ESPN draft analyst thinks former Vol could see action as rookie in the NFL in 2022
There won't be any former Tennessee Vols selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. But there will still be several former Vols who will hear their name called on draft weekend. One of those former Vols is defensive lineman Matthew Butler, a North Carolina native who played high school football with current […]
There won't be any former Tennessee Vols selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
But there will still be several former Vols who will hear their name called on draft weekend.
One of those former Vols is defensive lineman Matthew Butler, a North Carolina native who played high school football with current Tennessee Titans linebacker Harold Landry.
Butler played at Tennessee from 2017 to 2021. He's one of the few Vols who played for Butch Jones, Jeremy Pruitt, and Josh Heupel (I bet he has some stories).
During his five seasons on Rocky Top, Butler compiled 152 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and 16 tackles for loss.
NFL draft expert Jordan Reid expects Butler to find a home in the NFL. In fact, Reid thinks Butler will be selected somewhere around the fourth round and see the field early as a rookie.
After seeing Tennessee defensive tackle Matthew Butler go through his first few reps at the East-West Shrine Bowl, I immediately circled his name. His success continued throughout the week of practices, as he displayed short-area quickness, strength and natural penetration ability. A true 3-technique on the next level, Butler is likely a fourth-round pick who could go on to play some snaps early as a rookie because of his ability to disrupt the pocket and create leaks in run-game schemes.
Butler should probably be a second-round pick instead of a fourth-round pick. But unfortunately, the former Vol played for four different position coaches and four different defensive coordinators during his time at Tennessee. That makes development tough.
The good news for the Volunteers is that the football program finally has much-needed stability under Josh Heupel, which should make a flurry of assistant coaching moves every offseason a thing of the past.
Featured image via USA TODAY Sports
