It’s a make or break year for Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders

In his third year with the Broncos, it might be a make or break year for Drew Sanders.

With their 67th overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos selected Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders. The former Alabama transfer was coming off a breakout year and was even given a first-round grade by some notable draft analysts. This selection gave Broncos fans some hope that Sanders could be their long-term answer at the linebacker position.

While Sanders showed some promise during camp and the preseason, he had his struggles throughout the year. At Alabama, he was an edge rusher but transitioned to off-ball linebacker at Arkansas. While he was productive, his inexperience at the position and lack of instincts in coverage really began to show. Due to these struggles, the Broncos started using Sanders on the edge to take advantage of his size, length, and athleticism while also providing some much-needed depth at that position.

As we headed into the 2024 offseason, reports indicated that Sanders would stick at edge rusher. This was going to be an important offseason for Sanders as he was making a positional switch and entering his first full offseason with the Broncos. Unfortunately, Sanders would end up tearing his Achilles early in the offseason, and the Broncos would go on to draft edge rusher Jonah Elliss in the third round of the draft. Not only did he suffer a major injury and lose out on valuable reps, growth, and development, but the team drafted another edge rusher, which clouded his future even more.

Due to the Achilles injury, Sanders would miss the entire offseason and the vast majority of the 2025 NFL regular season. However, since the injury happened early in the offseason, Sanders was able to rehab successfully and return to the field for the Broncos late in the year. When he did return, he was back at linebacker and made his presence known during the Broncos' key Thursday Night game vs. the Chargers. Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph sent Sanders on a blitz, and he made it through their offensive line untouched and was able to sack quarterback Justin Herbert on a big third-down play.

While he only played in four games and was used sparingly, we did get some insight into how the Broncos plan on using Sanders moving forward. Now, he is entering his third season with the Broncos, fully healthy from his injury, and going through his first full offseason of his career.

This could be a big make-or-break year for Drew Sanders.