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The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t add a wide receiver in the 2023 NFL draft. But that doesn’t mean the team won’t have some young blood at the position in rookie minicamp.
According to the XFL Twitter account, the Steelers invited wide receiver Hakeem Butler to camp.
Butler starred while playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks, posting 51 receptions, 599 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in 10 games this past season. Butler led the XFL in receiving touchdowns and finished second in receptions and yards.
In addition to Butler, NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reported the Steelers also invited XFL offensive tackle Chidi Okeke to rookie minicamp.
The Steelers currently have 87 players on their roster. Barring any other transactions, they could sign both Butler and Okeke on May 15 without having to release another player.
Steelers Invite Hakeem Butler to Training Camp
With his invite, Butler will attend Pittsburgh’s camp on a tryout basis.
XFL reporter Evan Willsmore tweeted that XFL players can’t sign contracts with NFL teams until May 15. But they are allowed to work out before that.
Steelers rookie minicamp is scheduled for May 12-14.
Butler spent a brief stint in the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals drafted him No. 103 overall in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft. But Butler was on injured reserve his entire rookie season.
The Carolina Panthers assigned Butler to their practice squad in September 2020 but then released him less than two weeks later.
Butler’s last chance in the league up to this point came with the Philadelphia Eagles. They signed Butler after his release in Carolina. He appeared in two games for the Eagles in October of 2020, playing 29 special teams snaps.
He also had 1 snap on offense, where he received a target but the pass fell incomplete.
But Butler went onto the team’s practice squad in November and didn’t play again. The Eagles waived Butler in the team’s 2021 training camp.
How Butler Could Potentially Fit With the Steelers
While general manager Omar Khan didn’t draft a new receiver, competition for Butler to earn a roster spot will likely be tough.
The Steelers already have 12 wide receivers on their roster, including Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin III, who are locks to make the team. It would be surprising if Gunner Olszewski and Miles Boykin don’t make the team too.
Butler will likely have to prove himself on special teams. With the Eagles in 2020, he didn’t record any stats on 29 special teams snaps.
However, there’s no denying that his physique is intriguing. Butler stands at 6-foot-5 and 225-plus pounds. At the 2019 NFL combine, he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash and recorded a 36-inch vertical jump.
Those raw traits along with his stellar XFL campaign has given him another chance at an NFL career.
Again, the Steelers are set with Johnson, Pickens and Robinson as their top three receivers. Austin is expected to bloom into a quality wideout as well, but he hasn’t played much yet because of his injury in 2022.
As a depth receiver, Butler will have to show versatile to make the roster. But if he performs in camp as he did in the XFL and college, the Steelers could be hard pressed not to find a spot for him.
At Iowa State, Butler posted 110 receptions, 2,149 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns in 34 games. He recorded 60 catches for 1,318 yards and 9 touchdowns as a junior in 2018.
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