Jake Butt feeling the best he’s ‘ever’ felt physically

Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt says he’s feeling the best he’s ‘ever’ felt physically after a year of recovering from an ACL injury…

The Denver Broncos concluded their rookie minicamp where tight end Jake Butt said quarterback Chad Kelly was slinging it.

Kelly wasn’t the only one among those ‘redshirt’ rookies excited to get back onto the field.

Butt had plans of getting back onto the field in 2017 before aggravating his knee injury when he tried to come back to practice. The Broncos decided it would be best if Butt focused on getting his knee fully healthy before returning to normal football activities, and that patience seems to be paying off.

"“I think this is probably the best I’ve felt in my career getting a whole year under my belt with professional strength coaches. Focus on my strength, speed, mobility and all that good stuff. I’m pretty confident saying that this is the best I’ve ever felt in my career.”TE Jake Butt (quotes via Broncos PR)"

More from Predominantly Orange

• Broncos chances of landing Sean Payton dwindling, but not gone
• Denver Broncos dream coaching staff for DeMeco Ryans
• Denver Broncos: “Sleeper” David Shaw checks every box
• The Broncos’ coaching search likely has not gone to plan
• Special Chiefs Suck Offer: Bet $5, Win $150 if Joe Burrow Passes for ONE YARD vs KC

Since Butt has had multiple knee injuries in his playing career, this is a reassuring statement.

The Broncos knew when they selected Butt in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft that there was a better than decent chance he may not be able to play at all during the season, but this was a top 50 player on many draft boards pre-injury.

Butt’s playmaking ability at Michigan made him a coveted prospect and drew some comparisons to recently retired Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.

I’m not going to say Butt will be the next Witten, but I do believe he can be a major piece of the Broncos’ 2018 offense, and potentially one of the next stars in the league at his position.

Butt has added eight pounds of muscle to his frame and has a great training staff with Landow performance now with the Broncos full time.

Butt was listed on the roster at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, so if he’s up to 258 pounds, he’ll be able to hold up as an in-line player even better than he already did.

Broncos fans have been excited to see what Butt can do for a long time now. It felt like the team got a bonus second-round pick in last year’s draft when they picked him.

Now, the former tight end out of Michigan has to prove himself worthy of all the pre-draft hype.