The Denver Broncos have already been hit by the injury bug, as young linebacker Drew Sanders tore his Achilles in the early portions of their mid-April offseason program. The 23-year-old is slated to not be available for most of the 2024 NFL season, as his expected recovery timeline is between 6-9 months after undergoing surgery recently.
The former third-round pick from last year was slated to start as an inside linebacker next to veteran Alex Singleton.
However, for his second year, there was some talk Sanders would be used as an outside linebacker or hybrid type player, potentially rushing the passer. General manager George Paton revealed that the team needed some help at that position last week and mentioned his name as a player who could do multiple things for their defense.
With this new setback, his role as defensive coordinator of Vance Joseph’s defense will be a question mark, even if Sanders can be back in time and be the same athletically on the field.
Denver Broncos: Drew Sanders Suffers Torn Achilles
First reported by Mike Klis of 9News in Denver and ESPN on Monday, May 20th, sources reported Sanders tore his Achilles sometime in mid-April.
This was during the Broncos off-season program and while the surgery was deemed successful, his second-season debut will have to wait till middle to late in the 2024 NFL season.
Knowing about the injury before the 2024 NFL Draft, Denver selected Utah edge rusher Jonah Elliss in the third round last month. Sanders’ injury was undisclosed till recently since head coach Sean Payton said “injuries in the offseason or players’ specific progress in recovery” would not be discussed.
A week before this past NFL Draft, Paton mentioned their dire need for the edge rusher position in their pre-draft press conference, potentially using Sanders on the outside at 6’5″ and 233 pounds.
“The outside ‘backer group, we have three that are really talented — [Nik] Bonitto, [Baron] Browning and [Jonathon] Cooper,” Paton said back in April. “We have a young Drew Sanders, if he stays outside. So we like the group, but you’re always looking at those type of positions. They’re hard to find. If someone falls in your lap, you’re going to take them.”
Payton talked about selecting the rookie Elliss on day two of the draft in further detail and mentioned a team like the Atlanta Falcons, stating:
“He was a target,” Payton said. “… We felt like we had to get past the Falcons. His brother is now in Atlanta, [former Saints assistant general manager] Terry Fontenot is now in Atlanta. We sat there for however long, and fortunately we were able to draft him … He’s an edge player that plays with energy, effort, all those things you look for — really good football makeup, good character.”
Denver Broncos: Former 3rd Round LB Role Undefined
Drew Sanders had a slow start in his rookie, mostly delegated to special teams for the Broncos in 2023. He did make four starts at the end of last season and played both linebacker spots in all 17 games.
Sanders was supposed to replace linebacker Josey Jewell, who signed with the Carolina Panthers in free agency this offseason. Denver also brought in former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Cody Barton during free agency, as he would be penciled in to start in Sander’s absence.
Both Paton and Payton were going to ultimately decide where the former Razorback would line up for OTAs, minicamp, and training camp but now, it is uncertain until Sanders rehabs later this year to see where he is.
The former Arkansas linebacker had 24 total tackles, a tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery in 2023 as a 3-4 inside/outside linebacker for the Broncos.
Denver Broncos: Sanders Could Return Late in 2024
The Broncos linebacker, now out for a significant portion of time, may not hurt their defense overall, as Sanders is still young and was developing his role on this defense. Last season, he wasn’t a major contributor, and while not getting starting reps hurts, at least for the early portion of the season, the loss on the field isn’t as bad for the unit as a whole.
Their linebacker group is still a relative weakness, including their pass rush, as that will need to improve for 2024. Even considering Sanders and his potential position switch, the Broncos did address it in the draft.
Jonas Griffith and Justin Strnad are other linebackers who can provide depth on the inside or start in a pinch.
Griffith himself is coming off a lost season due to injury in 2023, while they still have Alex Singelton manning the ship in Denver.
Drew Sanders coming back, depending on where this team is in November or December, could be a valuable addition to the defense as a role player if he suffers no setbacks or a reserve bench player with a look ahead to the future for the Broncos.
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