South Carolina football defensive tackle TJ Sanders is officially an NFL rookie after being picked No. 41overall by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft on April 25.
Here’s what Sanders brings to the Bills, based on his three seasons with the Gamecocks under coach Shane Beamer.
What TJ Sanders brings to Buffalo Bills in 2025 NFL Draft
TJ Sanders has three years of SEC experience, during which he started in nine of 13 games in 2024 and appeared in 39 games over four seasons.
The 6-foot-4, 297-pound defensive tackle was graded 6.30 at the combine, which projects he will be “Will eventually be plus starter.”
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He’s a strong blocker with good hands and a solid core, and he is rarely knocked down by opponents. He puts good pressure on offensive lines and is athletic, quick and powerful.
TJ Sanders’ highlights, strengths, weaknesses at South Carolina
Sanders led the defensive linemen at South Carolina with 50 tackles in 2024, and had sevens tackles for loss and four sacks. He logged six quarterback hurries and one pass breakup, and record at least three tackles in 9-of-13 games.
Against Ole Miss, he had seven solo tackles and in back-to-back games against Oklahoma and Texas A&M, he recorded at least two solo sacks and one sack in each game. Against the Aggies, he sacked QB Marcel Reed for a loss of seven yards on third-and-14 with six minutes left in the game.
Sanders also had a big sack on Missouri QB Brady Cook for a loss of five yards on third-and-5.
According to his combine profile, the speed of his feet and agility with his hips may be a potential issue, or at least as of April, appear as a weakness.
TJ Sanders’ stats with South Carolina football
- 2024: 51 tackles (29 solo), seven tackles for loss, four sacks, one pass defended
- 2023: 43 tackles (28 solo), 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, four passes defended
- 2022: 16 tackles (six solo), one sack, one pass defended
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
