KC Chiefs met virtually with linebacker Anthony Butler from Liberty
By Matt Conner
The K.C. Chiefs are among the many teams who have held a virtual meeting with promising linebacker Anthony Butler out of Liberty University, per The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.
This year was Butler’s first and only season at Liberty after playing his first three years at UNC-Charlotte before transferring out. He started all 10 games for the Flames and had 67 tackles, including 4 for a loss, 4 passes deflected, 2 interceptions, and a single sack. In three previous seasons at UNCC, Walker had put together 146 total tackles, including 10.5 for a loss, and 3.5 more sacks.
The 6’1, 222 lb linebacker played a bit heavier last season, at 230 overall, and reportedly felt positive about his pro day performance.
Per Melo, the Chiefs are just one of several teams to hold a virtual meeting with Butler to date and that list will likely grow as teams do their homework leading up to the draft. Other teams who have shown similar interest include the Las Vegas Raiders, the Green Bay Packers, the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Indianapolis Colts.
Liberty linebacker draws interest from K.C. Chiefs.
Butler would likely be a later round prospect who could compete with Ben Niemann for immediate playing time and a special teams role while providing a developmental player behind Anthony Hitchens for the Chiefs in a Mike linebacker role. The Chiefs aren’t exactly loaded at linebacker, so there’s room for someone to unexpectedly rise to the surface in a battle between Dorian O’Daniel, Darius Harris, Emmanuel Smith and whoever else the team brings in this offseason.
Getting a good read on other pro prospects who the Chiefs have met with this year has proven difficult in the wake of the pandemic, but from time to time we get to hear about virtual meetings like this. Whether the Chiefs have shown similar interest with other linebacker prospects like Butler in the pre-draft season is more than we know at this point, but at least we can get an idea of some areas in which the Chiefs are showing curiosity.