When the Washington Commanders selected safety Percy Butler in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft, they had special teams in mind. Butler was a player that NFL draft expert Daniel Jeremiah called the best “special teams coverage player in the entire draft.”
The 6-foot-0, 194-pound Butler put on a show in his pre-draft testing, running the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds. A three-year starter at Louisiana, Butler blossomed into an All-Sun Belt Conference performer on defense.
The Commanders loved Butler’s athletic profile, his physicality and his versatility when selecting him in the fourth round. As a rookie, Butler could fill a number of roles, such as safety, slot cornerback, or Buffalo nickel. But his main role would be on special teams.
Butler would play in 15 games as a rookie, participating in 66% of the special teams’ snaps. He played just 135 snaps on defense.
Could he see a bigger role in 2023?
If you ask head coach Ron Rivera, then yes, he could.
“You know, another young guy to keep an eye on is Percy [Butler],” Rivera said. “You know, Percy’s a guy that runs very well and plays very fast. So, you’ve gotta find ways to get those types of players on the field.”
Rivera mentioned Butler in response to a question about third-year safety Darrick Forrest Jr. Forrest was a fifth-round pick in 2021, and he played mostly special teams as a rookie. In eight games played, Forrest participated in 82% of the special teams’ snaps and just 26 snaps on defense.
Last season, Forrest impressed throughout the offseason enough to earn a starting spot in Week 1 with Kamren Curl out. Forrest was so good, bringing down a key interception that led the Commanders to a win, that when Curl returned, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio made him a permanent starter.
Butler is a lot like Forrest. He starred on special teams, is athletic and also a hard hitter. While Curl and Forrest have the top two safety spots locked up, there is a role for Butler in 2023.
Could Butler be the 2023 version of Forrest?
The Commanders have an exciting young secondary featuring Curl, Forrest, Butler, Benjamin St-Juste and rookies Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin, paired with veterans Kendall Fuller and Jeremy Reaves.
Washington’s defense should be fun to watch in 2023.
