Broncos Teammate Raves About 'Unbelievable, Unreal' LB Drew Sanders
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The Denver Broncos are excited that linebacker Drew Sanders fell to them in the third round. In the immediate aftermath of the draft, pundits from around the NFL were saying that the Broncos "stole" Sanders.
As the stand-out player at Broncos rookie minicamp, Sanders has quickly lived up to the hype. His fellow 2023 draftee — wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. — knew exactly what type of player the Broncos got in Sanders.
Mims and Sanders have a history that dates back to high school. Although Mims' school was on the losing end of a big game in Texas, he's always had admiration for Sanders' game, and so far in Denver, he's seeing the same type of explosive playmaking ability.
“I can’t talk any trash on the way that game went (laughs)," Mims said on Saturday. "Drew is an unreal athlete. He’s looked like that since senior year in high school. I mean, the dude is unbelievable. But just to come here, it’s such a small world. Both of us getting drafted here, I mean, it’s weird how things worked out.”
Sanders earned some headlines for picking off try-out QB Ben DiNucci. Fortunately for DiNucci, the Broncos signed him to the roster after camp, but Mims had seen Sanders make big plays like that before.
"I think whenever we played them, he was playing D-end, tipped the ball, picked it, six, and then they call it back," Mims reflected. "I was just like… that’s nothing new to me, honestly, seeing him do stuff like that.”
For his part, Sanders is a bit more guarded with his words. He comes off as a bit shy or reserved when a camera and microphone get stuck in his face, but it's likely just the novelty of it because, on the grass, he's a beast. A man of few words, for now, Sanders gave Mims some props, too.
“He’s always been a great player," Sanders said. "Always somebody I knew of.”
READ: Broncos' Top Draft Pick Shares Unique First Impression of CB Riley Moss
As Mims said, it's "weird" how the two former high school rivals ended up in Denver together as part of the same draft class. Mims' was Denver's second-round pick, and first selection of the class, while Sanders was the second in Round 3. Now, they get to try making some history together instead of as opponents.
Mims wasn't the only one at Broncos HQ talking Sanders up. Head coach Sean Payton got in on the action, too.
“There was more to that interception if you looked at it," Payton said of Sanders' big play. "It was good play by Sanders and it was right in front of [Owner & CEO] Greg Penner... It was good play by Drew, [he had] a good break."
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