I absolutely would say he was one of the best WRs in college this year, especially given Iowa State’s instability at college.

If you think all he ran was a 9 route, I’d challenge to go back and look at his game film. He made some huge splash plays running the 9, but He was lined up at X, Y and Z (he actually played the slot quite frequently) and running the rest of the tree. He has highlights on the left, right and middle of the field. The only routes I really didn’t see him run much of was the 3 and 4.

Here’s why I’m all in on this kid. I believed that we should have taken Mahomes at #1 but tempered my opinion because Garrett is such a great talent. While I hinted at it, I didn’t expressly state it. I could be completely wrong, but so far, everything I said about this kid in my initial post has come to fruition. For me this is about the accountability of calling my shot. I’m telling you that the same thing that made me say he’s a first rounder are the same things that are going to make him abuse NFL corners like Gordon abused Talib.

If I’m wrong, you can point and laugh. If I’m right, the amount of attention you pay to my posts goes up.

I love the combine as much as everyone, but it’s primary purpose is to expose red flags, not predict success at the next level.

As great as DK Metcalf’s performance was, his college performance was underwhelming (in part due to injury). He had 646 yards and 7 TD in 2017. He had 569 yards and 5 TDS in 7 games in 2018 while averaging 21.9 yards per catch before succumbing to injury.

Butler recorded 697 yards and 7 TDs in 2017, and recorded 1318 yards and 9 TDS in 2018 while averaging 22.0 yards per catch.

It’s not what you have, necessarily, it’s what you do with it. “Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane” is a saying for a reason. Carson Wentz is a prime example. Incredibly gifted athlete, and great when he plays. He was injured in college and has injuries in the NFL made Nick Foles a lot of money.

Now I’m not trying to take away from DK Metcalf’s combine performance, but film first. I’ve seen him run down from behind. Vs. the same opponent (TTU) both receivers caught 4 passes. Butler’s 4 receptions went for 148 yards and a touchdown (37 yards per catch). Metcalf recorded 81 yards and a TD (20.3 yards per reception). If you had to match the combine performance to the stat line, who would you guess had which stat line?

From where I sit, Butler’s combine performance confirmed everything I’ve been saying about him. Not a single one of his numbers worries me, and when I look at what he did at Iowa State, breaking their receiving record with 3 different QBs, I continue to believe that this guy is the best WR (Not athlete) in the 2018 draft class. I said this kid was a first round talent when the rest of the world said he was a late 2nd, early 3rd rounder. Now look at the headlines:

https://dawgpounddaily.com/2019/03/02/hakeem-butler-play-cleveland-browns/

https://www.cleveland.com/expo/sports/g66l-2019/03/68f98309f91361/hakeem-butler-why-the-browns-should-draft-the-iowa-state-wide-receiver.html

But his focus, his route running, his…

I get it. He still has some work to do. The thing is, he’s 22 years old. Most WRs have this criticism coming out of college. In addition to working real hard in the NFL, emerging science about brain development suggests maturity isn’t reached until 25. My point? The game is going to come to him. His weaknesses, revolving mostly around focus, will naturally improve as he ages.

I’m doubling down. I said he has the skills to be one of the greatest WRs in history, I’m going to give him the NFL comp he truly deserves:

Calvin Johnson.

Why? Because it just so happens that Calvin Johnson agrees.

I’m going to caution you against putting too much stock in 40 times. So much of it is technique. Josh Gordon ran a 4.52 at his pro day, Antonio Brown ran a 4.47 at the combine. Good times don’t always translate onto the field and bad times aren’t indicative of a lack of speed. As was pointed out earlier in this thread, against the same opponent, with the same number of receptions, Butler’s YPC was significantly higher. I attribute that to his Spider-Man like body control/balance.

That said, I think both Butler and Metcalf are uncoverable in single coverage in today’s NFL. I look at what Gordon did to Talib and, with the current rules, I can’t imagine him getting the upper hand on either of these guys.

I want to see what Butler jumps before I finish forming my opinion. I expected this from Butler (as my prediction on his 40 proved spot on), but Metcalf has been a surprise due to his injury.

Again, I don’t know what metrics are used to call this a weak WR class. Record breaking college production, freakish athletes – I see 7 potential pro bowlers:

Hakeem Butler
DK Metcalf
AJ Brown
N’keal Harry
Parris Campbell
Marquise Brown
Deebo Samuel

And honestly, there are 3 more based on college production that I believe will be legit #2 or solid slot receivers.

Metcalf’s second 40 time came in at 4.38

Steve Smith brought up an interesting point about Metcalf:

Has he already peaked? With his size, speed and body fat, Smith feels he won’t see the gains other players do when they join the NFL because his conditioning is already so good.

Then Julio Jones was brought up, and it was nearly a concensus that it doesn’t matter if there’s room for development, he can be physically dominant in the NFL now.

I’m not sure what the deal is, but some of the QBs are screwing around during the toe drag and gauntlet drills. It got so bad that Steve Smith went down and “coached up” one of the QBs about screwing with a WR’s money.

DK Metcalf just jumped 40 1/2”.

