Cincy Jungle
The Bengals need additional help on the interior of their defensive line and they make look for it in the first couple of rounds in the draft. T.J. Sanders provides a lot of tools to bolster the group.
This year’s Cincinnati Bengals draft class will undoubtedly focus on addressing the trenches on both sides of the ball. The team made a couple of outside free-agent signings, but with big contracts already given to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — and another still to be resolved with Trey Hendrickson — Cincinnati appears to be relying on its six draft picks to make a meaningful roster impact.
Even though they re-signed B.J. Hill this spring, the Bengals are still seeking additional interior pass-rush help. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has called this class “one for starters,” particularly along the defensive line, which bodes well for Cincinnati’s needs.
One intriguing option in this year’s group is South Carolina defensive lineman T.J. Sanders. He’s a well-rounded player who creates disruption in a variety of ways and could continue to strengthen the Bengals’ defensive front.
After becoming a standout at Marion High School in South Carolina, Sanders opted to stay close to home and play football for the South Carolina Gamecocks. As a freshman, he appeared in two games without recording an official stat and ultimately redshirted the year.
He then started seven of 12 games in 2022, notching 16 total tackles, one sack, and one pass defended. It was in 2023 that his collegiate career truly began to ascend, as he tallied 43 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, and four passes defended.
As a redshirt junior, Sanders finished his final season at South Carolina with another four sacks, one pass defended, and a career-high 50 total tackles. Over his final two seasons, he recorded 17 tackles for loss (10 in 2023 and seven in 2024), showcasing his ability to frustrate opposing offenses.
He then parlayed those seasons into strong pre-draft performances, including turning heads at the Senior Bowl. He was one of the better performers of the week, generating buzz heading into April.
The most obvious facet that stands out about Sanders is his pass-rush ability. He racked up 8.5 sacks over the past two years, along with the aforementioned 17 tackles for loss.
While he doesn’t possess a Carlos Dunlap-like ability to consistently bat down passes at the line, he did flash an occasional knack for it—particularly in 2023. Sanders also posted an 87.3 pass-rush win rate on true pass-rush sets over the past two seasons, which is impressive.
Against the run, Sanders often wins when matched up one-on-one with an offensive lineman. However, some pundits question his ability to shed double teams in run defense, and he’ll need to address those concerns at the next level.
While it’s not...
