Sean Payton Pays Rookie LB a Huge Compliment

The Denver Broncos had been blighted by the injury bug over the preceding four seasons, and often at the most inopportune times. This snakebitten past prompted new Broncos head coach Sean Payton to rigorously set out this past offseason to assemble a training staff of experts to circumvent the injury bug.

Keeping players healthy and available often goes unnoticed. Staying healthy requires no small measure of luck, but Payton has placed massive value on making improvements in this area.

For all the careful advance planning Payton has put in place, injuries remain part of the football tapestry, especially in a league with a grueling 17-game season. Case in point has been rush linebacker Nik Bonitto's unfortunate knee injury — the team's sack leader. His absence has deprived the heretofore attack-oriented Broncos defense of a key piece.

Due to Bonitto's continued absence, outside linebacker Ronnie Perkins has been elevated from the practices quad, perhaps also due to his history with the New England Patriots. Ever since Bonitto went down, Payton has discovered that his pass-rushing cupboard is a little bare.

While rookie third-rounder Drew Sanders certainly isn't a designated pass-rushing specialist, he's now getting extra snaps at outside linebacker as a result of Bonitto's unavailability. Sanders is yet to register a sack during his limited opportunities, however, but Payton's faith in the rookie is tangible.

"To get him on the field, he's playing more OLB," Payton told reporters this week. "If you asked me, 'How do you see his vision five years out?' I don't know that, I could honestly say OLB or ILB, but I like the fact that he has that versatility, and I think that will define itself as he gets in. [We're] trying to get him on the field, because we feel like, hey, he's one of our better players—how do we get him on the field? Part of it's that role, but I think it's evolving. I think he's—listen, he has pressure traits. He's a good tackler, and he can run. I'm glad we have him."

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Calling the rookie one of the Broncos' "better players" is a high compliment to Sanders. Payton doesn't often shower players with praise, let alone a rookie, so it must be gratifying for Sanders to hear. Perhaps it's Christmas spirit rubbing off on the veteran head coach.

Sanders started his college career at Alabama as a rush linebacker before transferring to Arkansas for his final season, where he played inside more, yet still totaled nine sacks. Selected at pick No. 67 in Round 3, Sanders became the Broncos' highest-drafted inside linebacker since 2004, but that's only true if doesn't end up as an outside guy as a pro.

Sanders is being used of late as an outside linebacker out of necessity, but Payton's comments show that the Broncos aren't convinced yet of his long-term position. The Broncos drafted Baron Browning as an inside linebacker in 2021, only to move him to the outside. Time will tell on Sanders.

One thing's certain; after only registering two sacks last week against the Detroit Lions and relinquishing five passing touchdowns, the Broncos need to find ways to manufacture more pressure on the QB. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph could dial up more blitz packages against Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe.

Perhaps more than any of the Broncos' previous seven defeats, the bruising manner of last week's loss in the Motor City has revealed many defensive imperfections the Broncos need to urgently set right. It was particularly telling that Joseph was still explaining how the wheels spun out of control in Detroit when he held court on Thursday with local press.

"Our defense plays very well when they can dictate, and on Saturday night we did not," Joseph said via The Denver Post's Parker Gabriel. "We chased them. Some known rushing downs, they were passing the ball, some known passing downs, they're running the football. We had no chance to dictate and get ahead of the sticks. We don't play well when that happens. Nobody does."

The extreme confusion that was on display last week against Detroit simply cannot be allowed to be replicated on Sunday night or the Broncos can kiss the playoffs goodbye. Indeed, using Sanders as a situational pass rusher might be put on the shelf for now, due to the importance of playing much more fundamental football.

That being said, featuring the rookie on some blitz packages might just catch the Patriots a little off guard, but first, the 21-year-old will have to prove he can handle any extra responsibilities that might come his way.

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