"Obscene catch radius, quick feet, acrobatic catches and a threat after the catch. ..he just doesn't catch the ball clean and will break your heart with a critical drop."
Strengths:
Quick, sudden feet on a 6'6 frame with good lateral mobility. Obscene catch radius. Flashes deceptive route running. Physical through his route and uses his size and length to separate.
Can dominate in traffic. Build up speed guy and can get over the top of a defense. Solid yac threat that's dangerous with the ball in his hands. Good blocker.
Weaknesses:
Major issues with drops. Doesn't fire off the los. Doesn't always sell routes and telegraphs where he wants to go.
Overall:
Butler's an enormously frustrating prospect to evaluate. He's got rare size and quickness with an incredible catch radius. He can make spectacular catches in traffic and get behind a defense. He's a good yards after catch guy and can turn a short throw into a chunk play. At his best he reminds of Brandon Marshall.
That said, he fights the ball worse than any guy I've seen since Braylon Edwards. He regularly makes drive killing drops and just isn't reliable catcher. He's a proven playmaker and produces with enough opportunities but leaves play after play on the field.
His unpredictability as a catcher is a major red flag that most teams won't tolerate for very long. He's a clear cut buyer beware guy in this class.
NFL Comp: Braylon Edwards