Michigan DB Mike Sainristil selection by Washington draws heavy praise
The Michigan Wolverines had one of their best players from the last few seasons selected in the form of defensive back Mike Sainristil, who went in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft to the Washington Commanders.
The Michigan star’s selection drew universally high marks from the draft media across the country. Here’s a sampling of the grades that came in.
JP Acosta, SB Nation: A
Newton and Sainristil on the same day, the Commanders must’ve read the all-JP team. Despite his size, Sainristil has high level instincts and was always around the ball. Think Mike Hilton on the inside with Sainristil. Dan Quinn is going to unleash him.
Yahoo Sports: A
Shout out to the 2024 All-Juice Team! The Commanders grabbed a stud prospect to play in the slot for them. Sainristil is a competitive force who’s not afraid to come downhill and hit people in the mouth. He’s got pretty solid chops in man coverage too. Nice pickup.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: A
The Commanders needed to replace Kendall Fuller and do so well with an aggressive playmaker who plays bigger than his size.
Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report: B
Sainristil is an instant playmaker at nickel corner. It’s difficult to completely bury the Commanders for their second-round choices when they’ve landed a first-round-caliber defensive tackle and the top player from college’s football best defense this past season.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today: B
Washington’s pass defense was downright disastrous last season, yielding a league-worst 262.2 yards per game through the air. Though Sainristil stands at just 5-9 and 182 pounds, the playmaking former receiver seems like the kind of nickel cornerback Dan Quinn has been able to get a lot of mileage out of in earlier years.
Scott Dochterman and Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic: B
Sainristil’s toughness and IQ are off-the-charts good, and his leadership is special. A major culture changer at Michigan, Sainristil is small, but he’s a good athlete and very, very hard to fool. He’ll be a contributor on Day 1. But the Commanders still have to draft offensive line help at some point — it’s getting hard to stress this more.
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: B+
Pesky nickel CB with flexibility, instincts, and a high motor. Can beat some blockers en route to the football. Reasonable twitch and plus zone awareness. Exactly the type of playmaker the Commanders need. Tackling good, not amazing. Maybe a touch early.
