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The forgotten member of last year's deep tight end class makes his NFL debut Saturday night Damon Harrison Jersey , and Jake Butt is fired up to show he's just as good as O.J. Howard, Evan Engram and David Njoku.
Butt was considered as talented as that trio of first-rounders last year but he slipped all the way to the fifth round, where Denver grabbed him with the 145th overall pick after he tore his right ACL in Michigan's 33-32 loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl following the 2016 season.
He was the eighth tight end taken overall, one spot ahead of Iowa's George Kittle, who caught 43 passes for 515 yards and two TDs in San Francisco.
While Butt was missing his rookie season and focusing on getting healthy for 2018, he couldn't help but keep tabs on his fellow rookie tight ends as they piled up 230 catches and 26 touchdowns last season.
"Some were arguing it was the best tight end class ever. Yeah, I kept up with them," Butt said Thursday. "Obviously, a lot of those guys did some great things. Evan Engram stands out. I got to see him live in our stadium, he was making some big plays. O.J. Howard, I've known him since high school, just an absolute beast. David Njoku, Adam Shaheen, they did well.
"And now it's my turn to go out there and compete with them and get the right to earn (the title of) who's the best out of that class," Butt said. "Man, that'll be fun. We'll all be pushing each other."
The Broncos host the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday night Nick O'Leary Jersey , and Butt will line up with the starters.
"He'll be with the first group probably for two series and maybe a little bit afterward, but not much more than that," coach Vance Joseph said.
Butt can't wait.
"I'm just ready to go out there and start playing some real football again," said Butt.
He acknowledged feeling like a wide-eyed rookie.
"This will be my first NFL game, so what my class went through last season this is what I'm going through right now. So, just to get in that stadium, in front of our fans, with my team and being out there actually participating, it's going to be a fun time," Butt said.
Butt is pain-free and has had a solid training camp so far as veteran Jeff Heuerman sits out with a sore knee. "But it's a whole different beast when you get out there and do it live against another team," Butt said. "So, I want to go out there and continue to be technique sound, work my fundamentals, block well."
The Broncos lost their best blocking tight end when Virgil Green signed with the AFC West-rival Los Angeles Chargers this spring, and Butt knows blocking is what's going to keep him on the field and allow him the chance to catch up to the rest of the 2017 tight ends class.
"We've got some talented receivers on the outside, so if you can have a tight end that they can't key on whether it's a run or a pass Cameron Erving Jersey , that's going to put some pressure on that defense," Butt said. "And if you're able to execute, that could translate into some big plays for our offense."
Butt and general manager John Elway were hopeful that Butt would only miss half of his rookie season last year, but it quickly became apparent during the one week he was allowed to practice that he'd be better off waiting until 2018.
"The hardest part about last year was not knowing," Butt said. "Being on PUP, you're waiting, you're waiting, you're waiting and you don't know if you're going to have to wait longer. But once they shut me down for the year, it just became a focus of let me get as healthy as possible for 2018."
Butt was one of several members of the Broncos' 2017 draft class who played very little (DeMarcus Walker, De'Angelo Henderson) or not at all (Chad Kelly, Carlos Henderson) last season.
There's been a lot of buzz about this year's loaded draft class . If Butt can return to form, though, he'll give a boost to the 2017 class that's taken heat for its many mistakes and immaturity.
"I think our story's still being written," Butt said.
And he could be the lead author.
Notes: Unlike last year, Von Miller will play in the preseason opener. "He's totally healthy, he's had a great camp and we have no reason not to play Von Deatrich Wise Jr Jersey ," Joseph said. "Von's in great health and good spirits, so why not?" ... Heuerman, S Su'a Cravens (knee) and OL Menelik Watson (chest) won't play.
Federal lawmakers from Louisiana and Washington have submitted legislation to award former New Orleans Saints and Washington State football player Steve Gleason the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and doctor who helped sponsor the legislation, seeks to honor Gleason for his work as an advocate for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
"Steve Gleason was a hero for Saints fans and now he is a hero for all Americans as he finds hope and meaning in overcoming disability and creating greater opportunity for others who are disabled," Cassidy said.
The 41-year-old Gleason, famous for blocking a punt in 2006 on the night the Superdome reopened for the first time since Hurricane Katrina, was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. He has spearheaded efforts through the Team Gleason foundation to develop and provide technology to help ALS patients live longer, more fulfilling lives. Those include devices that track eye movements to help people who are paralyzed type words that can be transformed into speech. Gleason has used the technology to communicate, post messages on social media, address lawmakers from around the world and give motivational speeches to athletes.
Congress this year approved the Gleason Act, which provided funding to help ALS patients get those devices.
The legislation submitted Thursday also is sponsored by Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.; Sen. John Kennedy Landon Collins Jersey , R-La.; Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.; Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La.; and Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La.
Murray praised Gleason for making "his biggest impact as a tireless advocate in the health world" and changing "countless lives for the better."
The bill must be passed by the House and Senate and signed into law by the president before the medal can be awarded.
Previous recipients include Thomas Edison, Robert Frost, Bob Hope, Walt Disney, Roberto Clemente, John Wayne, Jesse Owens, Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Ruth and Billy Graham, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
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