Eight days after reminding the league he builds from the inside-out, Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman did it again.
With many outside the building focusing on a need — like the glaring one at cornerback after Josh Norman's surprising departure — the Panthers used their first-round pick in the 2016 draft on a position that benefits the secondary. But it wasn't with a defensive end, another spot that could use some help. Instead, defensive tackle Vernon Butler adds to what was already one of the NFL's elite interiors.
"It is no different than drafting (linebacker) Shaq (Thompson) last year," Gettleman said. "You can’t have too many good players at one position.
"When you can roll guys in and out like we can and there is no drop-off, it makes for a long day at the office for that offensive line."
Butler, a 6-foot-4, 323-pound product out of Louisiana Tech, was considered by many draft experts as the most versatile defensive linemen in his class. The Panthers can plug him in at any spot on the line and with any combination featuring fellow defensive tackles Kawann Short, Star Lotulelei, Paul Soliai and Kyle Love.
Comparing Butler to Short because of their "ability to slither," coach Ron Rivera expects the new guy to fill a hole in the rotation left by Dwan Edwards. At 34, he's retiring after 13 seasons. Butler doesn't turn 22 until June.
"This is a guy that we have to be able to develop not just for now but for future as well. Dwan has been a big part of what he have done for several years here. His presence is going to be missed. We had to find a guy like that," Rivera said.
"He has a little bit to learn, obviously, but there is a lot of potential, a lot of upside, especially for a guy that is 320 pounds to be able to move that way and do the things that he does."
Edwards, who played 35 percent of defensive snaps last season despite missing four games with an ankle injury, totaled 125 tackles and 14 sacks during his four years in Carolina. That's nine more than Butler had in his four seasons at Louisiana Tech against what was mostly competition from Conference USA. But as evidenced by Lotulelei's low career sack total of six, that stat can be misleading.
Remember this from 2013? Lotulelei didn't pick up a sack, but his Vine-worthy pressure led to an interception by former safety Mike Mitchell:
Or how about what Short did to set up this game-sealing pick by linebacker Thomas Davis last year against the Packers:
And how Short helped set the tone early in the Divisional Playoff against the Seahawks:
Luke Kuechly interception #SEAvsCAR https://t.co/VOBbzlIRx2
— NFL 2K Football (@NFL2kFootball) January 17, 2016
"One of the things when you look at the inside at the defensive tackles, you can’t look strictly at numbers. When you watch them, do they affect the play and do they make plays for other people? Do they help other people make plays? Star did it, KK did it, and [Butler] does it," Gettleman said. "This kid has the ability to not only create, but he’s got the ability to finish as well."
A 2-star recruit from tiny McComb, MS, Butler certainly didn't show up at Louisiana Tech as the Bulldogs' next big thing. He saw limited time his first two years before exploding for 104 tackles, with 22.5 for a loss in his final two seasons.
Before the Panthers took Butler, no other defensive player from Louisiana Tech had gone so high in the draft. The Bulldogs' only first-round picks were on offense: receivers Troy Edwards (Steelers, 1999) and Roger Carr (Colts, 1974), and a couple of Hall of Famers in quarterback Terry Bradshaw (Steelers, 1970) and tackle Willie Roaf (Saints, 1993).
"I have a point to prove to people in all the NFL," Butler said on a conference call. "Big school guys, they think they’re probably the best, but small school guys, we can show them what we can do."
After flirting with the idea of turning pro after his junior season, Butler turned heads at January's Senior Bowl. Throughout the week, the small-school kid proved his point against bigger names.
"I watched the Senior Bowl and watched the things he did throughout practice and how dominant he was in that practice against top college talent and then the way he played. I got excited about that because I really did truly see the potential for growth," Rivera said.
"This is a guy that played at not necessarily a big-time school but played against some pretty good talent. We feel this is a guy that the more he does, the better he is going to get in terms of who he plays against."
Added Gettleman, who because of the Panthers' Super Bowl run, missed his first Senior Bowl in more than 20 years:
"An All-Star game shouldn’t hurt a guy; it should only enhance his value and this kid really stepped up to the plate. He went there with a little chip on his shoulder, and he felt like he had something to prove."
The more obvious fix for the Panthers' pass rush would have been to add an edge rusher. That's what the majority of mock drafts suggested the past couple months. But after passing on prospects like Clemson's Kevin Dodd and Oklahoma State's Emmanuel Ogbah, Rivera gave a vote of confidence to ends Charles Johnson, Kony Ealy, Mario Addison and Ryan Delaire. And again, the Panthers see their inside guys as equally important to those on the edge. Perhaps even more so.
Think of the interior as the engine to the Panthers' defense. It wears down opposing offensive lines, keeps blockers off middle linebacker Luke Kuechly and makes the secondary look better than its paid. Butler's a fresh upgrade that can help it all run smoothly.
Because they thought Butler would be gone by the time they were on the clock, the Panthers had planned to add tight end Hunter Henry to the offense. So when Butler was still hanging around through 29 picks, Gettleman was "shocked."
Seven teams called with offers to move up. None were tempting enough to make the Panthers ignore the 'hog mollie' sitting on the top of their board.
"This is a large kid, now," said Gettleman before sharing a story about Butler's pre-draft visit to Carolina.
"I was talking to (offensive line coach) Ray (Brown), and he sat down in my office to talk to myself and (director of college scouting) Donny Gregory. (Butler) filled up the chair. Ray just said, 'There’s a whole lot of him,' and there is.
"We’re excited as hell because this kid’s got really good upside."