Broncos Prospect Profile: Jake Butt, TE, Michigan

Throughout the offseason, we’ll be profiling players who may end up in Denver when all is said and done with the 2017 NFL Draft. The Broncos clearly have plenty of holes to fill before they get back to Super-Bowl form and we’ll be examining a long list of players they may choose to help the franchise do just that.

With the 2017 NFL draft looking like it could be a gem when it comes to the tight end position, Denver may have their eyes on picking up another receiving threat. The likes of O.J. Howard from the University of Alabama and David Njoku from the Miami but there is a top talent who may be falling back a little bit—Jake Butt.

Butt, out of the University of Michigan, is coming off one of the most successful careers in recent memory for the Wolverines, with 1,646 total yards and 11 touchdowns during the four years he was a student at the University. Butt also has the hardware to back up his stats, not only is the talented tight end a two-time first-team All-American, but he also received the Ozzie Newsome Award for the nation’s best tight end in 2015.

Strengths

Butt is seemingly fearless when it comes to the middle of the field, going up and getting balls that are thrown his way with no regard for anything other than the reception. It is not only his ability to catch the ball in coverage that makes him a projected second-round draft pick, it is also the willingness to block when asked; Butt has shown the strength to contribute to a double-team from edge-rushers in the grueling the Big-10 conference.

With his 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame, Butt is a bit smaller than the elite tight ends in today’s NFL but, with the right training, could gain mass to be comparable to a fellow 6-foot-6 tight end, Travis Kelce.

Weaknesses

Butts disregard for his body may also be a weakness. No. 88 has injured his knee a number of times throughout his career, most notably in an Orange Bowl loss to Florida State, when the tight end left early with a torn ACL which did require surgery. His timetable for return is unknown at this point and is the main factor into his draft stock falling. Without any combine work, it will be difficult for any team to decide if Butt will be healthy enough for any sort of Football activity in 2017.

Butt has quickly recovered from this type of injury before, however, having torn an ACL in February 2014 and making his return to the field that following October.

How he fits in Denver

Virgil Green, who is by far Denver’s best blocking tight end, is rarely used in the passing game, so having a hybrid tight end such as Butt that can both catch and block would be beneficial for a complete offense. The bringing in of a two-time Kwalick-Clark award winner would also create a true training camp competition for both Green and Jeff Heuerman.