Drew Sanders Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Michael Woods/AP Photo)

School: Arkansas (Junior)

Position: LB

HT: 6’5

WT: 232 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #50

Drew Sanders was one of the top recruits in the 2020 class. He was a consensus 5-star linebacker out of Denton, Texas and attended Ryan High School. Sanders played both linebacker, running back, and tight end for Ryan. He was an all-around athlete for them and made a consistent impact on both sides of the ball. He received the 2019 Landry Award, which is awarded to the top player in North Texas. Coming out of high school, Sanders’ commitment decision really came between Oklahoma and Alabama. Sanders chose to roll with the Tide and Nick Saban.

Over his first two seasons at Alabama, Sanders struggled to carve out a consistent role on the defense. Rather than being an every-down linebacker, he was rotated in on the defense but saw most of his action on special teams. After the 2021 season in which Sanders saw limited action, he transferred within the conference to Arkansas. Sanders broke out with the Razorbacks, receiving numerous All-American honors including AP All-American First Team. He made an impact in each and every game, a main component as to why the Razorbacks’ improved so drastically from 2021 to 2022. Drew Sanders was one of the most productive defensive players in 2023.

As a stand-up middle linebacker, Sanders is as dominant of a pass rusher as you will find at the position. His length and bend provides high upside. Sanders has a great feel for the quarterback and does well to contain even the most slippery quarterbacks within the pocket. In coverage, Sanders has excellent range and movement ability that lets him clog up the intermediate middle portion of the field. He reads the quarterback’s eyes and takes good angles to the ball whenever the football is released. He can stick with tight ends using pure athleticism, speed, and moderate coverage skills. Sanders is a strong tackler that does not let the ball carrier escape his arms, finishing the tackling assignment until the whistle is blown. Sanders also has a keen sense of how to navigate the trenches. When things get muddy, he is able to locate the ball carrier and get to his spot efficiently.

Sanders is a solid and unique linebacker but has his fair share of weaknesses. Due to his slighter frame for a linebacker, he is not great at fighting off blockers or block deconstruction. If he gets put in the phone booth, he is not going to make it out. His instincts as a run defender are not where they need to be for a linebacker who is supposed to control gaps and limit damage on the ground. He has trouble reading the mesh point and often second guesses himself. While Sanders is solid in coverage, he is more of a zone linebacker as opposed to a guy who can consistently stick with inside receivers or tight ends in man coverage.

Drew Sanders projects more as an off-ball linebacker that is decent in coverage and can also rush the passer consistently. Having him strictly line up in the box as a traditional linebacker would take away from what makes him special and put him out of his comfort zone.

Scheme Fit: Tampa 2 Blitz Heavy

Ideal Role: Off-ball Linebacker

Best Team Fits: NE, MIN, WAS

Player Comparison: Matt Milano

Player Grade: 79.3