Despite being ranked by some pundits as a first- or second-round prospect, linebacker Drew Sanders fell to the Denver Broncos in the third round of the NFL draft last week.
His position might partly explain the slide. Sanders played both as an inside linebacker and as an outside linebacker at Alabama before transferring to Arkansas, where he primarily played on the inside. Some teams might not have had a clear projection for where he’d fit in their defense.
So where do the Broncos seem him fitting in?
“We see our schemes very similar to a year ago. Inside linebacker — if you want to be more specific, the Mike linebacker plays, generally speaking, to the tight end,” coach Payton said. “We see him as an inside linebacker in the same scheme that we’ve been in and prototyping that role.”
Payton went on to speak about Sanders’ ability to generate pressure as an inside linebacker, something Demario Davis has excelled at with the New Orleans Saints.
“It’s up to us to start doing some things,” Payton said. “We have a tag called pressure player, and to check it, you’ve got to be unique in regard to rushing the passer. Sometimes, linebackers are pressure players. In New Orleans, Demario Davis — we felt he was a pressure player because when we blitzed him, a percentage of the time, he could affect the quarterback.
“We’ve had a lot of linebackers that were really good players that weren’t pressure players. That’s not their first job description. I think this guy fits into that position where he’s a pressure player. His production on the quarterback this year would suggest that. We see the 3-4 fit. We see the 3-4 inside. I said earlier — I don’t know, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if a team who plays an under defense might have projected him as the same. We have him inside relative to our vision.”
Sanders totaled 9.5 sacks as an inside linebacker with the Razorbacks last fall, demonstrating that he can make an impact as a pass rusher as a Mike linebacker. Although the Broncos plan to primarily play him on the inside, Sanders is willing to line up wherever Denver’s coaches ask him to.
“I’m pretty confident in myself to say I can really play anywhere a coach needs me and wants to put me,” Sanders said. “Inside [or] outside — I feel like I can be a good contributing factor to the team wherever they want to put me … [W]hether it’s getting after the quarterback or dropping back in coverage or stopping the run — I’m pretty confident in myself that it will translate well.”
Sanders’ positional flexibility will also improve the Broncos’ depth as he will be able to provide cover at multiple positions. Sanders seems unlikely to start over Josey Jewell or Alex Singleton this season, but there will be rotational snaps up for grabs both at inside and outside linebacker in 2023.
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