Seahawks' draft pick Butler broke Engram's record

RENTON -- Having already lost Bobby Engram via free agency, the Seattle Seahawks went to a familiar place in searching for his replacement.

Penn State wide receiver Deon Butler, who broke Engram's school record for career receptions, was the Seahawks' third-round choice on Sunday morning.

Butler's alma mater is not the only thing that reminds people of Engram. The 5-foot-10 receiver relies more on shiftiness and strong route-running than he does size.

"He has some of the same traits as far as route-running goes," Seahawks offensive coordinator Greg Knapp said when asked to compare Butler to his fellow PSU alumnus. "He's not as polished, obviously, as Bobby is."

Butler said he actually got to meet Engram before the Rose Bowl in January.

"He made a point to come up and congratulate me" on the school record, Butler said, "and told me that if I ever needed anything, just talk to him.

"... I have definitely been picking his brain a little bit -- not exactly about the Seahawks, but about the NFL in general."

Engram spent the past eight seasons in Seattle, developing into quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's go-to receiver while catching enough passes (399) to rank fourth in franchise history. In 2007, Engram caught a franchise-record 94 passes.

Butler has more speed than Engram did late in his career, recording a 4.38-second time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine.
"He has the ability to stretch the field," Knapp said. "Once the ball is in his hands, he's a threat to score. ... That top-end speed, I think that's something a little bit different (on the Seahawks' receiving corps)."

A former walk-on and defensive back, Butler finished his college career as the most productive receiver in Penn State history.

"I came into Penn State and just worked my way up to the top and helped Penn State win games," said Butler, who caught 179 passes as a Nittany Lion. "The attitude that I take with the Seattle Seahawks is that I just want to help them win games in whatever way is possible."

Knapp said that one of the factors in deciding to select another wide receiver was the uncertain health of veterans Deion Branch and Nate Burleson. Both players are coming off knee surgeries, and Knapp said that he "needs to see them on the field" before he's convinced that Branch and Burleson can contribute right away.