We take a look back at Malcolm Butler's 2016 season and offer our predictions for 2017.
2016 Honors & Awards: Associated Press All-Pro: Second Team
2016 Regular Season Stats:16 games played with 16 starts, 63 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries and 17 passes defensed.
- Butler had his first career two-interception game in the win vs. N.Y. Jets when he picked off QB Bryce Petty on third-and-11 in the first quarter and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick for a 21-yard gain at the end of the third stanza.
- He led the Patriots in interceptions with four on the season.
- Butler also led the Patriots in passes defensed with 17, which ranks tied for 10th most in team history dating back to 1994.Â
- He forced and recovered a fumble by WR Robby Anderson in the second quarter to mark the first forced fumble and fumble recovery of his NFL career in the win at N.Y. Jets.
- Butler recorded his first ever NFL sack when he took down QB Colin Kaepernick on the first play of the first quarter at San Francisco.
Check out the best photos of Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler from the 2016 NFL season.
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) breaks up a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver John Brown (12) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) intercepts a pass in the end zone intended for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) during the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. (AP Photo/Jared Wickerham)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) breaks up a pass intended for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) during the first half of the AFC championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler and cornerback Logan Ryan (26) break up a pass intended for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd during an NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, oct. 16, 2016. (Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) celebrates during an NFL football game between the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, September 11, 2016, in Glendale, AZ. (Tom Hauck via AP)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) looks over the offensive line during the NFL AFC Championship football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Mass. The Patriots defeated the Steelers 36-17. (Jim Mahoney via AP)
NewEngland Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) sets for play against Houston Texans Jan. 14, 2017 during an NFL football conference playoff game in Foxborough, Mass. New England won 34 - 16. (Al Messerschmidt via AP)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) celebrates during to an NFL AFC divisional playoff football game against the Houston Texans on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, in Foxborough, Mass. New England won 34-16. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) in coverage during an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Miami Gardens, Fla. New England won 35-14. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016. (Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) intercepts a pass intended for New York Jets wide receiver Charone Peake (17) during the second half of an NFL football game, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) celebrates an interception in action against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday December 4, 2016 in Foxboro, Mass (Damian Strohmeyer via AP)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler in action against the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016, in Santa Clara, CA. The Pats won 30-17. (Daniel Gluskoter/AP Images for Panini)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) in coverage during to an NFL AFC divisional playoff football game against the Houston Texans on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, in Foxborough, Mass. New England won 34-16. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) reacts during an NFL Super Bowl LI football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017 in Houston. New England won Super Bowl LI 34-28 in overtime. (Aaron M. Sprecher via AP)
New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) celebrates during an NFL Super Bowl 51 football game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston, TX. The Patriots defeated the Falcons 34-28 in overtime. (Kevin Terrell via AP)
Belichick on Butler:"Malcolm [Butler]'s really competitive. It really bothers him when a guy catches a ball on him and that's the kind of attitude you want to have from a defensive back. When they do catch it they want to make a real hard tackle and kind of make the guy pay for those yards that he got. Malcolm's a good tackler. Really he's a tough kid. I love the way he competes and not just for the ball in the passing game, but the tackle to kind of hit the other guy harder than the other guy hits him, that kind of aggressiveness. You don't get that out of every corner but he brings that and that's a good quality. It's a great quality."
Butler in 2017: Butler signed his restricted free agent tender and should be a fixture at cornerback once again in the New England secondary. He and newcomer Stephon Gilmore could form one of the best cornerback duos in the league, and his toughness and competitiveness will keep the Patriots defense near the top of the NFL.
