Could Sanders add depth and disruptiveness to the Giants’ defensive line?
The 2025 NFL Draft looks as though it will be a remarkably deep and talented one in the defensive interior. There are interior defensive linemen of every shape and size in this draft class, with skill sets to fill every role in every scheme run in the NFL — and there’s great depth of talent as well.
That’s potentially good news for the New York Giants, who could use more depth along their defensive line. They got some very good play from their young players after Dexter Lawrence was lost for the year, but the team could still decide to invest in the defensive tackle position.
If so, South Carolina’s T.J. Sanders could well be worth a look. Sanders wasn’t particularly productive for the Gamecocks this year, but he was disruptive and a consistent presence in opponents’ backfields. The sheer depth of talent in this year’s draft class could make him a great value after the first round.
Prospect: T.J. Sanders (90)
Games Watched: vs. LSU (2024), vs. Ole Miss (2024), vs. Missouri (2024), vs. Clemson (2024)
Red Flags: none
Measurables
Height: 6-foot, 3 3⁄4 inches
Weight: 284 pounds
Arm Length: 33 5/8 inches
Hand size: 10 1⁄4 inches
Strengths
Best traits
- Competitive toughness
- First step
- Athleticism
- Hand usage
T.J. Sanders is a relatively long and athletic defensive tackle prospect at 6-foot, 3 ¾ inches, 284 pounds with 33 ⅝ inch arms. He’s a versatile lineman who filled multiple roles from a variety of alignments for the Gamecocks, but primarily played over the B-gap.
He’s a very good athlete for the position, with great explosiveness, agility, lower body fluidity, and play strength. Sanders typically times the snap well, firing off low and hard to maximize his play strength with good leverage to get under blockers’ pads. From there he has heavy and active hands to jolt linemen backwards, and either control them in the run game or defeat their blocks to penetrate into the backfield.
Sanders is a disruptive player who’s able to knife through gaps or disengage at will to exploit pass rush lanes. He has a solid arsenal of pass rush moves, using an arm-over as well as rip move to contrast his bull rush. He understands how to rush with a plan and when to use a counter move to exploit blockers’ expectations.
Likewise, he understands how to hold blockers while leveraging gaps in the run game. Sanders consistently puts his hips in the gap to take control, before shedding blocks to make a play on the ball.
Beyond his athleticism, competitive toughness is the hallmark of Sanders’ game. He has a white-hot motor with truly excellent effort in pursuit. His willingness to fight through waves of blockers or play through the echo of the whistle is what really sets off his athleticism and allows him to be as disruptive as he is.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Size (mass)
- Production
Some teams could knock Sanders for his relative lack of size, and mass in particular. Sanders isn’t a particularly undersized lineman, however he typically plays closer to 290 pounds than 300 and his lack of mass can show up in certain circumstances. He typically played as a penetrating B-gap defender, but was occasionally asked to play over the A-gap or hold up against double teams.
Sanders has excellent play strength when he’s playing with good leverage, but he lacks mass compared to bigger defensive tackles and can be moved by particularly powerful linemen. Likewise, he can be swallowed up or taken out of the play by double teams.
There may also be questions as to why his disruption didn’t translate into production more consistently. That, however, may have had more to do with Kyle Kennard’s excellent season off the edge.
Game Tape
(Sanders is the South Carolina defensive tackle wearing number 90, and the bottom of his shell peeking out of the bottom of the back of his jersey.)
Projection
T.J. Sanders projects as a starting — or important rotational — defensive tackle at the NFL level.
Sanders might have a relatively narrow scheme fit and might have limited appeal to teams that view defensive tackles as block eaters as opposed to penetrators. Sanders will likely play somewhere around 290 pounds, and he’s at his best when attacking individual gaps and disrupting behind the line of scrimmage.
Teams might have some questions as to his utility in short yardage situations, as he simply lacks the mass compared to most defensive tackles. He needs to play with consistently excellent technique and leverage to maximize his strength and power, and that won’t appeal to every team.
Teams will need to decide if his disruptiveness is a worthy trade-off for a potential issue holding up to blockers.
Does he fit the Giants?
Yes
Final Word: A Day 2 value
