3 draft picks the Broncos got right and 2 they will regret

Broncos might regret this pick: Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas

When I saw the pick come through for the Denver Broncos taking Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders, my hopes were slightly dashed. Of course, we all have some level of "desire" for what we want to see the team do in the NFL Draft, and one of the things I wanted this team to do, specifically, was pass on the linebacker position in their earliest pick slots.

It has nothing really to do with Drew Sanders, who is an interesting prospect in his own right, and almost everything to do with positional value, potential for early impact, and what was still on the board there in that slot for the Broncos.

For my money, as previously stated, I would have much rather spent this pick on someone like Hendon Hooker, but that might just be me.

Sanders showed out in his lone year as a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks. The former five-star prospect at Alabama was stuck behind a couple of future first-round picks as an edge player, so he made the most of his special teams chances before transferring to Arkansas and getting a shot as an off-ball linebacker. He became an All-American and generated some first-round hype along the way.

Ultimately, Drew Sanders is a very talented football player with a ton of room to grow physically. This is the pick I'm being most critical of because I didn't like the position in that 67th overall slot, and I think Sanders warrants a bit of skepticism.

This guy didn't have a true position coming out of high school. He didn't rapidly ascend on Alabama's depth chart despite being a highly-touted five-star prospect. He is still learning the off-ball linebacker position and his frame is really unconventional at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds.

I like the idea of having a big, rangy, explosive linebacker who can play in coverage, rush the passer, and contribute early on special teams. But is Sanders going to be able to really hone in on an area in the NFL and become a full-time starter? As Sean Payton stated throughout the NFL Draft, they have a clear "vision" for each of these guys, so I'm going to be fascinated to see what it is with Sanders.

Despite just being a third-round pick, Sanders feels like the "riskiest" selection the Broncos made overall.