Raiders select Matthew Butler late in 5th round
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Tennessee defensive tackle Matthew Butler in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, No. 175 overall.
Butler was the second consecutive pick that the Raiders invested on the defensive line after snagging LSU's Neil Farrell in the previous round.
The Tennessee product played five years in college, recording 152 tackles and 9.5 sacks.
Scouting profile: Matthew Butler
| School | Height | Weight | 40 time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 6'4 | 297 | 5.00 |
One of the more underrated defensive line prospects in this draft, Butler has a chance to be an impact player at the next level. He's something of a late bloomer, as he didn't truly break out until his fifth year at Tennessee, but there's still a lot to like. Butler's agility makes it difficult for opposing linemen to beat him to a spot laterally in the run game, and it challenges their mirroring ability in pass protection. While he may lack the ideal size and length for a full-time interior player, he does well to compensate with his ability to play with leverage, fight through traffic, and make a play on the ball. If NFL coaching can help him parlay his powerful and active hands into a refined repertoire of rush moves and counters, Butler could prove to be one of the steals of this draft.