Steelers' Hakeem Butler Needs To Shine In Special Situations To Make The Team Per Arthur Moats

The Pittsburgh Steelers are often referred to as "Wide Receiver University" for their knack of drafting, recruiting, and finding receivers that are diamonds in the rough (like sixth-rounder Antonio Brown and third rounders Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders). As a result of their history of developing these young players, fans often look extra closely at the receivers on the roster during training camp trying to predict their success. 

This season is no exception. Training camp for 2023 began at the end of July and the Steelers have a myriad of wide receivers on the roster. While some are a shoo-in to make the team like Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, there are other players on the bubble-like Gunner Olszewski and Hakeem Butler. 

Butler has garnered quite a bit of attention during the preseason. For one thing, he is really hard to miss at 6'5" and about 230 pounds. He has also overcome a lot of adversity to get to the NFL. Growing up in a rough part of Baltimore, Maryland, he lost his mother when he was a teenager to breast cancer and moved to live with family in Texas. 

Coming out of Iowa State, he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately, he broke his hand and missed his entire rookie season. The Cardinals chose to waive him in 2020 and he was signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad.

He also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Canadian Football League, and the XFL. He played in 2023 for the St. Louis Battlehawks and made 51 receptions for 599 yards and eight touchdowns. The real question remains is this experience enough to give Butler a leg up on the competition in Pittsburgh, or is it just proof that he doesn't quite have what it takes?

Steelers' Arthur Moats Says Hakeem Butler Needs To Focus On What Makes Him Special To Succeed

Former Steelers linebacker Arthur Moats now hosts a Steelers podcast called The Arthur Moats Experience. During a recent episode, he was asked if he thinks Butler has a chance to make the team. Moats, along with many others, thinks that it won't be an easy road, but it is possible. 

While there have been some flashes of brilliance from Butler, the thing most teams look for during camp, consistency, has often been lacking. The Steelers have a  deep wide receiver room this year and the players that are on the bubble really have to stand out. Moats said if Butler can put the things that are special to him to work, then he has a shot at that sixth or seventh receiver spot. 

According to Moats, he will be going up against Calvin Austin III who has shown lots of speed, but not a lot of positional diversity. Also Olszewski, who is familiar to the team and has been having a good camp this year, but has been inconsistent in the past. But Butler's past is what gives him an edge in the preseason. 

"I feel like he's gonna cook in preseason because he's coming from the XFL where he's already been ballin' and he wasn't just playing in the XFL, he was cooking in the XFL. It's not going to surprise him being in a stadium for the first time."

That familiarity with the "big stage" is a bonus for Butler. He said some of the rookies or the guys like Austin that never got to play will be dazzled by it. Moats said they are blinded by the bright lights and the atmosphere makes their heart race. Butler has already made that adjustment. He needs to shine not just on offense per Moats.  

"That's gonna play to his advantage. But to me, he's going to need to make a couple of plays on special teams, obviously, he's not a return man. But [Miles] Boykin is going to go and make tackles on special teams, Boykin is going to make blocks on special teams. Hakeem has to show that he can do that better." 

He added that Olszewski and Austin are in a that category because they are slot receivers, but they are also the ball return guys. Moats added that the "return guy" fight isn't the one he is battling for. Instead, he is showing that he will go out and block. He will show that he can go out and force a fair catch every time. 

"I'm the guy that can add some pressure on this punt return, making this punt potentially be a shank or something like that. I'm the type of guy that brings those things to the table. To me, that's where Hakeem is really going to make his hay in terms of making the team. If he can do that, I think he has a great opportunity." 

Butler cannot just continue to try to play wide receiver at a high level according to Moats, he has to establish himself as someone with a unique skill set. During the preseason games, he will get his opportunity to set himself apart from the other receivers battling for a spot on the team.