30 Days of Colts Fits: DT T.J. Sanders, South Carolina

The 2025 NFL Draft is officially a month away. In order to help you all along until draft day, I decided to start a daily prospect spotlight series to talk about some players that the Indianapolis Colts could target next month.

The players mentioned in this series will be players that I have either heard that the team is really high on or are players that just make way too much sense for the team based on fit/past draft history.

The next player up on this countdown to draft day is South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders.

Background

Sanders is a former three-star recruit whp was a standout basketball player back in high school. He primarily served as a reserve player in his first two seasons with the program, logging just 17 tackles and one sack across 240 defensive snaps in his first two years. He emerged as a starter on the defensive line heading into his third year with the program in 2023.

Sanders excelled in his first full season as a starter, racking up 45 tackles, 30 stops, 22 pressures, and five sacks as a redshirt sophomore. He earned Third-Team All-SEC honors for his strong play as a sophomore. Expectations were sky-high for Sanders heading into his junior season, and he didn't disappoint. He finished the season with 47 tackles, 24 stops, 28 pressures, and five sacks in 468 snaps played. He earned Second-Team All-SEC honors as a result of his dominance in his final season.

Sanders was among many standouts at the Reese's Senior Bowl this offseason, tearing it up as a pass rusher against the best interior players in the country.

.@GamecockFB DT T.J. Sanders is known for his speed, but Good Lord did he convert that speed to power on this rep

WHEW pic.twitter.com/59VVZlicdg
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) January 28, 2025

Size/Testing

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 305 pounds

Arm Length: 33.125 inches

Testing Numbers: 40 Time: 4.95 seconds / Vertical Jump: 31.5 inches / Broad Jump: 112 inches / 3-Cone Drill: 7.7 seconds / 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.67 seconds

T.J. Sanders (DT, South Carolina) muito bem no wave drill. Fluido. pic.twitter.com/P3Ya8syXcB
— cristian (@Cristianspfc_) February 27, 2025

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Standout Traits on Film

Sanders is one of the more athletic interior pass rushers in this draft class. He possesses fantastic get-off and he is quite polished for a prospect. He uses his hands well as a rusher, creating easy separation with rips and swims on the inside. He is a relentless pass rusher, constantly driving his legs and pursuing opposing quarterbacks until he gets a sack.

The numbers back up his strong play as well, as he ranked number eight among defensive tackles in this draft (with at least 250 pass rush snaps) in terms of pass rush win rate. Pro Football Focus has his win rate at a steady 12.6% for 2024, and his overall pass-rush grade ranks number six in this draft at 81.6. Sanders' 90.3 pass rush grade against true pass-blocking sets also ranks number four among draft-eligible defensive tackles.

The Colts need to find another interior rusher to work alongside DeForest Buckner this year. South Carolina's TJ Sanders could be an interesting day two option.

High end athlete with some impressive moves in his toolbox. Could be a day one impactful pass rusher pic.twitter.com/YUaUgzuvb8
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) March 30, 2025

The Colts need some pass rush help on the interior in this draft. Dayo Odeyingbo left to join the Chicago Bears this offseason, leaving a massive hole on the inside on pass rushing downs. A player like Sanders could kill two birds with one stone, as he has the upside to be a starting caliber defensive tackle long term while serving as a pass rusher-only as a rookie.

Sanders certainly needs to add some strength to his frame before he becomes a starter. In Indy, he can sit behind two star defensive tackles and earn a starting job in the future, while serving a day one role rushing alongside DeForest Buckner on passing downs. Seems like the ideal situation for any young pass rusher in this draft.

When looking for a true 3-down DT, TJ Sanders checks all the boxes pic.twitter.com/TkfG7pKJvS
— Brad (@Graham_SFN) February 11, 2025

Colts' Interest

The Colts have been doing their homework on this defensive tackle class, as players like Buckner and Grover Stewart aren't getting any younger. The team knows they need to find some playable youth on the interior in this draft, regardless of what round it comes in. A player like Sanders would be on the higher end of what they could target.

Sanders fits the Colts' mold of high-upside athlete, and he even has the production to back it up. The team may go a different direction in round two, but I wouldn't count out a player like Sanders being on the table.

OTHER ENTRIES

The 2025 Indy Draft Guide is officially available for pre-orders! 225+ in-depth scouting reports, plus how each player fits the Indianapolis Colts.

IT IS BAAAACK!

The Indy Draft Guide is officially available for pre-order this draft season. 225+ write-ups on the 2025 NFL Draft class plus how each player fits the Colts (along with some Build-A-Ballard features).

Pre-order this beauty today: https://t.co/FKsiIvr8u8
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) February 18, 2025