T.j.
Brunson.
T.j.
Brunson.
South Carolina
"The Giants drafted South Carolina's instinctive, 38-start linebacker at No. 238 for special teams, and he played five games as a rookie before his NFL career ended."Pre-draft read
Brunson was an inside linebacker in South Carolina's defense, a 6-0, roughly 225-pounder who started three seasons in the middle. His primary trait was instinct against the run: he diagnosed plays quickly, triggered downhill and filled gaps aggressively, leading the Gamecocks in tackles and tackles for loss in 2018 with 106 stops and 10.5 for loss.
His secondary trait was leadership and communication, making calls as a two-time permanent captain. In coverage he improved as a senior with five pass breakups and an interception, but lacked range. His athletic ceiling was limited by size, and his signature was the downhill aggression and reliability of a three-year starter who never missed a game.
Four-man front with two linebackers that protects an undersized inside backer and lets him fill downhill against the run.
Year 1: special teams player and practice squad linebacker. Ceiling: backup inside linebacker.
Scheme that asks its linebackers to take on guards in a two-gap front or carry backs in man coverage.
His instincts fit best as a run-down backup and special teamer.
T.J. Brunson South Carolina Gamecocks 2018 Season Highlights
His team-leading 2018 season.
2018 Outback Bowl USC vs Michigan - TJ Brunson Sack #2
A sack in the Outback Bowl win over Michigan.
South Carolina linebacker T.J Brunson on the upcoming season
Interview as a South Carolina starter.
Brunson projected as a productive, instinctive linebacker whose size and athleticism limited him to the final round. Evaluators liked his toughness, leadership and downhill play, but saw an undersized backer without the range to play every down in the NFL.
After a reserve freshman season, he started all 38 games over his final three years, totaling 283 career tackles, with 164 solo stops tying for 10th in school history. His best year came in 2018, when he led the team with 106 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss and shared the defensive MVP award with Javon Kinlaw. He had hip surgery after that season but still started all 12 games in 2019 with 77 tackles and his first interception. The flags were his size, range in coverage and lack of testing numbers.
Most boards viewed him as a seventh-round or undrafted linebacker. The Giants took him at No. 238 for special teams and depth, valuing his leadership, his tackling production against SEC offenses and a durability record that showed he rarely came off the field.
- 01
Instinctive run defender
Diagnosed plays quickly and filled downhill, leading South Carolina with 106 tackles and 10.5 for loss in 2018.
- 02
Production and durability
Started all 38 games over his final three seasons and totaled 283 career tackles at South Carolina.
- 03
Leadership
A two-time permanent team captain who shared the 2018 defensive MVP award and won the team's defensive leadership award twice.
- 04
Improved coverage
Added five pass breakups and his first career interception as a senior, showing growth in his zone drops.
- 05
Toughness
Played through hip surgery recovery to start every game in 2019, bringing a physical edge to the middle of the defense.
- 01
Undersized frame
Measured about 6-0 and 219 pounds at the Senior Bowl, light for an NFL inside linebacker taking on blockers.
- 02
Limited range
Lacked the speed to cover backs and tight ends in man coverage or chase plays sideline to sideline.
- 03
No testing data
Did not attend the Combine and had no pro day, leaving teams without numbers to confirm his athleticism.
- 04
Hip surgery
Had offseason hip surgery after 2018, adding a medical question for a player whose game depended on physicality.
| Yr | Team | G | Tkl | Sk | Int | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | South Carolina | 11 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | South Carolina | 13 | 88 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | South Carolina | 13 | 106 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | South Carolina | 12 | 77 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Career | — | 49 | 283 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
Season tackle totals from Pro Football Focus via Giants.com and South Carolina's 2019 bio, which sum exactly to the school's 283 career tackles; 38 career starts over his final three seasons. Sacks and TFL for 2016 are unpublished, so career sacks and TFL cover 2017–2019 only.
A dash means the figure is not published by a source we trust — never a zero we invented.
The realized outcome: a reserve linebacker with five NFL games.
Productive South Carolina linebacker who stuck as a special teams contributor.
SEC linebacker whose production did not lead to an NFL role.
Everything above is the pre-draft evaluation. This section is what actually happened — updated year over year.
Brunson spent his rookie season with the Giants in 2020, appearing in five games and making two tackles, mostly on special teams. He did not appear in another NFL regular-season game after that season, finishing his pro career with five games and no starts. His entire NFL résumé came in that one season in New York, where he worked mainly on coverage units.
In hindsight the pick returned little on-field value, which is common at No. 238. The instincts, toughness and leadership evaluators praised were real, but the size and range concerns that kept him out of the Combine limited him to special teams, where he needed speed to hold a roster spot. His college production and 38 straight starts showed a player who got the most out of his tools, yet the NFL rarely finds room for undersized linebackers without elite athleticism. His career shows the gap between SEC production and a lasting NFL role for linebackers built on instincts alone.