Sean Payton Reacts to Draft Pick Taking Over Broncos Rookie Minicamp

The Denver Broncos have to be pleased with the early returns on Drew Sanders.

The Denver Broncos held rookie minicamp on Saturday, and while it was great to see Sean Payton out on the grass in Orange and Blue for the first time, seeing the 2023 crop of draft picks was awesome for fans, too. One rookie who really stood out on Saturday was third-round linebacker Drew Sanders. 

After practice, Coach Payton dished on how the Broncos' 2023 draft class faired in his estimation and shared his reaction to Sanders' big interception of try-out quarterback Ben DiNucci. 

“The draft class has all made a number of plays," Payton said after practice. "Unfortunately for Ben DiNucci, it was his first interception and there was more to that interception if you looked at it. It was good play by Sanders and it was right in front of [Owner & CEO] Greg Penner... It was good play by Drew, [he had] a good break."

What happens next for the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

It's always good to make it into the head coach's notebook in your first minicamp as a rookie. Sanders had himself a day, as the Broncos actually ran some 7-on-7 drills, which allowed the former Arkansas linebacker to showcase his skill set and make an impression.  

9NEWS' Mike Klis captured some video of Sanders running individual drills. 

Drew Sanders drill #9sports pic.twitter.com/vzY7Bj9p6p

— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) May 13, 2023

Sanders, 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, is coming off a very productive campaign in his one and only season at Arkansas after transferring from Alabama. He totaled 103 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, and an interception for the Razorbacks last year. 

Mile High Huddle's Nick Kendell wrote this about Sanders before he was drafted by the Broncos. 

Sanders' explosiveness coming downhill as a rusher while still possessing solid athleticism in pursuit makes him a fun downhill player. In today’s NFL, with teams using more simulated pressures than ever before, his ability to line up over different gaps to show blitz pre-snap with the ability to rush or drop back gives a defense the ability to create confusion and matchup issues for opposing blocking schemes. 

It'll be fun to watch how Sanders grows and develops. As the No. 67 overall pick in the draft, ESPN's Matt Miller had Sanders ranked as the 39th-best prospect on his big board and his top linebacker in the 2023 draft class. Understandably, landing Sanders that late in the draft, Miller can see no other way but to classify it thusly: "Denver stole him at No. 67 overall." 

Sanders joins an inside linebacker corps in Denver featuring veterans Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell at the top of the depth chart, along with Jonas Griffith. Sanders will have every opportunity to earn playing time, especially if he continues to make impact plays in practice as he did today. 

---

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!