in the NFL.

With a solid performance at both of those, he could be a late sixth round, but expect him to get taken in the seventh round by a team willing to give him an opportunity.

Camarda is a serious weapon, and whoever picks him up will quickly find out how good he is. Georgia football will have a big Draft, and Camarda is one of the many who will become the next group of NFL Dawgs.