The Washington Commanders selected Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil at No. 50 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. Washington was selecting at No. 50 after an earlier trade down with the Eagles that gave the Commanders No. 50, 53 and 161.
Sainristil started parts of four seasons at Michigan and began his college career as a wide receiver. While considered undersized (5-foot-9, 182), He is tough and physical and is still adjusting to playing cornerback, which insists his best football is ahead of him.
Sainristil moved to cornerback for the Wolverines and excelled. He was one of Michigan’s key starters on the 2023 national championship team.
Here is NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein’s scouting report on Sainristil:
Reliable and tough with the athleticism and upside to keep getting better as a nickel corner. Sainristil is a former receiver who plays with surprising field awareness and attention to detail as a zone defender. He has the twitch and footwork to stay connected with routes in man coverage but needs more experience at the position to operate with better recognition and feel for the routes. He showed off top-notch ball skills with six interceptions (two for scores) in 2023 and has no problem stepping up and doing his part as a run defender. Sainristil isn’t there yet but should keep improving and has a chance to become a starting nickel in time.