Why Jake Butt was the steal of the 2017 NFL Draft

3 of 5

Sep 3, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Michigan Wolverines tight end Jake Butt (88) grabs a third quarter touchdown over the Utah Utes defensive back Andre Godfrey (7) and defensive back Jason Thompson (3) at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Catch radius

One important part of a receiver’s game is the ability to adjust to poorly thrown balls. Especially with a young quarterback, Butt’s ability to make adjustments on the football and provide a broad catch radius will be extremely important.

Not only can Butt go up and win a jump ball, he has the athleticism to make adjustment on back shoulder throws. He is able to go down and pick a ball off his shoelaces, and he’s able to make tough, contested catches over the middle of the field because he doesn’t require the ball to get all the way into his body to make a play.

We saw that on a variety of occasions in Butt’s college tape, where he elevates above defensive backs to win jump balls and come down with highly contested passes.

This trait is even more important considering the fact that one of Butt’s weaknesses is he doesn’t consistently create separation. He uses his length to create separation when the ball is at its highest point.