We’re shifting back to the defensive side of the ball for this next scouting report ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, with the focus on Arkansas’ Drew Sanders.
After starting his career at Alabama as an edge rusher, Sanders decided to transfer to Arkansas before the 2022 season, instantly becoming one of the most impressive off-ball linebackers in the country upon his arrival.
According to Pro Football Focus, Sanders finished his only season as a Razorback with an overall grade of 79.2, 16.5 points higher than the previous season.
The former Razorback may be inexperienced, but that’s one of the reasons why you can make an argument for him having one of the highest ceilings amongst all the linebackers in the 2023 draft class.
No, he’s not a finished product, but in all likelihood the Arkansas product is only going to continue getting better once he gets around NFL coaching.
As I’ve done with other 2023 NFL draft prospects, I’m going to provide you with an educated opinion on the pros and cons of selecting the Razorback linebacker.
But before we get started, a quick reminder that unless noted otherwise, all of the grades and individual rankings that are included are my own opinions.
Sanders is someone who I think could be a sneaky target for the Titans on Day 2 of the draft. Let’s find out why.
Measurables
- Height: 6’4”
- Weight: 235 pounds
- Arm length: 32 1/8”
- Hand size: 9 3/4”
- 40 time: 4.66
- Relative Athletic Score: 8.97
College Accolades
- First-Team All-American (2022)
- First-Team All-SEC (2022)
- National Champion (2020)
2022 Stats
- Tackles: 103
- Sacks: 9.5
- Tackles for loss: 13.5
- Missed tackle rate: 19.6%
- Coverage stops: 17
- Run stops: 26
Grades, Projections and Rankings
- Overall grade: 78.6 (second round)
- Ceiling projection: Late first round
- Floor projection: Late second round
- Position rank: No. 2
- Consensus rank: No. 1
Reasons to Buy In
- Arguably the best pass-rushing linebacker in the entire draft.
- Despite being relatively undersized, Sanders excels at rushing the passer due to his flexibility and explosive first step when rushing off the edge.
- Possesses the ability to dip and bend around blockers when attacking the quarterback.
- Quickly attacks down hill against the run and is fantastic in his ability to pursue to the ball when he’s on point with his ability to read and react.
- Has good position versatility — can play inside linebacker or as an edge rusher.
- Led Arkansas in tackles, pressures and sacks in 2022.
- His ability to anticipate gives him a sideline-to-sideline range.
- He’ll work hard to disengage when he has to, and he has the long arms and heavy hands to shed blocks.
Areas of Concern
- Inexperienced player who didn’t become a full-time starter until he changed his position to linebacker.
- Not a consistent open-field tackler at the moment. He needs to finish once he has a player in his grasp.
- Would benefit a ton if he added some functional strength to his game.
- Doesn’t have much more room to physically grow and has likely already maxed out from a physique standpoint.
- His effort and intensity can only do so much; he’ll simply get swallowed up at times in the run game
- Inconsistent in reading his keys, causing him to be out of place at times.
- Has to prove he won’t be a complete liability in man coverage at the next level.
Fit with the Titans
When studying Sanders, there are a few things that immediately stood out to me. For starters, it’s relatively obvious that he’s previously spent significant time working on his ability to rush the passer.
The Arkansas product looks most comfortable whenever he’s allowed to get after the quarterback, either when lining up on the edge or coming off a blitz.
Sanders thrives in situations where he’s allowed to use his natural explosiveness against less agile linemen.
You could make a strong argument that he’s the best blitzing/pass rushing linebacker in the class. He finished the 2022 campaign with a whopping 9.5 sacks despite accounting for just 147 pass-rushing snaps on the year.
The second thing that really stood out to me was how instinctive he already was, even though he’s relatively new to the position.
Sanders is a savage with his pursuit. He quickly locates the ball, and he attacks whoever has it with high effort.
Overall, the former Razorback is a fluid athlete who seemingly does everything well, and he is only going to get better with more experience.
Lastly, Sanders is athletic enough to sufficiently drop into coverage and defend his zones with a cerebral savviness that rarely has him out of place.
He also possesses the type of speed and quickness that allows him to beat blockers to the spot in the run game. This can make it difficult for an offensive lineman to adequately reach him when they’re climbing to the second level.
Even when offensive linemen do get there, he has these long arms that are capable of beating defenders to the punch. This at least gives him a chance to hold his own against physically-superior blockers.
The Titans’ weakest defensive group on paper is undoubtedly the linebacker group. Therefore, it wouldn’t shock me if Tennessee decides to add a linebacker within the first three rounds of the draft.
If so, Sanders should definitely be an option if he is still on the board when the Titans pick on Day 2.
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