The Denver Broncos selected Butt with the first pick of Saturday's fifth round, No. 145 overall.
The highly rated prospect, who fell out of the first few rounds after tearing his ACL in December's Orange Bowl, was viewed as a high-value pick on the final day. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said Butt was "locked in" as a second-round pick before the injury. There remains a possibility that he won't have to sit out the entire season if his rehab goes according to schedule.
With Denver looking to continue their run-first offense under new coordinator Mike McCoy, Butt will be the perfect addition for whichever quarterback earns the starting nod thanks to his ability to hold blocks and get out into open space. During his senior season, Butt logged 46 catches for 546 yards and four touchdowns. Even after his injury, he impressed by saying he had no regrets playing in the Wolverines' final game.
"never once crossed my mind to sit this game out and I would never change that mindset," Butt wrote on Twitter back on Dec. 30. "I play this game bc I love it, my teammates, coaches"
That passion seems to have earned him his chance in the pros, even if it came a little later than initially expected.
