The Broncos' undrafted sleeper player now has a real chance of making the team

An offseason injury to Drew Sanders could pave the way for the Denver Broncos' latest undrafted free agent success story. While there are a few undrafted players that should really be given special attention given the Broncos' financial investments (OT Frank Crum, RB Blake Watson), on paper the linebacker position might be the position most likely to get an undrafted player in 2024 will welcome.

Especially after Sanders' injury, the linebacker position and core special teams excellence are worth watching among this year's undrafted free agents, and here the spotlight is squarely on former Fresno State captain and linebacker Levelle Bailey. Bailey totaled 277 tackles, 26.0 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 6 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles during his time at Fresno State.

He filled out the stat sheet as a Bulldog in college, but can he break through and make the NFL roster in 2024?

It still won't be an easy task, but let's take a quick look at the Denver Broncos' off-ball linebacker position group without Drew Sanders in the mix (if he was in the mix at all).

The Broncos watched Bailey at his 2024 Pro Day, which was by no means earth-shattering in terms of his overall workout numbers. Bailey is 6'2″ and 215 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.70 seconds and jumped 32″ and posted a time of 7.23 seconds in the three-cone drill.

But as we know, the linebacker position isn't always about athleticism first – it's about Instincts.

Bailey consistently delivered key plays during his time at Fresno State, including three interceptions and two forced fumbles in his senior season. He was impressive in coverage for the majority of his college career, defending a total of 22 passes. He aggressively attacks the line of scrimmage and can be used as a blitzer.

There are obvious reasons why Bailey went undrafted at all despite numerous performances at the college level, but the fact is: people who can play will play when it comes to the NFL. The Broncos have a history of producing overlooked players who have taken on important roles on the team, even if you just look at someone like Alex Singleton, who went from pro ball in Canada to a highly paid linebacker in the NFL.

You just never know when the guys are going to strike.

And someone like Bailey has a chance to step in after Drew Sanders' injury. It will be interesting to see what he can do over the course of the offseason program and preseason.