BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — After an off-season focused on fixing the defensive line, the Buffalo Bills traded up in the second round to select South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders. The 6'4" 297-pound defensive tackle will provide the Bills with a versatile player who can wreak havoc on the defensive line.
"It was hard to hold them tears in," Sanders said Friday night about getting the call from the Bills. "It's life changing, all the things we've been through, just happy to get that call, it was exciting."
Sanders is a bit raw and inconsistent but he's strong against the run and plays with a ton of power. He's often considered a violent player, which is always a complement when talking about defensive tackles.
When speaking with ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid before the draft, he told 7 Sports that Sanders is a perfect fit for the Bills and thought the Bills would consider him at pick No. 30.
"He's another that I think they are very high on," Reid said of Sanders with the Bills. "He's a bit undersized but really disruptive, really stout at the point of attack as a run defender. He's that true penetrator, that guy that can be a wrecking ball that can get up the field really quickly too, and I think that's something they really need in Buffalo."
Made sure to pair these two together in every single mock draft that I did.
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) April 25, 2025
Perfect fit. Not surprised that they traded up for him. https://t.co/D1sjQR8r71
This is the second straight pick the Bills have made on the defensive side of the ball to start the 2025 draft and clearly it was a player they valued, trading the 56th and 62nd picks in the second round along with pick 109 in the fourth-round to the Chicago Bears for picks 41, 72 (third) and 240 (7th).
"It was all great and it was all love," Sanders said on his pre-draft interactions with the Bills. "They were telling me things that I was good at, things that I can improve on, getting to meet everyone in the building, there were great people everywhere that I went. I'm just excited to be up there and get a chance to get to know them some more."
TJ Sanders is a pure athlete at defensive tackle.
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 3, 2025
He’s a twitchy, explosive DT at 6’4, 284lbs and wreaks havoc against both the run and pass. 60 pressures, 10 sacks, and 54 stops in the last two seasons at South Carolina.
Top 50 player for me right now. pic.twitter.com/f4zVSQsarB
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