Tennessee football: Top 10 Vols with 2021 NFL Draft potential

In 2019, Tennessee football ran a solid rotation at the one defensive end spot who plays on the line. Matthew Butler, LaTrell Bumphus and even John Mincey and Ja’Quain Blakely all saw action at that spot, as Jeremy Pruitt had to find somebody to replace the incredible production of Kyle Phillips from the 2018 team.

Butler, however, was the main producer for the group, as he led all defensive linemen with 45 tackles on the season. He also had three tackles for a loss, two and a half sacks and a pass deflection in by-committee playing time. So his production is solid, and he also has pretty good size at 6’4″ 289 pounds.

Heading into his senior year, Butler not only has more experience, but he has more support. It was hard for him to be freed up around the edge last year because the defensive tackles had to develop, as Alexis Johnson and Shy Tuttle both left and then Emmit Gooden suffered a season-ending injury. Gooden is back, and the rest of the unit is more experienced.

As a result, there’s a chance Butler bursts onto the scene as a playmaker this year, and given his size, he’ll have multiple opportunities to prove his draft stock with his versatility. After all, he is close to defensive tackle size, even by Pruitt standards, and if he can keep his agility around the edge with that, he could become a star.