Broncos' recent signing labeled 'one to watch', has chance to make 53-man roster

Story by

Story by
Broncos' recent signing labeled 'one to watch', has chance to make 53-man roster

Travis Wakeman · The Sporting News

Fri, Jun 19, 2026 ·

4 min read

About Our Ads

Broncos' recent signing labeled 'one to watch', has chance to make 53-man roster originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The Denver Broncos recently dipped into the talent pool of the spring league to find a couple of new players for this year's 90-man roster to head into training camp with. Hakeem Butler and Sean Fresch, both of the St. Louis BattleHawks, will have the chance to successfully transition from the UFL to the NFL.

But this won't be the first time Butler has had that opportunity.

Originally a fourth-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, Butler has bounced between the NFL and the spring league for years now. He's also played in the Canadian Football League.

Following the 2023 UFL season, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers . A year later, the Cincinnati Bengals brought him in to compete for a spot on the roster. In each of those cases, he was looking to beat out several veterans for a spot on the team, and in Denver, he joins a very deep group at the position.

However, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report feels he is a player fans should know about.

"Shortly before the NFL draft, the Denver Broncos traded for wideout Jaylen Waddle , hoping to pair Bo Nix with a truly reliable big-play receiver.

While Denver's signing of St. Louis Battlehawks receiver Hakeem Butler earlier this week won't and shouldn't generate as much buzz, it's still noteworthy.

Over the past three seasons with the Battlehawks, Butler has shown himself to be a reliable big-play threat.

The 30-year-old led the league in receiving and was named UFL Offensive Player of the Year in both 2024 and 2026. This past season, he caught 29 passes for 641 yards and three touchdowns.

Butler, a 6'5" pass-catcher out of Iowa State, joined the NFL as a fourth-round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2019. He suffered a broken hand as a rookie and never got on the field for the Cardinals, but he did appear in two games with the Eagles in 2020.

Having turned 30 in May, Butler's upside is now limited. However, he can potentially provide Denver with a big-bodied mismatch perimeter threat", wrote Knox.

Hakeem Butler's size gives him a chance to make Broncos' roster

What could set Butler apart in Denver is that he is a huge wide receiver. He's actually bigger than the team's starting tight end, Evan Engram .

But Sean Payton has always had a spot for that kind of wide receiver and the Broncos, who have a lot of youth behind Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle, don't really have that kind of target.

Mike Kadlick of Sports Illustrated gives him a 25 percent chance to make the team. Here was his assessment:

"For the second time in three seasons, Butler led the UFL in receiving yards in 2026—logging 641 on 29 receptions while scoring three touchdowns and earning UFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. The 30-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2019 and has spent time with the Panthers , Eagles, Steelers and Bengals—but has yet to latch onto an NFL roster for the long haul.

Instead, what Butler has done is tear up both the XFL and UFL over the last four years as a member of the St. Louis Battlehawks. He'll join a Broncos wide receiver room equipped with a two-headed monster in Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle, with depth pieces in Marvin Mims , Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant also in the mix. It won't be easy, but Butler now has another opportunity to prove he's an NFL-caliber receiver.

Chance to make 53-man roster: 25%," wrote Kadlick.

While a 25-percent chance doesn't seem good, it's not bad for a 30-year-old wide receiver who joined the roster in mid-June.

HOT READ: Broncos sign two players after minicamp tryout, move on from undrafted cornerback

Hakeem Butler's size gives him a chance to make Broncos' roster

More Broncos Content