New Orleans Saints: Keep an eye on undrafted receiver Emmanuel Butler
Undrafted rookie Emmanuel Butler is a player to watch in the New Orleans Saints wide receiver position battle.
Behind All-Pro Michael Thomas, the wide receiver position is wide open for the New Orleans Saints. The battle for snaps in training camp will undoubtedly involve returning players like Ted Ginn Jr., Tre’Quan Smith and Cameron Meredith. However, Sean Payton and company are not afraid to dig a little deeper if necessary.
The Saints signed undrafted free agent receivers Emmanuel Butler and Lil’Jordan Humphrey after the draft. Humphrey enters the league with more hype, but that is primarily due to him playing at a much bigger school. Butler, a 6-foot-3, 217-pound receiver out of Northern Arizona, is the better player. He is the sleeper to watch in this position battle.
Butler was a star in college, piling up 187 career receptions for 3,222 yards and 33 touchdowns. His best season came as a sophomore in 2015, catching 64 passes for 1,208 yards and 15 touchdowns. He followed that season up with an impressive 69/1,003/9 line in 2016.
Butler missed most of the 2017 season with a shoulder injury, received a medical redshirt, and then returned to Northern Arizona in 2018. He was not as impressive as a senior as he was earlier in his career, but it is fair to wonder whether his injury was at least part of the reason.
The New Orleans Saints may have found a diamond in the rough here, as Butler is a big and long receiver who consistently catches the ball away from his body. He shows a tremendous ability to track the ball in the air and can make contested catches.
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Butler is far from a burner, but he does have some speed. His route running skills are limited, but if he takes well to coaching and develops in that area, there is some real upside here.
The New Orleans Saints are not afraid to take a chance on a talented player and give him a shot to perform. If Butler shows enough in training camp, I could easily see him competing for legitimate playing time as a rookie. If nothing else, he is an interesting guy to keep on the radar.