Broncos Again Make Position Switch with LB Drew Sanders

Jul 29, 2023; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders (41) during training camp drills at the Centura Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Broncos Again Make Position Switch with LB Drew Sanders

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Zack Kelberman | Last updated Apr 20, 2026 9:35 PM ET

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The Denver Broncos are reverting third-year linebacker Drew Sanders to outside linebacker for the 2026 season, The DNVR's Zac Stevens reported Monday.

Sanders is the second Broncos linebacker to change hats this offseason, following Jonah Elliss' expected transition from OLB to ILB, effectively creating a positional swap between the two young defenders.

A 2023 third-round pick out of Arkansas, Sanders has bounced between inside and outside roles since entering the league. He originally started with more off-ball duties before seeing time on the edge, then shifting back inside. At 6-foot-5 and 233 pounds, his athleticism and coverage skills are seen as a better fit along the edge in certain packages.

“Right now, inside—we are talking about Drew—and last year we went into the offseason with the EDGE idea. Then we have progressed enough to where he is going to work inside. It’s how the season finished, too. We are going to keep him right there," head coach Sean Payton said of Sanders last year.

The switch arrives at a critical juncture for Sanders, 25, who's battled significant injury issues early in his career. He missed the entire 2025 season due to a torn foot ligament and has dealt with other setbacks, including a torn Achilles in 2024 which limited him to just four games that season.

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

What to Make of This

Assuming the conversion is full-time, Sanders would be positioned as no better than the No. 4 OLB on the current depth chart, behind starters Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper and returning backup pass-rusher Dondrea Tillman.

There's also the chance, however faint, that this is a pre-draft smokescreen as several mock drafts — including Mile High Huddle's — have the Broncos choosing an inside linebacker on Day 2 (possibly Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez), combined with the fact that the club previously expressed a hopeful outlook on Sanders.

“We think Sanders can be a starter in this league at linebacker. Now let’s see how it goes," Broncos general manager George Paton said in 2025. "We’re going to keep adding good players. Competition—we just want competition at all of the positions. We’re not anointing anyone starters, but we just want to keep bringing in competition and we’ll get good results.”

What Denver does on draft night could very well hinge on how serious they are about Elliss' and Sanders' positional moves. Time, as always, will tell.

This article first appeared on Denver Broncos on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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