T.J. Sanders NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for South Carolina DL

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 297

HAND: 10¼”

ARM: 33⅛”

WINGSPAN: 80⅞”

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40-YARD DASH: 4.99

3-CONE: 7.7

SHUTTLE: 4.67

VERTICAL: 31.5"

BROAD: 9'4"

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POSITIVES

— Solid get-off/acceleration off the line of scrimmage.

— Violent and strong at the point of attack against the run.

— Appears to have long arms to help get extension and has the upper body strength to shed blocks.

— Has shown decent hand-swipe and rip moves as a pass-rusher, and has a good bull rush when he keeps his feet moving.

— Works the hands well when rushing the passer.

— Played several different alignments in college from a 4i-technique defensive end to nose tackle.

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NEGATIVES

— Has sub-par pad level out of his stance, leading to issues against double teams/combos and down blocks.

— Lacks lateral movement skills or agility, susceptible to getting reached.

— Tends to stop his feet on contact, hurting the consistency of his bull rush.

— Not very agile and quick to execute line games or stunts as the looper.

— Conditioning could use some work, he will get gassed toward the end of games or long drives.

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NOTES

— Both July 30, 2003

— 3-star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

— 2023: Third-Team All-SEC

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OVERALL

T.J. Sanders is an impressive run defender with plenty of pop in his hands to win at the point of attack. That helps him gain control of blocks and occasionally stand-up interior offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage. He also appears to have long arms to help get extension and escape blocks.

Sanders has also shown a strong rip move to help get penetration when slanting or be an effective pass-rush move. However, his pad level could use work and he takes on blocks with a narrow base, causing him issues when anchoring against double teams and down blocks. Additionally, his lack of lateral movement skills can be an issue against outside-zone runs.

As a pass-rusher, the Gamecock can succeed with the rip move mentioned above and has shown a solid hand-swipe move and bull rush. Also, he's solid at working the hands and getting his hands up to bat passes at the line of scrimmage.

Overall, Sanders can be a solid 3-technique in even fronts or lineup as a 4i-technique in odd fronts. He'd probably be best in more of a rotational role as he struggles to make an impact for all four quarters.

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GRADE: 7.1 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 96

POSITION RANK: DL9

PRO COMPARISON: Levi Onwuzurike

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.