Arizona Cardinals rookie film room: 5 plays that define Hakeem Butler

7 of 7

AMES, IA – OCTOBER 13: Wide receiver Hakeem Butler #18 of the Iowa State Cyclones catches a pass as safety Josh Norwood #4 of the West Virginia Mountaineers defends in the second half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Cyclones won 30-14 over the West Virginia Mountaineers. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /

Final notes, tidbits, thoughts

One of the hardest prospects to define in just five plays, Hakeem Butler is a talented prospect that can produce a really impressive highlight reel in the NFL. But, there are some fairly obvious reasons as to why he fell to the fourth round. Those reasons include drops, lack of mobility, and developing game.

Drops. This is arguably Butler’s most significant concern. Whether it be due to trusting his hands too much, not tracking the ball, or lack of concentration, Butler needs to fix this area of his game. Per Pro Football Focus, he dropped 12 passes in 2018 alone for a scary drop rate of 16.7%.
Lack of mobility. This is going to hurt his ability to beat press and run a full route tree. He’s 6-foot-5, and it shows. Butler is a bit clunky when he runs and can’t change directions on a dime. He’ll have to rely on his hand usage and physicality to gain separation. As for route-running, a lot of this area will depend on the nuances of running routes.
Developing game. Depending on how you view this, it can be a good or bad thing to Butler’s game. Originally, Butler was supposed to play basketball. But, he converted to football in high school and didn’t look back. Because of that, he was underrecruited and still has a developing game. However, you do see that basketball background in his box-out abilities

Now, for the positive tidbits. Butler is one of the better blocking receivers in this class, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise to you due to his size and physicality. I nearly put a play in because of his blocking alone, it’s that good.

At the end of the day, I view Butler as a prospect that shouldn’t have been available in the fourth round. Though his game may be regulated to most vertically breaking plays, he will have a major impact for the Cardinals as an X-receiver. He’ll also be an endzone ace, particularly on fade routes, due to his box-out ability and size.

The Cardinals may have gotten the steal of the 2019 NFL Draft in Hakeem Butler.

Next. 5 possible offseason acquisition busts. dark

For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe
to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.

Home/Cardinals News