Broncos player on roster bubble with most at stake in 2026 NFL preseason finale

The Denver Broncos have a deep roster with few weaknesses across the board. Their offensive line is one of the best in the NFL, and Jaylen Waddle’s addition made the receiving corps much deeper. Defensively, the team racked up 68 sacks last season, which is the fifth most ever. That illustrates not only an elite front seven that can get after opposing quarterbacks, but a star-studded defensive secondary that prevents receivers from getting open.

The point is, the Broncos are going to have talent top to bottom when they settle in on their 53-man roster, and some really good players aren’t going to make the cut. The Broncos play the Minnesota Vikings in their final preseason game of the year, and that exhibition game can be make-or-break for players on the roster bubble. So, which fringe roster player needs to show out in the last game before cut-down day?

Drew Sanders needs to play and perform if he is to make the team

Drew Sanders is firmly on the roster bubble, with the scales likely leaning toward him not making the team, as of now. The Alabama-turned-Arkansas product entered the NFL as a third-round pick in 2023, and there were immediate expectations for the linebacker. Sanders showed flashes as a rookie when he played in 17 games and recorded 24 tackles, but things have been downhill ever since.

Sanders tore his achilles in 2024 and missed nearly the entire season, and a foot tendon injury did cost him his entire 2025 campaign. Ahead of training camp this year, the Broncos switched his position from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher. There is tons of competition at the pass-rushing position. Nik Bonitto was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate last year, and Jonathan Cooper is an incredible number two sack artist. Those starting pass rushers are backed up by Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, and Dondrea Tillman, all of whom had big moments last season.

Sanders, meanwhile, is not only learning a new position, but he has again been sidelined because of injury. The Arkansas product has been sidelined since the preseason opener, a game in which he actually showcased his potential with a sack. His injury is undisclosed, and it is unclear if he will be good to go for the third preseason game. If Sanders wants a remote chance of making this team, though, he will have to play against the Vikings.

Denver just brought in even more edge-rushing depth with the signing of Ron Stone Jr., a former UFL player who had 9.5 sacks over 19 games with the Columbus Aviators and the Michigan Panthers. The good news for Sanders (not for Broncos Country as a whole) is that it is still unclear whether Cooper will or won’t be suspended. If he is, that could open up an OLB spot on the 53-man roster, which Sanders could earn with a big preseason performance.

The talent is there, as the linebacker was a third-round pick for a reason. Sanders had 9.5 sacks during his junior season at Arkansas, and it has just been injuries that have been his demise at the NFL level. It is possible that a big preseason game would be too little, too late, and that is if Sanders can even play against Minnesota. A miraculous comeback and a standout performance, along with a little good luck when it comes to roster construction, just might save Sanders’ career, though.

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