Denver traded up in the third round of the 2023 draft to get Drew Sanders as a new flex inside-outside linebacker. He filled in for an injured Josey Jewell in weeks 3 and 4 and was repeatedly abused in coverage while missing four tackles.
After this catastrophic beginning, Sanders mostly contributed on special teams until the middle part of the season. In the last seven weeks of 2023, Sanders started seeing rotational play at outside linebacker. While he continued to struggle in pass coverage, and he only generated two pressures all year as a rusher, his tackling against the run improved.