After helping Michigan to a national championship, cornerback Mike Sainristil capped a surprising climb into Round 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, where the Washington Commanders selected him with pick No. 50. The Commanders acquired the selection from the Eagles, trading their Nos. 40, 78 and 152 picks to Philadelphia for Nos. 50, 53 and 161.
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Born in Haiti, Sainristil moved to the United States (near Boston) with his family when he was 3 months old. Small and compact, Sainristil was recruited as a defensive back and wide receiver by several Power 5 programs, and he started his career at Michigan as a receiver before shifting to star as a nickel corner.
Sainristil, 23, is one of the most physically confident defensive backs in the class — a fearless tackler and blitzer who isn’t afraid to mix it up with larger players. He displays outstanding intelligence and anticipation and was a two-time captain at Michigan (including on last year’s title-winning squad).
He’s probably too undersized to hold up as an outside cornerback in the NFL, but he’s a culture-changer and a very good defensive back overall.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
Sainristil ranked No. 43 on Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“Sainristil has obvious size limitations that will remove him from some teams’ draft boards, but other teams will be more than happy to bet on his outstanding toughness, instincts and ball skills. He will compete for immediate starting reps as a rookie nickel.”
Coaching intel
What two anonymous coaches had to say about Sainristil in Bruce Feldman’s NFL Draft confidential:
“He is one of my favorites. The habits are just so good. I’m not leery of his size because I think he plays a lot bigger. I have no reservations about him. He’s so aggressive and plays the ball so well in the air. I think he uses his lack of size to an advantage because he’s super quick and he’s able to get around blocks and people can’t get their hands on him.”
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“I’m not as high on him as some people. I think he’s a really good zone nickel. He has all the production with his eyes on the quarterback. He’s really good at that, but does that fit what you do at that position? To me the highest value of the nickel is, can he cover the slot? And you don’t really see that as his major skill set.”
Why he’s a second-round pick
Sainristil’s size will limit his role at the next level. In a pass-happy league that forces defenses to lean heavily on sub-packages, though, Sainristil has the goods to be a productive nickel immediately as a rookie. He also should contribute on special teams. His toughness and work ethic alone are first-round qualities.
ANOTHER PICK FOR MIKE SAINRISTIL
The @UMichFootball defense is doing it all pic.twitter.com/bl1S5S8MP0
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 18, 2023
Nick Baumgardner grades the pick
One of my favorite players in this class, Sainristil’s toughness and IQ are off-the-charts good, and his leadership is one-of-a-kind good. A major culture-changer at Michigan, Sainristil is small — but a good athlete who is very, very hard to fool. He’ll be a contributor on day one in Washington. While this fills a need, and Sainristil is a really fun prospect: The Commanders have to draft offensive line help at some point. Getting hard to stress this more. Grade: B
How he fits
The Commanders’ secondary imploded last season and then lost its top cornerback, Kendall Fuller, in free agency. Washington is also experiencing a culture change. General manager Adam Peters looks for team captains, and Sainristil was a two-timer with Michigan.
Rookie impact
The 2023 first-team All-American will be ready for immediate playing time after starting 26 games the past two seasons. Coach Dan Quinn wants aggressive defenders and Sainristil paced the Wolverines with 12 passes defended and six interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
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Depth-chart impact
The Commanders would now likely use versatile 2023 second-round pick Quan Martin at safety and push cornerback Benjamin St-Juste back outside after spending last season primarily in the slot. Washington’s new coaching staff has a rehab project in 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes Jr. after a trying rookie season.
They also could have picked …
Washington has yet to address its left tackle position, and Houston’s Patrick Paul offers hulking upside. Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. received first-round mentions during the process. Edge rushers Chris Braswell and Marshawn Kneeland would have bolstered the defensive line depth.
Fast evaluation
The gushing from football thinkers about Sainristil’s ability and vibe is notable. Bringing that championship mindset from Michigan is exactly what the new staff is looking for as they rebuild the roster and internal culture.
(Photo: Zach Bolinger / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)