As the Buffalo Bills prepare for the 2025 NFL season, we’ll take a look at the most important contributors on their roster. They have a ton of cornerstone players who will be returning for another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo, and they’ll have help from some new additions as well.

Leading up to the season, we will be counting down the top 30 most important players on the roster. We’ll recap their 2024 season, look ahead to what they’ll offer in 2025, and tackle the most pressing questions surrounding them this coming year.

First on the countdown is TJ Sanders, a rookie defensive tackle from the University of South Carolina.

Background

Position: DT

Age at start of season: 22

Experience: Rookie

2025 cap hit: Still hasn’t signed rookie deal

2024 recap

In his redshirt junior season with the Gamecocks, Sanders played in all 13 games and recorded four sacks to go with seven tackles for loss, which was a slight dip in production from the year prior. He showed unique power and athleticism for his frame (6’4″, 297 lbs).

2025 outlook

Sanders should work his way into the defensive line rotation right off the bat in his rookie year barring a setback. He will most likely backup Ed Oliver on early downs but general manager Brandon Beane talked after draft day about pairing him with Ed Oliver in the middle on clear passing downs. He should add some much-needed juice in the interior pass-rush department.

Biggest question: Can Sanders generate consistent pressure at the NFL level?

He was one of the more productive interior defensive linemen in college football when it comes to getting after the passer. He had 8.5 sacks from the defensive tackle spot over the last two seasons, which is impressive for an interior defender and a big reason why Beane traded up to select him. The NFL will be a new challenge. A good thing for Sanders is the fact that defenses will most likely focus on his teammates that will be lined up next to him like Oliver, Joey Bosa, and Greg Rousseau, which should open up some opportunities.

30 Most Important Bills of 2025

Check back as we continue to countdown on our list of the 30 most important Bills ahead of the 2025 season.

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 30 most important Bills players of 2025: No. 30 T.J. Sanders