South Carolina defensive lineman continues to receive 1st round NFL Draft grades
The 2024 version of the South Carolina defense is the best Gamecock unit in quite some time. In fact, with all due respect to fiesty units in 2021 and 2017, the USC defense is the best fans in Columbia have seen since the best run in school history from 2011 to 2013.
One of the best garnet and black-clad defenders is defensive tackle TJ Sanders. The redshirt junior had a great year last season and has matched that production this fall despite playing alongside other players who are gobbling up the defensive statistics. Because of his strong play, the Palmetto State native has earned 1st round NFL Draft grades.
As he has for several months, Sanders is in multiple CBS Sports NFL Draft mocks.
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According to draft analyst Chris Trapasso, Sanders will go 30th this spring to the Buffalo Bills. The 30th pick is popular for the 6’4″, 290-pound Sanders. Mike Renner and Ryan Wilson join their CBS colleague in projecting Sanders at No. 30 overall. Renner believes the Houston Texans will make that pick, while Wilson has him going to the San Francisco 49ers.
With his combination of size, athleticism, and production, Sanders has received 1st round buzz from other outlets, too. A look into his game illustrates why.
He can do just about anything a defensive tackle might have to do. Sanders has a powerful lower half that allows him to bully blockers and shed them to make a play. He also can eat (and sometimes flat-out beat) double teams. He’s also absurdly athletic for a player his size. The Gamecock tackle is dangerous on slants and has a knack for getting his hands up in time to alter or bat down passes.
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Sanders has shown the ability to play multiple defensive tackle spots. He can play inside as a straight-up nose or as a 1-technique. However, he can slide out wider to take snaps as a 4i or 5-technique. He’s even taken snaps at defensive end during his career, including as a 3-4 two-gap end.
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Fellow South Carolina defensive stars Nick Emmanwori and Kyle Kennard are getting some 1st round love, too. Emmanwori is viewed by some as the top safety prospect in the draft, and Kennard has gone from late-round afterthought to legitimate early-round selection thanks to becoming one of just seven players nationally with at least 8.5 sacks this season.
South Carolina football has not had multiple defensive players taken in the same 1st round since 2012 when Stephon Gilmore (10th to the Buffalo Bills) and Melvin Ingram (18th to the San Diego Chargers) both were off the board early after All-American seasons in 2011. In fact, the 2012 NFL Draft is the only time two Gamecock defenders went in the 1st round.
With Sanders, Emmanwori, and Kennard, that could be changing this year.
