A very Merry Draftmas to you! It’s 25 Days of Draftmas on Arrowhead Pride, where we’ll be giving you a Kansas City Chiefs draft prospect every day in April leading up to the NFL Draft. You’ll get a daily prospect profile like this one right up until Draft Day.
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When we post a video for 25 Days of Draftmas, we give you a full write up from the KC Draft Guide. Here is the breakdown of a pass catcher from the Big 12:
Hakeem Butler, wide receiver
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6’5” | 227 lbs | Iowa State
Baltimore, MD
Draft grade: second round
Draft range: second round
40 time: 4.48
NFL Combine: 36” vertical, 128” broad, NA. 20yd, NA. 3-cone, 18 bench reps
2018 Stats: 60 REC, 1,310 YDS (22 Y/R), 9 TD
Background: Former two-star recruit. Raised in Baltimore, Maryland, until 2012 when his mother passed away. Moved to Texas and lived with cousins Aaron and Andrew Harrison, who both play in the NBA.
Strengths: Extremely rare athletic profile. Butler is a massive human being that moves like a much smaller man. Elite arm length, throw the ball anywhere in the stadium and he’ll catch it. Uses his big frame well to box out defenders. Big-time red-zone threat, developing between the 20s. Sinks hips and changes directions very well for a guy his size. Shows promise as a route runner. Has good build-up speed and can blow the top off a defense. Has shown the ability kicked inside to play the slot as well.
Weaknesses: Butler will make a circus catch, then turn around and drop an easy one on the next play. Hands are very inconsistent. For someone as big and athletic as Butler, he lets himself get bullied at the line of scrimmage and has to play with better technique before he can consistently play on the outside. Will struggle with more physical corners can get knocked off his route too easily. Route tree is limited.
How he fits with the Chiefs: Butler is a project and a bit of a projection, but he is one that will get drafted high because of his rare athletic profile. He did show the ability to play in the slot, and I believe that would be his quickest route to the field for the Chiefs. Obviously, Butler adds a skill set that the Chiefs do not have. Butler is unrefined and will need to clean up his feet and hand usage at the line of scrimmage before he could contribute consistently for anyone. But he is the type of player you create packages for just to get on the field, and I’m sure Patrick Mahomes could get used to throwing some jump balls to Butler.
Player comp: Vincent Jackson
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