Texans Hosting Star SEC Defender

The Houston Texans are bringing one of this year’s top defensive lineman in for a closer look in the weeks ahead of this month’s draft.

According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the Texans will be hosting South Carolina defensive lineman TJ Sanders for a top-30 visit. Sanders has already visited with other teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers, and now Houston is the latest to take notice.

Sanders, a likely day-two pick in this year’s class, could be an intriguing candidate to look at for one of Houston’s round two or three selections. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound defensive lineman landed first-team SEC honors in 2024 after putting together a dominant showcase of a season worth 51 total tackles and four sacks, also managing to secure third-team All-American in the process.

For Houston, he could be worth a swing in an effort to beef up their defensive trenches if the board falls in their favor to do so. Of course, other needs like offensive line and wide receiver still remain high on the list of priorities, but if a talent like Sanders falls in their lap to then pair with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. on an already dominant defensive line, it could mean bit things for this defensive unit.

The Texans’ current interior defensive line expects to be held down by the likes of veterans Sheldon Rankins, Tim Settle Jr., and Mario Edwards, but another dose of young talent into the mix might not hurt either.

Sanders has the ideal size and great athleticism to match the bill of a modern defensive tackle, and could align well with this already appealing front seven. Time will tell if the Texans like what they see during their visit, perhaps leading into a potential selection in the draft later this month.