This is not a position of need for the Patriots, but this drafting is another sign that Belichick & Co. are deadly serious about beefing up the defensive secondary this year - even if it's by adding another corner after signing Shawn Springs and Leigh Bodden in free agency.
Some people might be concerned the Patriots have yet to draft a linebacker to replace Mike Vrabel, but to me, this is a great sign - the Patriots have just been relatively weak in the secondary for quite a while. (Maybe defensive backs in football are like relief pitchers in baseball - so in demand that good to great ones are hard to come by.)
I don't think Belichick has his depth chart planned out for the season at these positions; I think he's planning to let the players on the roster duke it out, and Butler adds a wild card to that mix. Training camp and the pre-season should be intriguing indeed.
Darius Butler is said to be a highly athletic player - Bill Belichick was quoted by Chris Berman on ESPN's draft show saying that Butler is "the most athletic corner I've ever worked out." The UConn alum also plays basketball and had an incredible 43" vertical jump at the combine.
His scouting report further states that Butler has great hands - great news as the joke about DBs is that they're wide receivers who couldn't catch. Might Butler become Peyton Manning's new pickoff nemesis a la Ty Law? We can only hope.
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