The darling of last year’s New Orleans Saints training camp was rookie wide receiver Emmanuel Butler, who made the jump from Northern Arizona to give defenders fits all throughout the summer. But an injury after an awkward landing in practice slowed him down, and he only suited up for one preseason game before spending the year on the practice squad.
That experience must have paid off, because Butler has quickly resumed his spot in the training camp highlight reel. The 23-year old stood out in one-on-one drills, outleaping Ceedy Duce (the safety formerly known as C.J. Gardner-Johnson) for a high pass from Jameis Winston. See it for yourself:
But it wasn’t the first time Butler outplayed Duce on Monday. He also connected with Taysom Hill on a route deep downfield, catching the pass in stride after having separated from No. 22. It’s a beaut:
We’ll see if Butler is able to play his way into the first-team offense and draw some targets from Drew Brees. It’s encouraging to see him doing so well in individual work, but his success in a bigger spot with the starting offense will do more to decide whether he makes the opening-day roster or spends another season on the practice squad.