Butler ran 4.50 on his second attempt. He again looked TERRIBLE getting out of the blocks. A track star he is not, and I maintain that he plays faster than his timed speed indicates.

I can’t wait to see him jump.

I do think, based on what Dorsey did in Kansas City, he is a believer in the power of explosive talent at the skill positions. I don’t know that Butler and Metcalf necessarily fit his prototype, but I don’t know that they don’t either. Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt both possess elite physical traits, but size is not among them.

Personally, I am a fan of stacking position groups. Not only does it provide depth, it creates mismatches against an opponent’s position groups. Name the cornerback group capable of shutting down Butler, Metcalf and Landry. Which Chubb, Hunt and Johnson on the roster at RB and Njoku at TE, what safety help are you going to get on the WRs?

There’s a million different ways to build this team, and I’m excited to see what John will do.

For the record, this class with Metcalf and Butler reminds me a lot of AJ Green and Julio Jones. I think both receivers have a ton of potential and two teams are going to find themselves in great situations moving forward.

With our QB1 finally on the roster, if I were GM, I’d draft Butler and then move right back up and take Metcalf with the next pick (future picks).

Imagine:

QB: Mayfield
RB: Chubb, Hunt, Johnson
WR: Butler, Metcalf, Landry
TE: Njoku

Address D and OL in 2nd round and later (deep D draft) and FA.

Who could stop that?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.buffalorumblings.com/platform/amp/2019/3/1/18245754/nfl-draft-d-k-metcalf-hakeem-butler-headline-wr-te-qb-measurements-at-nfl-combine-2019

Height:98
Weight:95
Wingspan:98
Arm Length:99
Hand Size:98

Butler’s listed size drew Mike Evans comparisons, and the real measurements were even more impressive. Butler measured at 6’5 3/8” 227 pounds, with 10 3⁄4” hands and 35 1⁄4” arms. He set a record for the longest wingspan to be recorded by a wide receiver at a whopping 83 7/8”. If he shows off in the vertical leap on Friday, the first round talk could start heating up.

This guy is going to flash today. Wait until he jumps. Just wait. I don’t even care what his 40 time is (though I think it will be respectable). At over 6’5”, with that wingspan and the leaping ability he’s about to show, he’s literally always open.

This kid has a chance to be great. Calvin Johnson great. Game recognizes game, and Johnson’s involvement with Butler is no coincidence. I’m doubling down. Before he jumps. Before he runs. Before he drills. I think he’s the best WR in this draft, and I think he has a legitimate shot at being one of the best WRs in history.

No hyperbole. He, like Mahomes, has a set of incredible physical traits that are so very rarely seen together in a single player.

I think it depends on how he gets out of the blocks. An upper 4.5 time wouldn’t surprise me, but neither would a 4.45-4.49. He is smooth in his strides and fast vs. quick, and his long strides remind me of Gordon (Gordon was quicker though). For a guy like this, the 40 is more about technique than ability (I’ve seen him run away from entire defenses after the catch). In addition to his measureables, I think his jumping ability, agility and body balance are going to stand out. If he can run under 4.5 in the 40, he’s going to steal the show.

I’m not arguing that he’s not raw. I’m just saying I don’t see Njoku when I watch him play.

I understand your methodology, but not your interpretation of the results. That’s why I asked for others to weigh in. Maybe I’m biased and just don’t see it.

To me, Metcalf at 6’4” and 230lbs is much closer in build than Butler at 6’6” and 225lbs. Butler also appeared a lot more “Gumby” when breaking tackles where Metcalf seemed to rely on his power.

They only had one common opponent last season. Metcalf against TTU posted 4 receptions for 81 yard (20.3 avg) and a TD and a long of 58. Butler posted 4 receptions for 148 yards (37.0 avg) and a TD with a long of 48. While admittedly a very small sample, I believe it highlights the difference in explosiveness I see between the two players considering Metcalf season average was 21.9 yards per reception (through 7 games) while Butler averaged 22.0 yards per reception over 13 games. In his 7 games, Metcalf went over 100 yards just twice, failing to go above 115 yards in a game. In his first 7 games, Butler went over 100 yards 4 times, posting games of 192 yards, 144 yards, 164 yards and 148 yards (respectively).

I’ve read the negative reviews. What I can’t find is film that substantiates the print. Did he have bad plays? Sure. But nothing I saw looked chronic.

Now I will say I agree with the long strider criticism. But he is quick enough (and it shows on film). His leaping ability and body control are insane. In that regard, he reminds me a lot of…ugh…I really don’t want to say it, but…Josh Gordon.

I think this kid will be even more effective than “Flash” at the next level. He is going to “Gronkowski” style abuse DBs at the next level.

I suspect this young man will be both; a freak physical specimen that will be a very productive football player. I’m really hoping he falls to the Browns, because I think he is the kind of explosive player that Dorsey likes. Here is his highlight real from last season. I know you can’t judge a player off of just his highlights, but this kid has the ability to do things that other humans simply can’t do. Watch the video and tell me I’m wrong.

