The Kansas City Chiefs built a quality defensive front over the past few seasons, but there’s room to improve its depth along the interior. Having several options along the interior is crucial for Kansas City as superstar Chris Jones enters his thirties and the team continues to battle through long playoff runs.
Besides needing to add some weight to his 6 foot 4 inch, 290-pound frame, South Carolina Gamecocks defensive tackle T.J. Sanders possesses all the key traits for a slashing 3-tech. He explodes off the line of scrimmage vertically to shoot gaps or uses sudden horizontal steps to switch gaps and attack unsuspecting offensive linemen.
Sanders’ pass rush plan is still in its developmental stages. It might take another year or two before he unlocks an NFL starting player’s arsenal of moves and counters. In the meantime, his raw athleticism, swipes, spins, rips and surprising bend are enough to make him a valuable rotational piece along the interior.
Sanders struggles to anchor against double teams in the run game but performs well against single blocks. He stacks, peaks, and sheds blocks by locking out offensive linemen with his long arms. His violent upper body and powerful hands make it easy to keep offensive linemen out of his frame and discard blockers.
The Gamecocks are facing their toughest opponent of the season at Bryant-Denny Stadium against No. 7 Alabama. The Crimson Tide are coming off a loss to Vanderbilt.
