NFL Analysis
4/26/24
4 min read
Mike Sainristil 2024 NFL Draft: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Washington Commanders CB
The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Mike Sainristil.
Mike Sainristil 2024 NFL COMBINE RESULTS
- Height: 5-foot-10
- Weight: 182
- 40-yard dash: 4.47
- 10-yard split: 1.51
- Vertical jump: 40"
- Broad jump: 10'11"
Mike Sainristil 2024 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS
- Primarily aligned in the slot, but was used in a variety of different ways (aligned outside, dropped back to S)
- Instinctive player with good route recognition and anticipation to position himself to make plays (former WR)
- Good lateral quickness to elude blockers and then close on the ball carrier in the run/screen game
- Reads triangle well between receiver route through to quarterback from off alignment to anticipate and jump routes
- Possesses good plant and driveability to accelerate out of his breaks when breaking downhill on routes
- Good edge force defender and blitzer; can rush the passer and provide run support to disrupt the play's timing
- Quick twitch player with good redirection and change of direction who can accelerate out of his breaks
- Tough, plays with good physicality for his size to challenge receivers and get involved in run support
- Good zone cornerback who positions himself between route concepts based on his coverage responsibility
- Most effective when staying on top of receivers and driving down on throws in front of him
- Transitions well vertically down the field, flipping his hips and running with receivers; good vertical speed
- Excellent ball skills and good hands, reacts to throws and adjusts his body well to secure the catch.
WEAKNESSES
- Slight build and questionable strength at the point of contact in coverage and when taking on blocks in run support
- Struggles from off-coverage when attacked with a good vertical stem to redirect and limit separation laterally
- Receivers succeeded when they could stack him and set up their breaks, creating separation
- Tendency to contact wide receivers and get his hands on them after 5 yards, which will become an issue in the NFL (illegal contact)
- Less comfortable filling running lanes in the box from safety alignment, playing hesitant in the hole at times
- Over aggressive at times with sitting on routes at the top of wide receiver stems, affecting his ability to transition downfield
- Technique can be improved in his positioning and approach vs. receivers' vertical releases that close his cushion
NFL TRANSITION
Sainristil played his first three seasons at Michigan at wide receiver, then moved to the nickel and slot cornerback for his last two seasons and was a good contributor on special teams. He's an instinctive player who reads and reacts quickly to route combinations and reads the quarterback well from off coverage to plant and drive downhill on throws.
He struggled at times when wide receivers attacked him with vertical releases and closed down his cushion before exploding out of their breaks. That created separation, and his tendency to sit on routes caused him to struggle to redirect. His willingness to come downhill and play the run as an edge, force defender and a good blitzer shows good physicality and aggression.
Overall, Sainristil is best suited to play in the slot in NFL sub-package schemes where he can be used in many ways to play man and zone coverage schemes and blitz. His physical, competitive playing style, quickness and athleticism make him a valuable second-day pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He will be able to contribute in Year 1 on special teams and sub-packages and provide solid depth with his skill set and position versatility.
OTHER NOTES
Sainristil was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts in his senior year of high school. He was a three-star recruit who was the 52nd-ranked cornerback in the nation and the No. 1 player in the state.
Sainristil was a wide receiver during his first three seasons at Michigan, accumulating 37 receptions for 539 yards with one TD. In his last two seasons, he played cornerback (mainly from the slot), totaling 108 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, three sacks, seven INTs (two returned for TDs in 2023) with 13 PBS and two forced fumbles.
Over the past two seasons, Sainristil has played 1,321 defensive snaps, with 1,040 of those aligned from the slot (nearly 79 percent). Only 178 snaps were aligned on outside at cornerback and 25 snaps were from safety. He also had 78 snaps on inside close to or in the box as a linebacker.
He has a lot of reps and experience playing on the inside in the slot, which is such a critical position in the NFL with the high usage of sub-packages. Sainristil rushed or blitzed on 61 snaps during the past two seasons, an average of 30 rush snaps each season, totaling four sacks and 19 pressures.
