Vernon
Butler.
Vernon
Butler.
Louisiana Tech· 6'4"· 323 lb· 5.33s 40
Vernon Butler is a versatile interior defensive lineman who projects well into a one-gap 4-3 penetrating front or an attacking 3-4 front due to his burst off the snap and ability to disrupt backfields.
Butler could immediately contribute as a rotational 3-technique with a high ceiling to become a dominant three-down tackle, specializing in collapsing the pocket and stopping the run.
He would be less effective in a two-gap 3-4 scheme where his primary responsibility would be to occupy blockers rather than penetrate and make plays.
His combination of size, quickness, and strength makes him a valuable asset for teams seeking an interior disruptor, even if his production was inconsistent.
Selected #30 overall in Round 1 of the 2016 NFL Draft by Carolina Panthers out of Louisiana Tech.
Relative Athletic Score (Kent Lee Platte) benchmarks combine/pro-day numbers against every measured prospect at the position since 1987. 10.00 is elite; 5.00 is average.
— — — positional median (p50)
- 40 yd
- 5.33sp50
- Vertical
- 29.5inp50
- Broad jump
- 104inp50
- Three-cone
- 7.82sp50
- Shuttle
- 4.76sp50
- Bench
- 26repp50
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Louisiana Tech | 11 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | Louisiana Tech | 10 | 43 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Louisiana Tech | 14 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2015 | Louisiana Tech | 13 | 50 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career | — | 48 | 169 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Vernon Butler played seven seasons in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills as a defensive tackle. He served primarily as a rotational player, providing depth on the defensive line.