The Denver Broncos were counting on a much more productive second season for linebacker Drew Sanders than we saw when he was a rookie, but that has all been put on hold. According to reports, the 2023 third-round pick suffered a torn Achilles during the team's offseason program.
The Broncos are still trying to figure out where to place Sanders on defense, whether as an inside linebacker or outside, but this injury will certainly stunt his growth. Because the injury did happen in April (just now being reported), there is optimism that he will be able to get on the field at some point this season following rehab and recovery.
The Broncos took Sanders out of Arkansas with the No. 67 overall pick last spring but he was used sparingly as a rookie, notching 24 tackles and a fumble recovery. There has been speculation that he may be best used coming off the edge for the team but with the selection of Jonah Elliss in this year's draft, along with the fact that Baron Browning, Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper are all on the roster, putting him on the inside seems to benefit the team more.
Wherever the team chooses to use him, it will have to wait at least several months. This has to be seen as a major setback for Sanders' career.