T.J. Sanders, IDL, South Carolina
Size:
Height: 6037
Weight: 297
Arm: 33 ⅛”
Hand: 10 ¼”
Accomplishments:
Co-South Carolina Spirit Award – Defense (2023)
“T.J. Sanders has prototypical IDL size combined with good athleticism and a high motor to set the foundation for him to be an impactful IDL in the NFL.”
Strengths:
Athleticism/fluid movements
Good functional strength
Good motor
Length/overall size
Concerns:
Needs to develop detailed pass-rush plan
Holding point of attack against double teams
Film Analysis:
T.J. Sanders is an experienced interior defensive lineman who has played significant snaps for South Carolina since his freshman year. Sanders has built an identity for himself of being a well-rounded defensive lineman who has the first-step quickness and athleticism to provide a pass rush and also the natural strength to play tough in the trenches on run downs.
Sanders can win in multiple ways on run downs. When working to sustain the line of scrimmage and play gap control, Sanders can shoot his hands to lock out offensive linemen by utilizing his upper-body strength. Using this technique, his length plays a part in how he can quickly get hands on offensive linemen and create the necessary distance by extending his arms to shed them and make a play on the ball-carrier. The other way in which Sanders can win is by using his first-step quickness and athleticism to get upfield and be disruptive. Sanders can beat offensive linemen at the snap, quickly get into the gap, and get penetration. Because of his range and change of direction, Sanders can get into the backfield and run down ball-carriers to create negative plays for offenses in the run game.
As a pass rusher, Sanders operates in flashes. Sanders can use his quick first step to start to dictate the space of the rep and then, upon engaging with the offensive lineman, he flashes quick hand counters and maneuvers to win. Sanders has strong hands and can make quick work of offensive linemen who leave their hands exposed and defeat them to get to the quarterback. When using power, Sanders can convert speed to power and collapse the pocket by working through the offensive lineman and creating pressure on the quarterback.
The element of Sanders' game that needs the most improvement is developing a consistent and detailed pass-rush pan. Sanders has the athleticism to become a consistent threat as a pass rusher from the IDL position but appears to lack a plan of execution at times. There are reps where Sanders simply tries to win with athleticism and win stops—he doesn't immediately trigger a counter move to keep applying pressure to the offensive lineman and allow himself to win. An improvement in hand counters and working to attack better angles can improve Sanders' effectiveness as a pass rusher and bring significant value to his draft stock.
Overall, Sanders has all of the physical tools wanted in a modern IDL. With detailed improvements in his game, he can develop into an impact player for an NFL franchise in the trenches.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Keith Sanchez
Exposures: LSU (2024), Ole Miss (2024), Alabama (2024), Clemson (2024), Georgia (2023), Tennessee (2023), Florida (2023), Clemson (2023)
