Raiders Opponent Rookie Spotlight: LB Drew Sanders

The Las Vegas Raiders will take on the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday to kick off the regular season.

The Broncos are looking to rebound from a rough 2022 season that saw them go 5-12 and finish last in the AFC West.

The Raiders have had plenty of success against the Broncos recently, winning eight of the last 10 games, including six in a row.

The Broncos made significant moves to improve their roster this offseason. One move that was not heralded as significant but could have a major impact on their defense was the team selecting linebacker Drew Sanders with the 67th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Sanders adds another athletic defender with versatility at the linebacker position. He can play as an inside linebacker or as a 3-4 outside linebacker due to his pass rushing ability.

Sanders was selected in the third round out of Arkansas. In his one season with the Razorbacks, he posted 103 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for losses, nine and a half sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception. He was named a First-Team All-American and First-Team All SEC.

NFL Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein compared Sanders to Chicago Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds as a prospect. Sanders is 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, with the versatility to come off the edge as a pass rusher or impact the game as an inside linebacker. Edmunds did similar things coming out of college and continues to be an excellent player in the NFL.

Sanders offers the Raiders match-up problems because of his speed, length and athleticism. Sanders has the quickness and explosiveness to beat tackles, but also the strength to overpower pass protecting running backs.

Sanders is only one of several athletic linebackers the Broncos have, even with the Raiders nort facing Baron Browning, who is on the Physically Unable to Perform list and will miss at least the first four games of the season.

The Broncos will look to utilize Sanders’ versatility against the Raiders, as he can be a factor in both the running game and passing game. They will need to be ready for the versatile rookie, no matter what way in which the Broncos unleash him.

The Silver and Black open the regular season at the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 4:25 p.m. EDT/1:25 p.m. PDT.

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