ENGLEWOOD, Colo. –The Broncos added to their tight end group Saturday when they drafted Michigan's Jake Butt with the first pick of the fifth round of the 2017 NFL's Draft.* *
Butt suffered a torn ACL in the Capital One Orange Bowl against Florida State on Dec. 30, but he was considered a potential first-round talent prior to the injury.
His recovery timeline isn't yet certain, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported he could return to the field by August or Septemeber.
When he was healthy, Butt was a dangerous weapon.
The second-team Associated Press All-American had two seasons of at least 45 receptions, 500 yards and three touchdowns, and he was named the Big Ten Tight End of the Year after both his junior and senior seasons.
ESPN analyst Todd McShay called Butt a steal at this point in the draft and that he was a great route runner and has elite ball skills.
"I think he can be a Tyler Eifert-type in the NFL," McShay said.
The Broncos traded away their fourth-round pick to Cleveland for two fifth-round picks and got Butt with the first of those selections, the 135th-overall pick in the draft.
