Mel Kiper circles Tennessee player who is shooting up NFL Draft boards
Mel Kiper believes Tennessee defensive lineman Matthew Butler could be a steal in the upcoming NFL Draft. In a recent TV appearance, the ESPN draft insider gushed over the potential of the fifth-year Volunteers senior.
“Matthew Butler from Tennessee, when you watch the tape on this kid, he’s really underrated,” Kiper said. “He came back to Tennessee and surpassed what he did over the previous four seasons in terms of sacks and tackles for loss. He was disruptive during the Alabama game and game after game. Matthew Butler, he gets lost in the shuffle a bit, but you’re going to get a steal there.”
Butler didn’t become a full-time starter until his senior season in 2020, which allowed him to fly under the radar. He made the most of his extra year of eligibility in 2021, finishing with 47 total tackles (8.5 for loss), five sacks and a forced fumble. Tennessee ended with a 7-6 record in coach Josh Heupel’s inaugural season and made an appearance in the Music City Bowl against Purdue.
The Tennessee defensive lineman was not listed among the top 10 at his position in Kiper’s latest NFL Draft rankings. However, the ESPN analyst said that he considers him to be somewhere in the 8-12 range when it comes to defensive tackles. Although he likely won’t be taken in the first round, he could eventually prove much more valuable than where he was selected.
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A four-star recruit in 2017, Butler was ranked the No. 35 defensive lineman in the class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He opted to attend Tennessee over offers from Miami, Penn State, Texas A&M and others. The defensive lineman finished his college career 152 tackles (16 for loss) and 9.5 sacks.
The 2022 NFL Draft is set to begin April 28 in Las Vegas and will conclude April 30. Butler’s next chance to impress scouts before draft day will come at the NFL combine, which begins March 1 and runs through March 7.