Payton Teases Broncos' True Plan For Rookie LB Drew Sanders

In the wake of Jonas Griffith's season-ending ACL tear, the Denver Broncos are going to be relying on rookie linebacker Drew Sanders perhaps sooner than expected. The third-rounder could be poised to answer the bell when his number is called on defense.

And make no mistake; based on what head coach Sean Payton said following the 10th practice of training camp, the Broncos have plans to make use of Sanders' prodigious talents.

“He’s going to be someone that does a lot of things for us," Payton said on Saturday. "We see him certainly getting reps in the kicking game. I’ve been encouraged.”

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The Broncos could use some help covering kickoffs and punts. Sanders, at least, early on, will be conscripted into special teams service, but the Broncos need impact players in all three phases.

Earlier this week, Sanders' veteran teammate in the linebacker room — Alex Singelton — complimented the rookie's football IQ and called him a "freak." However, regardless of one's talent, in the NFL, every rookie must navigate the pitfalls of the trial-and-error process.

"There’s a learning curve," Payton said of Sanders. "Yet, you see physicality, you see speed. His stature, his length, all of those things.

The stature Payton speaks of is Sanders' 6-foot-5, 233-pound frame. That NFL body is fueled by 4.66-second speed that the Broncos plan to deploy at both the first and second levels of the defense.

Sanders has tremendous pass-rushing chops, especially for an inside-type linebacker, notching 9.5 sacks at the position last year at Arkansas, after transferring from Alabama, where the Crimson Tide used him as an edge defender. In Vance Joseph's scheme, there's no limit to how creative Denver's new defensive coordinator could get with Sanders as a weapon to launch at opponents.

It's going to be fun to see how it all unfolds. Broncos Country has gotten a decent look at Sanders since training camp opened, but the rookie will get the chance to ply his trade in a live-bullet setting when the Broncos take on the Arizona Cardinals in preseason Game 1 next Friday.

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