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Saturday, September 5, 2020

Butler could be the receiver the Patriots were looking for.

Hakeem Butler was expected to be a 2nd round pick out of Iowa State. In 34 games he caught 2149 yards and 18 touchdowns. In 2017, he was the teams third receiver catching 700 yards just over 1/4 the total passing yards. In 2018, he caught 1300 of the schools 2200 passing yards. He was targeted 20%-30% of the teams passes. He also has some experience in the return game, as a bonus.

He ran a 4.48 forty and had a 36" vertical jump. At his proday, he added a 7.09 three cone drill.  He has a large catch radius, can play all of the receiver positions. Was considered too big and too fast to press. He had a case of the drops in 2018 but was the only pass catcher in 2018. His footwork needed improvement to help with route running and just overall consistency. 

The Arizona Cardinals were able to snag this second round prospect in the fourth round. The Cardinals haven't been exactly the best at developing players but their receivers coach spoke in May of 2019 about Butler.

David Raih called Butler "mentally tough" and “he’s just your big rangy guy who’s got a ton of physicality." 

"His footwork is raw. We’re going to train him to really increase his route ability, but as far as mindset, ability, length, hands, he ran a 4.48, he’ll be an outside guy to start and I’m really looking forward to training with him.”

Jess Root of USA Today wrote, 'It would appear the Cardinals will give him a specific role on the outside. As of right now, he projects as the team’s fourth wide receiver, which will give him limited snaps in terms of playing time. However, his length and speed give him the opportunity be an impact player with even limited opportunities as a rookie."

The 2019 Patriots really didn't have the ability to separate. The team lost a few pass catchers but don't have any receivers on the roster that are a real difference from last year. 

The Patriots also accepted that Harry is not an X receiver but instead a big body slot guy. If Arizona did their job with development, Butler can be that guy the team needs, even if he is starting behind. 

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