- Position: LB
- School: Arkansas
- Class: Junior
- Height: 6-5
- Weight: 235
Background
- Former Alabama transfer (2020 National Championship Team)
- 5-Star Recruit by 247 Sports
- #1 ranked HS Player in the state of Texas
- #1 ranked Athlete Nationally
- 2022 Season: 103 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, three FFs, one INT
Strengths
Drew Sanders is single-handedly destroying South Carolina today pic.twitter.com/blF2ZzAY2U
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) September 10, 2022
- Excellent physical profile and athleticism
- Sideline-to-sideline range is solid, usually takes good angles in pursuit
- Sound instincts in the run game, disengages well and rarely loses track of the ball in the backfield
- Violent handwork and very skilled in how he sets up tight ends and tackles in his pass rush
- Has unique bend and ability to flatten out off the edge for a linebacker, using his “high-cut” frame
- Transferring power to speed is no issue in pass rush, as he routinely punches first to the point, snatches, and explodes to the QB
- Athleticism and instincts make him a dependable weapon in coverage, long arms, doesn’t seem phased by misdirection, and looks fluid changing directions
- Works through traffic and shows great anticipation when tracking the ball carrier
- Holds his own between the tackles surprisingly well when asked to take on Guards
Weaknesses
- Plays too high, too often! Good tackler overall, but more of a violent shoulder tackler
- Doesn’t consistently breakdown, and will give up easy ones
- Plays too fast at times and will overrun plays
- Functional strength at the point of attack, when he can’t disengage is when some concerns come into play
- Pass rush arsenal is still a work in progress and will get hung up in grappling and blow lanes
Overview
Sanders made the move from playing off-ball at Alabama, to on-ball at Arkansas and didn’t appear to miss a beat as a playmaker. Outside of Clemson’s Trenton Simpson, he may be the best natural athlete at the LB position in this class. Not the genetic freak that Simpson is, but bigger and has a better combination of size/athleticism. A throwback traditional MLB that brings significant pass rush value, sideline-to-sideline range, a willingness to take on Guards at 235 lbs, and the ability to drop in coverage. For teams that still run a lot of “Tampa-2,” or plan on it, Sanders could be the prototypical “Mike” in that scheme. Versatile enough to be used as a weapon within the box in odd fronts has displayed the skillset to rush from the 2-or 3-point stance, and in my opinion, he can play as the middle in a 4-3 or any one of the positions of need in a 3-4. I currently have Sanders as my 33rd overall prospect on the board, but between now and the end of April, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him skyrocket into the Top 15-20 picks.
