The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft.
With the free agent signing of Jarran Reed, the Green Bay Packers got Kenny Clark some much needed help up front.
By signing Reed, the Packers now have a formidable trio in Clark, Reed and Dean Lowry. That doesn’t mean there isn’t more work to be done to beef up the defensive line.
A player that Brian Gutekunst could target on day three of the draft to bolster the depth behind that trio is Matthew Butler. The Tennessee defensive tackle checks in at No. 35 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
Butler, a four-star recruit out of North Carolina finished his career at Tennessee with 152 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He finished his career with 26 career starts and led the Tennessee defensive lineman in tackles the past three seasons.
This past season Butler enjoyed a breakout campaign. He recorded 47 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Butler was a war daddy for the Volunteers.
“He was Tennessee’s workhorse on the defensive line,” Ryan Schumpert, the Tennessee beat writer for Rocky Top Insider, said. “He was on the field an unbelievable amount for a defensive lineman including an unfathomable 78 snaps against Ole Miss. On the season, Butler played 664 snaps. No other Tennessee defensive lineman played 400 snaps. Butler had the best season of his five-year college career recording more sacks (five) and tackles for losses (8.5) than he did in his first four seasons.”
Butler will knock you into next week. He packs a heavy punch as a tackler. With his impressive wingspan he has a large tackle radius. He plays with a bit of a mean streak and has a junkyard dog mentality.
“He was one of my favorite players to cover and watch at Tennessee,” Schumpert said. “He just had an aggressive streak to him and tenacity. He hated losing more than any player on that team.”
Butler is strong at the point of attack and is able to eat up double teams, displaying good contact balance. He has the ideal short-area quickness to be an impact player inside the box. With his quick first step he’s able to disrupt the action behind the line of scrimmage. He’s more than just a roadblock, he is able to make splash plays against the run.
“Butler holds up very well against the run,” Schumpert said. “He doesn’t have the big body of a lot of interior guys but is extremely strong, plays with great pad level and tracks ball carriers very well, consistently making tackles down the field. Butler recorded 45, 43 and 47 tackles his last three seasons as Tennessee, by far the most tackles by a Vols defensive lineman all three years.”
Butler is quick off the snap and plays with a lot of energy. He has heavy hands and strikes with power. He flashed what he could develop into as interior pass rusher during his “super” senior season when he recorded five sacks.
“Butler isn’t an elite pass rusher but really grew in that regard this past season,” Schumpert said. “He doesn’t have many strong pass rushing moves but has a great motor and has strong speed for an interior defensive line.”
Fit with the Packers
The Packers have their three starters in Clark, Reed and Lowry. Now it’s up to Gutekunst to add quality depth behind those three players.
Butler is a player that got better each season at Tennessee. That growth should continue when he reaches the NFL.
At Tennessee, Butler was the “man” up front. If he were to land in Green Bay he’d get a lot of one-on-one opportunities with teams focusing their attention on players like Clark, Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.
Butler is wired right to be a rotational defensive lineman. He will give you 110 percent on each snap and with each snap he plays he’ll make it harder for the coaching staff to take him off the field.
“It really is his consistent drive, hatred for losing and presence in the locker room,” Schumpert said. “There are a lot of guys out there more talented than Butler but he is going to do things the right way and he’s good enough of a player that I wouldn’t be surprised if he hung around a roster.”
For a team looking to bolster their depth up front, Butler would be a slam dunk pick on day three of the draft. The Tennessee defensive lineman is an impact player against the run and has upside as an interior pass rusher.
As a rookie, Butler would provide quality depth behind Clark, Reed and Lowry and has the type of upside to develop into a long-term starter playing alongside Clark as the five-tech in Green Bay.
