Getty Iowa State WR Hakeem Butler
Iowa State Cyclones standout wide receiver Hakeem Butler is making waves ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft and impressed throughout his collegiate career. In turn, the talented playmaker proved capable of stretching the field and hitting home runs often. He’s seen his draft stock rise at a steady pace, and entering the NFL Scouting Combine, continues to see it trend upward.
The talented 6-foot-6 wide receiver who possesses exceptional size and speed totaled 60 receptions for 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns over 13 games in 2018. He averaged an impressive 22.0 yards per reception and wrapped up his college career by catching 110 passes for 2,149 yards and 18 touchdowns.
While Butler continues to look like one of the more intriguing wide receiver options heading into the draft, we’re going to take a look at the latest on his stock. Beyond that, we’ll evaluate where analysts and mock drafts have the Iowa State pass-catcher projected to come off the board.
Hakeem Butler’s NFL Draft Stock
Prior to the combine, ESPN’s Mel Kiper pegged Butler as the No. 9 overall receiver in the class. This places him just behind Ohio State’s Terry McLaurin and ahead of Buffalo’s Anthony Johnson in his eyes.
Back in November, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register spoke with multiple analysts about Butler and his draft outlook. One of those people included NFL.com’s Gil Brandt who called Iowa State’s wideout “one of the premier wide receivers in the country.”
The Draft Network’s Jon Ledyard offered a tip of the cap to Butler in his most recent big board ranking, labeling him as the No. 51 overall prospect in the entire draft. It leaves the Iowa State standout as the No. 10 ranked wide receiver, but points the upside and potential he brings to the table while also showing the level of talent this draft class may have.
Hakeem Butler NFL Draft Projections
In one of the most eye-opening mock drafts to this point, CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso offered a bold prediction for where Butler comes off the board. While most predict him as a prospect who could go in the first round, they took it one step further, projecting him as the No. 9 overall selection to the Buffalo Bills.
9. Buffalo Bills
Hakeem Butler, WR, Iowa State. Hear me out on this one … in this scenario, Jonah Williams is unavailable. The defensive line class is super deep, and Buffalo needs more downfield speed for Josh Allen. Butler is a huge wideout with a gigantic catch radius who can fly, and he had stellar production at Iowa State. He accounted for 42 percent of the Cyclones’ receiving yards — a very high figure — in 2018.
Trapasso isn’t the only one who has Butler as a fairly high pick, but his certainly stood out. Draft Tek’s most recent mock draft currently projects the Cyclones pass-catcher to go to the Houston Texans at No. 55 overall, making him a second-round selection.
To get an idea of the other end of the spectrum, DraftSite.com currently has Butler as a fifth-round selection. This mock sends him to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 163 overall pick.
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Hakeem Butler NFL Draft Projection: Mock Drafts & Stock of Iowa State WR