Drew Sanders tore his Achilles before the 2024 NFL Draft, so the Denver Broncos could make a move to try and fill his roster spot. Does anyone know for sure if Sanders was going to play ILB or EDGE? Well, with hearing that his Achilles tear was before the NFL Draft, and seeing as the Broncos took EDGE Jonah Elliss, maybe Sanders was set to be an EDGE rusher?
However, the Broncos ILB room is shaky, so there was a need for Sanders to settle into that spot as well. Whatever the truth is, the Broncos could make a roster move at ILB, EDGE, or even both to see if they could fill the potential production that they'll miss with Sanders likely out for the season. It was an underwhelming rookie season for Sanders.
And his second year in the NFL may not even come to fruition. Who could the Denver Broncos sign to replace Sanders in 2024?
3 players the Denver Broncos could sign after Drew Sanders' Achilles injury
1. Kwon Alexander, ILB
You thought I was done talking about Kwon Alexander, didn't you? Well, Alexander has struggled with injuries for his entire career, so perhaps this is the exact player that Denver needs to stay away from, but he's a former Pro Bowler and did suit up for seven games in 2020 with the New Orleans Saints. He racked up four passes defended, two fumble recoveries, 27 total tackles, and one QB hit.
He played another 12 games for the Saints in 2021 and had 3.5 sacks. Alexander should be plenty familiar with how Sean Payton likes to run things, so this move at ILB would make some sense.
2. Markus Golden, EDGE
Markus Golden played some games with Vance Joseph when the both of them were with the Arizona Cardinals. From 2020-2022, Golden was with Joseph. In 33 games in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, the veteran pass rusher had 13.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 39 QB hits. During that stretch, averaged out to a full 17-game season, Golden averaged seven sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 20 QB hits.
I mean, that was very similar to the production that the Denver Broncos got from their top two pass rushers in Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. In 2023, Golden played in 16 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had four sacks, six tackles for loss, and 10 QB hits. So even in a rotational spot, Golden was bringing respectable production.
With Jonah Elliss now in the picture, Denver may be more likely to add at ILB, but man, Golden seems like he's still got something in the tank. The Broncos should sign him, as he'll likely not cost much more than the veteran minimum.
3. Zach Cunningham, ILB
Zach Cunningham is a veteran inside linebacker who most recently played for the Philadelphia Eagles. In 13 regular season games in 2023, Cunningham had 85 total tackles and four passes defended. He began his career with the Houston Texans, and during the 2018-2020 seasons, he tallied 413 total tackles and 17 tackles for loss.
With 100 combined games of NFL experience, Zach Cunningham is a floor-raiser and would boost the Denver Broncos ILB by a bit. He's not his former self, but the Broncos clearly have room for another body, and I'm not sure Drew Sanders would have been better than Cunningham, so this is a no-brainer move.
Denver should look to make at least one move at ILB or EDGE with Drew Sanders out for the season.