The Denver Broncos selected Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 67th overall.
Sanders immediately adds explosiveness and depth to Denver's inside linebacker depth chart, which is headlined by Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton. The Broncos hired a new defensive coordinator in former head coach Vance Joseph this year.
The 21-year-old Sanders played the first two seasons of his career at Alabama before transferring to Arkansas. He posted a career year with the Razorbacks last season, racking up 103 tackles (13.5 for loss), 9.5 sacks, and one interception.
Pre-draft profile
Finding a comparison for Sanders was difficult because nobody plays quite like him. The best comparison might simply be the Tasmanian Devil of "Looney Tunes" fame. Sanders flies to the ball, lining up all across the defensive front to find advantageous matchups. The Arkansas product is confident engaging with offensive linemen as a former edge defender, and he showcases pass-rushing and block-shedding techniques many linebackers in this class could only dream of deploying. The further Sanders gets from the line of scrimmage, though, the less comfortable he looks. Zone coverage is his most glaring weakness, as he's less effective playing in space, but a smart defensive coordinator will lean into his strengths and find him mismatches to exploit up and down the offensive line. If a team is willing to use him creatively rather than line him up at weakside linebacker every down, Sanders has the potential to be an impact player.
