The draft pick of Drew Sanders begs the question whether he moves up the Denver Broncos depth chart.
Josey Jewell’s contract extension is still in limbo whether he will stay with the Denver Broncos past this year. Denver did reward Alex Singleton with that longer deal this off-season. Both linebackers played at such a high level in 2022 it will be interesting to see how this unfolds and what this could mean for another linebacker in Jonas Griffth. The linebacker position is one for Denver that needed depth behind both Singleton and Jewell. Even without looking at contract situation for Jewell, an addition like Drew Sanders from Arkansas made some sense.
Drew Sanders is an exceptional tracking down player at linebacker with high intelligence and instincts. Since Sanders played edge rusher at Alabama before transferring to Arkansas, it is seen as his strength on tape as well. He plays with pure strength downhill to where when wraps you up it’s hard to break free. He certainly could be viewed as the outside linebacker or off-ball linebacker, but with some athleticism limitations, the Denver Broncos viewing him as an inside linebacker could force him to move up the depth chart soon.
Jewell did sustain a season-ending injury in 2021, but he really played at such a very high level with Alex Singleton the chemistry was obvious. Both players racked up an enormous amount of tackles in one season. If Singleton didn’t have year he did in 2022, Jewell would have been the talk of the season instead of Singleton. Jonas Griffith is a wild card here in the linebacker room. He was traded to add value on special teams, but was easy to see why some loved his ability. There was enough movement skills he played well. But like everything else in Denver, he did sustain injury himself and depth has been tested more than ever.
Between Sanders and Griffith both linebackers will bring value on special teams as well as contribute in situations. However, it would not be surprising if Sanders is used in some spy packages when they’re facing Patrick Mahomes. This will not only help the fan card for Denver Broncos fans, but also help coaching staff in trusting him in larger roles or situations.
Sanders will be another fascinating addition and possibly could move up depth chart with Josey Jewell still waiting for new deal.