Broncos HC Updates Progress of ILBs Strnad, Sanders

As much as the Denver Broncos are confident in their starting inside linebackers -- Dre Greenlaw and Alex Singleton -- the club is reassured by those directly behind them on the depth chart, Justin Strnad and Drew Sanders.

One who now has extensive experience. And one whose developmental stock is finally trending up.

“When you look at the amount of snaps Strnad’s had, all of the sudden, now there’s a confidence, ‘I’m not just a guy running down on special teams. I started a whole season.’ And Drew, getting that work constantly inside I think is extremely helpful," Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters Thursday, the final day of the club's offseason program.

Previously a full-time special-teamer and reserve defender, Strnad started eight games for Denver last season in place of Singleton, who was lost to a torn ACL. The Wake Forest product expectedly recorded career bests across the board -- 48 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, three sacks, and three pass breakups over 877 snaps.

Strnad, 28, signed a one-year, $2.7 million extension in March, presumably to return as two-way depth.

A 2023 third-round pick, Sanders began his NFL tenure vacillating between the EDGE and off-ball positions. He made all 17 appearances as a rookie but played in only four games (18 defensive snaps) last season due to a torn Achilles tendon, notching eight combined tackles, one quarterback hit, and a sack.

Throughout this offseason, however, Payton made it clear that there wouldn't be any more vacillating for Sanders moving forward.

“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," he said at the Scouting Combine in February.

“The vision is clear. Inside linebacker," he affirmed during Organized Team Activities last month. "We think he’s a pressure player. So obviously, there’s ways where you can pressure that guy from a stacked position, or to an outside position. He’s doing well handling it.”