Q >> Drew Sanders was a five-star recruit out of Texas, a Butkus Award winner and first-team All-American at Arkansas and a third-round draft pick of the Broncos. But through his first two NFL seasons he has barely seen the field. The Broncos have a great need at inside linebacker this offseason. Could he be the answer?

— Jeff Bear, Loveland

Parker >> Drew Sanders is one of the more interesting figures on the Broncos roster as he prepares for his third pro season. He played both inside and on the edge as a rookie — he moved outside when the Broncos needed some help there — and then had his second season impacted in a major way by a spring Achilles tear. When he returned, he first appeared to be set to return to outside linebacker. But by the time Sanders was ready to play, Denver’s edge group had become a strength and the inside linebacker group was struggling and had lost Alex Singleton for the season to a torn ACL.

This offseason, head coach Sean Payton and general manager George Paton have committed Sanders to inside linebacker. That’s the opposite of this time last year.

Sanders is a terrific athlete, possessing the kind of size and range Denver has lacked in the middle of the field. Still, he hasn’t shown he can play inside full time. Heading into free agency, the three inside linebackers on the roster are Sanders, Singleton (still months away from being cleared to return) and 2024 undrafted rookie Levelle Bailey. Could Singleton and Sanders be the Broncos’ regular pairing in 2025? Definitely. But it’s far from a sure thing. That’s why it will be fascinating to see whether Denver aggressively pursues an inside linebacker in free agency. Payton was part of the group that drafted Philadelphia All-Pro Zach Baun to New Orleans back in 2020. Denver’s seen a whole lot of Nick Bolton the past four years in Kansas City. There are other quality options that will hit free agency next week, too. They could also address the position in the draft.

Regardless of who Denver adds over the next two months, though, Sanders will be one of the most closely watched players on the roster.

Q >> I’ve heard and read references to teams wanting Zach Wilson next season. Should the Broncos sign him, play him in the preseason and try to trade him, or just allow him to walk as a free agent? Also, which looks more likely: Denver selecting a tight end or a running back early in the draft?

— Fred Waiss, Prairie du Chien, Wis.

Parker >> Yes, the Broncos need a backup quarterback to Bo Nix and it’s not likely they’ll get both Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson back.

Wilson clearly has more upside and you could just tell from the way that Payton and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb talked about him that they liked the trajectory he was on. Another season working with him — or the chance to sign him, let him play extensively in the preseason and then trade him — would be an exciting prospect. One of the highlights of getting to the stadium 3.5 hours before kickoff each weekend was watching Webb take Wilson through an early workout on the field before Stidham and Nix warmed up. The talent is obvious.

But when free agency starts next week Wilson will undoubtedly be looking for a place where he can compete for a starting job. Not that there’s nobody else who could be a suitable backup, but the worst-case scenario for Denver would probably be trying to get Wilson back, failing and in the meantime losing Stidham to another team. We’ll see how quickly they address the position in the coming days.