Report: The New Orleans Saints and Matt Hayball have agreed to a UDFA agreement.
According to a Tom Pelissero report, punter Matt Hayball of the Vanderbilt Commodores has inked a contract with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent. Hayball is a player that was born in Australia.
Matt Hayball began his playing career as an Owl at FAU. Before transferring to Vanderbilt for his final two collegiate seasons, he lived in Boca Raton for three seasons.
Matt Hayball punted 289 times in his career, averaging 45.2 yards per punt. In addition, he has made 10 tackles while in college, demonstrating a passable level of tackling ability. He has even occasionally displayed his athleticism, rushing the ball four times for a total of 42 career yards.
Matt Hayball had his finest season statistically in 2023, averaging 47.6 yards per punt across 57 punts. That was sufficient to earn a spot on the Second Team All-American roster and a Ray Guy Award nomination. In addition, as a punter, he was chosen for the First Team All-SEC.
Australian-born Matt Hayball left ProKick Australia, where he was unranked in the 2019 cycle, based on the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that takes into account all four of the major media companies that are involved in recruiting.
His two seasons at Vanderbilt ended with a 7-17 record for the Commodores. Vanderbilt’s offensive shortcomings gave Matt Hayball plenty of chances to punt and earn SEC experience.
The New Orleans Saints finished second in the NFC South with a 9-8 record. It was insufficient, though, to advance to the postseason. With that, the Saints haven’t advanced to the playoffs since the 2020 campaign, when Sean Payton was the team’s manager.
One of New Orleans’ biggest problems in 2023 was punting. Lou Hedley, who participated in all 17 games, had a punting average of just 43 yards, ranking 33rd among the league’s eligible punters. He was tied for eighth in the NFL with 31 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
What experts project for the NFL Draft regarding Matt Hayball
Analyst Lance Zierlein dissected Matt Hayball and projected outcomes for the Vanderbilt punter in the NFL before to the draft.
Hayball can sail kicks with natural power and has a good lever length. He must, however, demonstrate that he can produce coverage success by using hang time rather than operation time in the manner of rugby. Hayball is a left-footed punter who consistently and with good touch directs punts toward the right side of the field, according to Zierlein.
“He ought to have an opportunity to compete for an NFL position, but as a professional, he must forgo opportunities for returns.”
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