ESPN analyst Ben Solak named T.J. Sanders the Buffalo Bills’ top breakout candidate ahead of the 2026 season. The second-year defensive tackle now has a clearer path after the team fired head coach Sean McDermott in January and brought in Jim Leonhard as defensive coordinator.
The Bills also swung a trade for wide receiver D.J. Moore from the Chicago Bears during the offseason. Those moves reset the roster and coaching staff. Many around the organization believe a defensive leap could finally push Buffalo into Super Bowl contention.
Solak’s Take on Sanders’ Fit
Solak was not high on Sanders when the Bills drafted him in the second round in 2025. He described the defensive tackle as undersized at 297 pounds with a long, upright frame. Sanders performed best when slanting, stunting, or lining up as a big defensive end in sub packages.
“I did not particularly like the Sanders pick for Sean McDermott’s defense in the 2025 draft,” Solak said in his article. “Luckily, that makes Sanders a much more natural fit in new coordinator Jim Leonhard’s defense, which uses three-down fronts and needs big defensive ends to draw multiple players in pass protection while blitzes land from the other side of the line.”
Sanders is unlikely to become an instant star like John Franklin-Myers, Solak added, but he projects as a strong candidate to become a “dirty work champion” in the reimagined scheme.
Rookie Season Showed Limited Production
Sanders appeared in 12 games as a rookie and recorded 16 total tackles, one sack, and one pass defensed. He flashed some disruptive traits but rarely affected the stat sheet in a consistent way. Much of that came from adjusting to NFL speed and operating in a scheme that did not always highlight his movement skills.
The limited role left plenty of room for growth entering year two.
New Scheme Aligns With His Strengths
Leonhard’s defense emphasizes three-down fronts. Defensive linemen must occupy blockers and create lanes for linebackers to blitz or pursue from multiple angles. Sanders’ ability to slant and stunt fits that requirement. His length also helps when he drops into a stand-up role on passing downs.
That versatility gives Buffalo options it lacked in the prior system. Early indications from the spring suggest the coaching staff plans to use Sanders in a variety of alignments along the interior and on the edge in nickel packages.
Young Interior Group Takes Shape
Sanders will line up alongside veteran Ed Oliver and fellow young defensive tackle Deone Walker. Oliver brings proven production and leadership. Walker offers size and power. Together the trio gives Leonhard a mix of experience and upside to build around.
The group will face immediate tests once pads come on in training camp. Success for Sanders would show up in consistent pocket collapse on passing downs and improved run defense on early downs — the unglamorous plays that help linebackers and edge rushers make the splash plays.
Buffalo fans have watched the team come close in the playoffs without reaching the Super Bowl. A defense that finally complements the offense could change that equation this fall. Sanders does not need to lead the team in sacks. He needs to win his individual battles and make the defense harder to block.
Training camp will provide the first real look at how the new front operates together. The regular season starts later this year. By then, the Bills will know whether Sanders has taken the step Solak believes is possible.
