Broncos Settle Biggest Unresolved Issue on 3rd-Round LB Drew Sanders
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Drew Sanders was not expected to drop to the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. But he did plummet through the first and second rounds — all the way into the Denver Broncos' lap at pick No. 68 overall.
It was quite the get for the Broncos, as many draftniks predicted Sanders to hear his name called in Round 2, some even projecting a first-round selection. The Athletic's Dane Brugler — a highly-respected voice in NFL draft media — had Sanders rated as the No. 1 linebacker in the 2023 class.
So why did Sanders fall? There was no grievous injury. He played for two big SEC schools.
Why Sanders fell is hard to say, but in all likelihood, it was due to teams being unsure of his position, and thus, his fit. Do the Broncos view him as an inside or outside linebacker?
"We see him as an inside linebacker in the same scheme that we’ve been in and prototyping that role," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said after Sanders was drafted.
Sanders will primarily play inside, but listening to the rookie talk about his skill set, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Broncos deploy him eventually in a similar way to how the Dallas Cowboys used Micah Parsons.
“I'm pretty confident in myself to say I can really play anywhere a coach needs me and wants to put me," Sanders said on Friday night after he was drafted. "Inside [or] outside [linebacker]—I feel like I can be a good contributing factor to the team wherever they want to put me.”
While some draftniks have questioned Sanders' ability to drop back into coverage, he certainly doesn't lack confidence in that aspect of his game.
“Yeah, I'm extremely confident," Sanders said. "Whatever the position needs me to do, whether it's getting after the quarterback or dropping back in coverage or stopping the run—I'm pretty confident in myself that it will translate well.”
Payton has a unique "tag" or category that he calls a "pressure player." Such a player has to have the innate ability to affect the quarterback, regardless of his specific position. Sanders, a former five-star recruit who signed with Alabama to chase quarterbacks, only to transfer to Arkansas to play inside linebacker, is such a player in Payton's estimation.
"Interestingly enough, when he was at Alabama, he’s had experience at both inside and out," Payton said of Sanders. "It’s up to us to start doing some things. We have a tag called pressure player, and to check it, you’ve got to be unique in regard to rushing the passer. Sometimes, linebackers are pressure players.
"We’ve had a lot of linebackers that were really good players that weren’t pressure players. That’s not their first job description. I think this guy fits into that position where he’s a pressure player. His production on the quarterback this year would suggest that."
Payton is speaking to the 9.5 sacks Sanders totaled last year at Arkansas, of which, the player is "very proud." The 6-foot-4 and 235-pound "pressure player" is coming off a very productive campaign in his one and only season at Arkansas, totaling 103 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, and an interception for the Razorbacks last year, on top of the nearly 10 sacks.
Payton's eyes light up with the possibilities for the Broncos. Under new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, Payton says the Broncos' scheme will be "very similar to a year ago," which means a base 3-4.
"We see the 3-4 fit. We see the 3-4 inside," Payton said of Sanders. "We have him inside relative to our vision.”
Sanders admitted that while he knows the names of Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell, he's not very familiar with their respective resumes. But he'll be joining them in the Broncos' inside linebacker room, along with guys like Jonas Griffith and Justin Strnad.
Where Sanders goes from there will be determined in due time. But with a skill set as versatile and productive as his, the Broncos won't have a hard time finding a role for the 21-year-old, even as a rookie.
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