The Silver and Black defense under new coordinator Patrick Graham has taken a 180-degree turn over the past couple of months. Speed and quickness were the names of the game for the defensive line under Gus Bradley. Looking now, beef has taken its place on the front four. Las Vegas Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler has brought in multiple players well over 300 pounds at the defensive tackle position. However, the Raiders went in a different direction in this year’s draft.
The Las Vegas Raiders went in an unexpected direction
Matthew Butler out of the University of Tennessee was a fifth-round pick for the Silver and Black. According to the official NFL website, Butler received a 6.17 grade. Meaning, he is projected as a backup early in his career, leading to the possibility of being a starter down the line. At six-foot-four and 297 pounds, Butler will be the smallest active Raiders defensive tackle, according to Raiders.com. Butler is a different beast compared to the other linemen. He is known more for his quickness and ability to go left to right. And that could be a huge asset for the foreseeable future.
Matthew Butler’s Upside
As mentioned previously, his quick twitch has been his biggest asset to date. Sliding between linemen to fill gaps has been a strong suit. See Tennessee’s most recent game against Alabama. And although Patrick Graham has traditionally used size in his front four, speedy pass rushers are vital for third-down success. His bend is also impressive, as it is a massive part of getting past the O-line. This is especially important against the interior of NFL lines.
Although he is a smaller guy that mainly plays interior, his ability to go up and down the line is something that is paramount to a player’s success. which is even more evident when a player is more of a tweener compared to traditional position sizes. So, with all of this upside, why did he go so late in the draft?
The Downside
I personally like to see speed compared to size on my defensive linemen. However, having a significantly smaller size and going against linemen with years of experience can be a problem. When Butler matches up against larger lines, he has a tendency to disappear. And his top-heavy body type can lead to him being pushed around at will. Furthermore, his skillset is far from finished. He is a raw talent coming out of school, with little at his disposal to counter offensive linemen’s hands. As much as I trust the new regime, I believe Butler’s “time” might be a couple of years off.
A solid pick-up doesn’t have to be the second coming of Aaron Donald to be considered a solid pick-up. As Raider Nation knows, depth along the defensive line is paramount to a successful team. We shouldn’t expect him to be anything more than a rotational piece at best this season. With that in mind, get him a few years under his belt, and maybe he will become a real piece in a surging Raiders’ defense.
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*Top Photo: Courtesy of Rocky Top Insider
