Report: Broncos activate edge rusher Drew Sanders to the 53-man roster

The Broncos added a former third round pick to the their edge rushing room.

According to 9NEWS Denver’s Mike Klis, the Denver Broncos have activated edge rusher Drew Sanders off the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) and activated him to their 53-man roster.

Sanders was drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft and was viewed as an off-the-ball linebacker and an eventual starter at linebacker for the team moving forward. However, he struggled in that role and was moved to edge rusher because of his size, strength, and athleticism. He had success in college as a pass-rushing linebacker off the edge and as a blitzer, so it made sense for them to develop him in that role this offseason.

Unfortunately, Sanders suffered a torn Achilles early in the offseason and was sidelined for the entirety of the offseason program, training camp, the preseason, and the majority of the regular season. The team did designate Sanders to return a few weeks back and had three weeks to decide whether he would added to the active roster or be sidelined for the rest of the season. Well, the team apparently saw enough from Sanders and he is now being added to their active roster.

With him being added to the active roster, it gives the Broncos another intriguing pass rusher to use as they push for a spot in the postseason. The Broncos’ defense and pass rush have been the best in the league this season and now are getting more depth and pass rush potential in Sanders.

Since Sanders has been sidelined the Broncos’ edge rushing room has developed and changed a bit. Jonathon Cooper earned a long-term extension from the Broncos while Baron Browning was traded to the Cardinals. Nik Bonitto is among the sack leaders in the league and has developed into one of the better pass rushers in the league. Rookie Jonah Elliss has been having a promising rookie season and is coming off a game-ending sack vs. the Raiders. Dondrea Tillman has served as a reliable depth piece for them but it’ll be interesting to see if Sanders eats into that playing time at all. Regardless, the road for playing time for Sanders will not be easy and he may not even be active much moving forward, but he does give the Broncos some much-needed depth for the final weeks of the season.

Sanders is in a bit of a transition period and could be competing for a spot on the roster moving forward. He had a disappointing rookie season, switched positions, was sidelined due to injury during an important offseason for him, and has seen others step up while he was sidelined. So, how he does on the practice field and on the field if/when he plays will be key for him moving forward.