Name: Drew Sanders
Position: Linebacker
School: Arkansas
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 235
40-yard dash: 4.59 seconds (pro day)
Bench: Did not bench
Vertical: 37.0 inches (pro day)
Broad: 9-foot-10 (pro day)
3-cone: 7.15 seconds (pro day)
20-yard shuttle: 4.38 seconds (pro day)
View photos of NFL prospect Drew Sanders.
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders (42) against Missouri State during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders (42) sacks Missouri State quarterback Jason Shelly (3) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders (42) tackles South Carolina running back Juju McDowell (21) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders (42) tackles South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) for a loss during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders runs agility drills during NFL pro day Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
South Carolina receiver Jalen Brooks (13) is tackled by Arkansas defenders Drew Sanders (42) and Dwight McGlothern (3) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders shakes hands with teammates after completing the vertical leap test during NFL football pro day Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
How he fits: An Alabama transfer who finished out his college career at Arkansas last season, Sanders moved from a primarily outside linebacker pass-rushing role with the Crimson Tide to the MIKE linebacker in Arkansas. He racked up 103 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles and five passes defended for the Razorbacks.
Sanders' size and skillset could allow him to be a Swiss Army Knife player for a defense at the NFL level. He's got the size, speed and experience to play all three linebacker spots with some pass-rushing prowess to go with it. That certainly comes in handy for a team like Detroit, who had the seventh highest blitz percentage (31.2 percent) in the NFL last season.
Sanders has to become a more consistent tackler, however. He had three-plus missed tackles in five games in 2022, per The Athletic.
The Lions re-signed veteran Alex Anzalone and also added veteran Jalen Reeves-Maybin in free agency, and they like the development of third-year linebacker Derrick Barnes and second-year Malcolm Rodriguez, but Sanders is a player who could contribute right away on special teams and work himself into the defense in a lot of different roles and packages.
Key observations: Sanders had seven games last season with at least five tackles and a sack.
What they had to say about him: "Unique linebacker prospect with the physical traits, athleticism and skill set to be deployed as an inside linebacker or a stand-up edge rusher. The former five-star Alabama signee transferred to Arkansas for the 2022 season and posted eye-catching production with the Razorbacks. He plays with good technique in take-ons and has plenty of pursuit range, but he's still finding his footing with his run fits and tackle consistency.
"He's a tough out for interior protection as a blitzing linebacker and has natural rush talent to hunt quarterbacks off the edge. Sanders' athletic gifts, versatility and toughness could help him become a highly impactful playmaker with Pro Bowl upside." – Lance Zierlein, NFL Analyst
View photos of the top linebacker prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders (42) celebrates after making a big play against Cincinnati during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders runs drills during NFL pro day Wednesday, March 29, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Clemson's Trenton Simpson (22) defends during the first half of an NCAA football game against Georgia Tech on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Clemson linebacker Trenton Simpson runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Alabama linebacker Henry To'oTo'o (10) maneuvers behind the line of scrimmage against Mississippi State during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
Alabama linebacker Henry To'Oto'O runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell runs on the field during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Wisconsin, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Iowa City, Iowa. Campbell was named AP All-Big Ten Defensive player of the year, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022.(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell (1) reacts during the first half of an NCAA college football game against California in Berkeley, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Oregon football player Noah Sewell (1) participates in a position drill at the school's NFL Pro Day, Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
Washington State linebacker Daiyan Henley (1) in the first half during an NCAA college football game against Arizona, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Washington St. linebacker Daiyan Henley participates in the 40-yard dash during the 2023 Scouting Combine on Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Ben Liebenberg via AP)
How he stacks up: Sanders is widely considered the top interior linebacker prospect in the class. NFL.com's Bucky Brooks lists him as the No. 1 linebacker in the class.
"Sanders is a throwback linebacker with the size, strength and awareness to control the middle. With the Alabama/Arkansas product also displaying disruptive pass-rush skills, defensive coordinators will salivate over his potential as an impactful second-level defender," Brooks wrote.
Sanders comes in at No. 31 on Dane Brugler's Big Board for The Athletic, No. 54 on Pro Football Focus' Big Board and is listed at No. 42 on CBS Sports' ranking of the Top 400 prospects in the class.
What he had to say: "I played outside linebacker two years and played inside linebacker one year and I'm pretty raw at both spots," Sanders said at the Combine. "There's a lot to improve on. But the versatility part, I feel pretty comfortable I can cover a pass, get after the quarterback and stop the run."
