Photo by Arkansas Razorbacks

Height	Weight	Arm Length	Hand Size
6'4"	235 lbs.	32 1/8"	9 3/4"

40 Yard Dash	Bench Press	Vertical Jump	Broad Jump	3-Cone Drill	20 Yard Shuttle
N/A	N/A	​N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Games	Tackles	Tackles for Loss	Sacks	Pass Defended	Interceptions	Forced Fumbles	Touchdowns
29	136	16.0	10.5	7	1	3	0.0

Pros

• Exceptional athletic profile for the position.

• Converted edge rusher to off ball linebacker gives him monstrous blitzing capabilities.

• 2022 Stats: 12 Games, 103 Tackles, 13.5 TFL's, 9.5 Sacks, 5 PD's, and 3 FF which are crazy numbers for transitioned off ball linebacker. 

 

• Explodes out of his stance, on the edge or off the ball, often beating his opposing offensive lineman with consistency. 

 

• By far the best blitzer in the draft given his time as a pass rusher for Nick Saban's Crimson Tide before transferring.

 

• Keeps his pads low at the point of attack and has enough power in his frame to produce a significant bull rush.

 

• Highly agile for his size and attacks the line of scrimmage as blitzer that same way he would on the edge and has mince meat of offensive guards trying to mirror him when coming down hill.

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• More than enough flexibility to bend the edge and squeeze through gaps in the line.

 

• Possesses a phenomenal stutter-swipe move as a pass rusher up the middle that has won him a considerable amount of battles.

 

• Time as edge rusher has proven to be very effective when shedding blocks in the interior. 

 

• Swim move is tremendous when blitzing up the middle and has proven to be effective outside as well.

 

• Incredible contact balance when chipped by running backs and shoved by offensive lineman to absorb contact and maintain footing to continue rush.

 

• Takes great angles in run defense to run down ball carriers before significant game.

 

• Weaves through traffic very effectively and often cuts off rush lane.

 

• The most physical linebacker in the draft with some truly vicious hits as a run defender and pass rusher.

 

• Has a knack for punching out the football when making tackles.

 

• Head on tackler that doesn't get trucked by anyone.

 

• Capable zone coverage skills with a good sense of reading the quarterbacks eyes and reacting accordingly.

 

• Incredible versatility with potential to be a hybrid linebacker.

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• High football IQ is evident in exceptional processing speed of learning the new position.

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• Had a phenomenal revenge game against Alabama to stick it to the program that wouldn't let him play, showing competitive nature..

 

• Phenomenal production in first year at the position points to a very high ceiling at the position.

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• Tremendous potential as a hybrid defender for a creative defense.

• Plays with a raging motor and is contagiously competitive on the field.

Cons

• 2022 was his only notable season and could be a one-year wonder.

• Lanky frame for his size and will need more mass to holdup in run defense.

 

• Can get too comfortable with arm tackling, occasionally losing his grip.

 

• Average change-of-direction capabilities in zone coverage as of right now and will need extensive reps to get full comfortable here.

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• Power at the point of attack is inconsistent.

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• Not many reps of man coverage on tape, leaving his effectiveness hear rather blurry.

Overview

Drew Sanders 2022 season almost didn't look real because a player with his limited snaps and first time playing the position should completely demolish the competition in front of him but he did so on a weekly basis. He clearly was the best player on the field for the Razorbacks and that entire defense fed off his playmaking ability. His pass rush potential at the linebacker position is unmatched by any in this draft and I have to say that only Micah Parsons can be a comp for him heading into his rookie year. He's not built quite as well as Parsons but their style of play is very similar and if he become more of an asset in coverage while adding another 10+ lbs. to his frame, sky's the limit on what Sanders can do in the NFL.