The Buffalo Bills selected South Carolina’s TJ Sanders in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft.
The defensive tackle will help fortify the defense’s front and the hope will be that Sanders grows into a star in the NFL.
Get to know more about one of the newest Bills players now.
Here are five things to know about Sanders:
The plan
While the defensive line needed an addition or two at the draft, the one-tech position next to Ed Oliver was the one many had their eye on. Instead, general manager Brandon Beane said that won’t be the case.
Sanders will get chances to rush the passer like Oliver.
“I would say his primary is three, so he’d give three to one,” Beane said. “But we like the idea of adding another inside rusher, another guy to pair with Ed on clear passing downs. But we could still play him at one if we wanted to.”
Why an adjustment period
In college, Sanders did not burst onto the scene. He only played in two games his first season and he has a pretty good reason why.
While good enough to be recruited to South Carolina, Sanders did not become a football player until his junior year of high school.
“I was kind of on the bigger side of things, as far as my size in high school. So, at that point where I was playing at school wise, that wasn’t really difficult for me to adjust to,” Sanders said. “But when I got to college I was like, ‘Okay, this is big boy football in the SEC. So, it was definitely an adjustment period.”
Pass-rush improvement
There is a good reason why Beane said Sanders will have a chance to rush the passer in the NFL. At South Carolina, once Sanders got through that “adjustment period,” his QB pressure rate improved every year according to The 33rd Team:
Top basketball player
Sanders was a top basketball player for Marion High School in South Carolina along with his promising football career.
Sanders helped lead his high school’s football team to their first championship appearance since 1987 but the team lost. After that came basketball season where he was named one of the top five players in Class 2A by the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association and was an all-state selection.
Loves mom
There have been a few instances where Sanders has been a bit of a momma’s boy. Nothing wrong with that.
During his first visit to Orchard Park after being picked, Sanders made sure to grab his mom some food before himself. On top of that, mom has also shown appreciation for her kids on social media as well:
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