Butker thinks stock went up

Former Jackets kicker believes he shined at combine.

Former Georgia Tech kicker Harrison Butker had one principal challenge at the NFL scouting combine last week in Indianapolis and it wasn’t answering the question about whether he was more similar to a cat or a dog.

Butker aced drills administered to him, a performance that his agent, Jordan Hagedorn, said has spurred interest for the draft in late April. Last Thursday, Butker excelled on kickoffs and made 14 of 15 field-goal attempts on kicks between 30 and 50 yards, doing so with a snapper and holder he’d never worked with prior to the session.

“I think I definitely raised my draft stock,” Butker said.

That Butker got the invite was a little bit of an upset. Butker’s expertise was recognized by Tech fans but not necessarily by the rest of the college football world. Butker did not make All-ACC (he was named honorable mention on the media team), nor was he among the 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the nation’s top kicker.

Butker did not gain much attention most likely because he did not have many opportunities to demonstrate his accuracy. As coach Paul Johnson’s offense plays a low-possession game and often goes for it on fourth down when others might kick field goals, Butker attempted 17 field goals this season, making 15. Among FBS teams, 78 teams attempted more field goals per game than the Jackets.

Further, four of Butker’s attempts were in Tech’s TaxSlayer Bowl victory, after awards had already been handed out. (He made all four in that game, including one from a season-long 52 yards, to make the Associated Press all-bowl team and become the school’s all-time leading scorer.)

However, he obviously made an impression on the scouts who included just four kickers among the 330 combine invites.

“Initially, I was surprised,” Butker said. “I was very thankful, but it meant a lot to me to know that I was on their radar because I definitely feel like I have the potential and the ability to play at the next level.”

He did show that potential in his opportunities. Beyond making 15 of 17 fieldgoal attempts, he was 8 for 8 from 40 yards and beyond. He excelled on kickoffs, recording touchbacks on 54 of 73 kickoffs. His 74 percent rate was sixth highest in FBS.

“My senior season, I wanted to show teams I could be accurate,” Butker said. “The past three seasons, I had made big kicks, but I hadn’t put together a good season. That’s what they need in the NFL, a kicker that can hit 80 to 90 percent.”

On top of his field-goal performance in Indianapolis, Butker said he showed well on his 11 kickoffs — five for distance and six directional kicks.

Besides interviews with teams and the on-field kicking session, Butker also took several lengthy evaluations that were a mix of personality test and gauge of analytical thinking, he said. One question asked whether he was more like a cat or a dog.

“Definitely a dog,” he said. “I don’t know who would put that they’re more similar to a cat.”