Arizona Cardinals: 5 off-season acquisitions set for stardom

4. Hakeem Butler – WR

Choosing between the speedy Andy Isabella or Hakeem Butler for who has the most star potential is a tough choice. Ultimately, I chose the latter, as I perceive Isabella to have a higher floor while Butler has a higher ceiling; because Butler is the epitome of a high upside wide receiver with a low floor.

Measuring in at 6-foot-5 and 227-pounds with a combine performance that includes a 36-inch vertical jump and 4.48 second 40-yard-dash, Butler possesses a rare blend of speed and size. His stature and athletic profile alone have earned him multiple features on highlight reels, and he could do the same for the Cardinals.

Butler expects to see a lot of passes thrown his way as a Cardinal, primarily as an X-receiver. He’s a 50/50 ball ace, a fade route specialist, and can run the go routes like it’s nobodies business. Pro Football Focus graded Butler as their top deep-threat in the class in terms of yards (721) and receptions (19) in 2018; combine his deep-ball abilities with Kyler Murray’s arm, and you have a lot of highlights in the making.

Of course, this is more theoretical than real, but it’s hard not to star potential in a physical specimen of wide receiver playing in a pass-happy offense that desperately needs true outside receivers. Though Butler has kinks to work out in his game, and will likely see more quality than quantity receptions earlier in his NFL career, he’s in the right situation to blossom into the star many expect him to be.