The bandwagon is growing:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/news/2019-nfl-mock-draft-four-qbs-in-top-15-bills-make-hakeem-butler-first-wr-off-the-board/amp/

9. Buffalo Bills
Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State. Hear me out on this one … in this scenario, Jonah Williams is unavailable. The defensive line class is super deep, and Buffalo needs more downfield speed for Josh Allen. Butler is a huge wideout with a gigantic catch radius who can fly, and he had stellar production at Iowa State. He accounted for 42 percent of the Cyclones’ receiving yards — a very high figure — in 2018.

Guess who has declared for the draft?

You say Butler is your boy. Got it.

I basicall said hey dude check what I found out your boy…what do you think? From my perspective you reacted like I said he sucked and wanted to take my head off.

He’s not my boy. I have no allegiance to Iowa State or to Hakeem Butler. Here’s my issue:

I stumbled across his footage while researching Heisman winner Kyler Murray’s game film. In Oklahoma’s third game of the season, Murray went 21 of 29 for 348, 3 TDs and no INTs and a 207.4 QBR. As happened when I was watching Manziel game film, a player other than the one I was studying jumped out on the film (Mike Evans). Of course the first thing I do is go and read his scouting reports. It doesn’t match what I see in that particular game, so I go out and watch other games. Maybe the Oklahoma game was an anomaly, maybe it wasn’t. Only way to be sure is to watch the rest of his games. I spent almost 6 hours watching film, looking over his stats and, ultimately, compiling that post.

Within 20 minutes of my posting, you had (presumably) read my post, watched the 4:45 video to verify/discredit my assertions and craft your response (much of which I recognized from the hours I had spent already reviewing the scouting reports).

My issue is that you want that <20 minutes of research and writing to be given equal weight with the almost 6 hours of research I did. You provide no examples, no video evidence and you talk about things like “wiggle” that are neither clearly defined or easily measured.

Here’s the thing, you have an above normal football I.Q. and, for the most part, a good gut feeling for player analysis. Hell, from time to time, regardless of how we get there, we even agree.

My point is you weren’t reading what I wrote to understand, or even consider it. Within 20 minutes you had written and posted a response. Then you reposted about him not having declared, which I had already stated. That means you didn’t read what I wrote -or- you didn’t retain what you read. I’m not trying to take your head off, it’s just hard to give what you say weight when it is obvious you did so little to obtain it. You say he has problems with drops. How many times was he targeted? Of those targets, how many of those were completed. Of the drops, where was the ball placement on the drops? Does he drop low passes or high passes? Does he drop more passes on the right side or on his left? The evidence of your assertion is the Des Moines Register. The title states:

Hakeem Butler talks NFL, getting in ISU record book and drops

The article goes on to say:

One thing Butler will have to improve upon regardless of this is his drops. They’ve plagued him throughout the season. On Saturday, he missed a wide-open pass from Brock Purdy in the second quarter that could have been a touchdown.

It literally mentions one specific drop and and that drops have plagued him throughout the season. However, as we’ve already established, every receiver has drops. How many did Butler have? Does he drop them often (plagued) or do his drops come at critical times (like the wide open touchdown)? Based on his statistics, which is the way the author meant “plagued by drops” to be read? You’ve not given me any new information, you’re just telling me what someone else said.

As for being built more like Terrelle Pryor than A.J. Green, I disagree. He’s right in the middle of both (though I think both are a fair comparison). At 6’4″ (76″) and 228 lbs, Pryor comes in at 3 lbs per inch of height. At 6’4″ (76″) and 210 lbs, Green comes in at 2.76 lbs per inch. Butler is listed at 6’6″ (78″) and 225 lbs, meaning he comes in at 2.88 lbs per inch. He is exactly 0.12 lbs per inch less than Pryor and 0.12 lbs per inch more than Green. I would argue that he has a leaner, lankier build that “looks” a little more like Green than Pryor, but that’s purely subjective.

The bigger point in all of this is that the pundits rarely know the quality of the class, particularly at skill positions from year to year. Matt Ryan was called the poor man’s Brady Quinn. With no WRs taken in the top 20 of the “weak” WR class of 2010, we saw pros Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, Golden Tate, Emmanuel Sanders, Eric Decker and Antonio Brown. What a weak class, right? That’s my point with this year’s class. If 2010 was so weak not a single receiver was taken in the top 20, maybe the weak class of 2019 will be okay (or maybe it won’t, who knows for sure?).

I believe the entire class is undervalued. But just as teams having success getting RBs in the later rounds devalued the RB position (then along comes Saquon Barkley), so too will the success of Antonio Brown and other notable late round receivers devalue (at least temporarily) the WR position. It’s cyclical and reactive – it is a copy cat league after all.

So now I’m on the record for:
He declares for the 2019 NFL draft
He gets selected in or before the second round
He has a very good pro career

Shots fired (and called).

For me, it’s Barkley all day. I do believe he is a generational type talent and the majority of games in the NFL are won by scoring more than 23.1 points per game. The low hanging fruit is scoring, and I think Barkley makes the most sense as a result (in addition to him being the BPA).