New England Patriots

This sleeping giant will emerge for the Patriots in 2015

Published Jul. 21, 2015 11:03 a.m. ET

foxsports

Following up a season in which you won the Super Bowl is never easy for a team. The Seattle Seahawks came two yards from going back-to-back in Super Bowl 49, but New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler had different plans. Now, it's New England's turn.

The Patriots' offseason following the Super Bowl win hasn't been a positive one by any means, losing starters Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Vince Wilfork, Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley, and Dan Connolly. Not to mention the whole Tom Brady-Deflategate situation, which may cost the quarterback the first four games of the season. That's a long laundry list of players to replace following a Super Bowl, but if one team can do it, it's the Patriots.

One particular position lost more than the others, and that's cornerback. Revis is one of the best defenders in the league, and Browner is one of the biggest at his position. Replacing an All-Pro and a 6-foot-4 cornerback won't be easy, but having the Super Bowl hero on your team helps. That's why I'm picking this player to breakout in 2015:

Malcolm Butler, CB

Sure, it seems easy to pick Butler knowing he essentially made the final play of the season, and also the most memorable. But it goes deeper than that. Butler plays a position which currently has Bradley Fletcher and Logan Ryan at the top of the depth chart. Butler can certainly beat out at least one of those two, which will bump him into a starting role. Whether or not he can handle his own and play at a high level remains to be seen, but it shouldn't be due to a lack of confidence.

If Bill Belichick has enough faith in Butler to put him in at the goal line for the biggest play of the year, he should have no lack of confidence in himself. He played well throughout the Super Bowl, constantly finding himself around the ball on key plays. Now, he'll have to turn one good performance into a season-long campaign.

Training camp will be key for Butler, specifically because last offseason, he was fighting for a roster spot as an undrafted rookie. This season, he's all but solidified his place on this team, it's just a matter of outperforming others at corner. Getting quality snaps during training camp against guys like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola will make Butler a better player and a more polished cornerback. Look for him to have a breakout 2015 campaign and make a name for himself aside from being a Super Bowl hero.

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