Washington Commanders select Michigan DB Mike Sainristil in 2nd round of 2024 NFL Draft

Former Michigan receiver-turned-defensive back Mike Sainristil has now joined the cadre of former Wolverines ascending to the NFL at the 2024 NFL Draft. Sainristil was selected by the Washington Commanders with the No. 50 overall pick at the draft in Detroit.

Sainristil originally came to Michigan as a wide receiver, the position he began his career at. He played three seasons as a wideout for the Wolverines, catching 37 passes 539 yards and five touchdowns during that span.

Ahead of the 2022 season, Michigan needed defensive back depth and coaches asked Sainristil to switch positions, a move he readily made. As playing as a nickel corner — and more generally as a movable piece in the secondary — Sainristil made massive impacts.

During the 2023 season, his ball production jumped off the charts as he finished with six interceptions — two returned for touchdowns — and six more passes defended plus a pair of forced fumbles. He also racked up 108 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss in two years playing on defense.

While he’s not big — 5-foot-9, 182 pounds at the combine — Sainristil is also a feisty and willing run defender. He’s also adept at using all of his weight and strength to wrestle down larger players, like this tackle against Washington’s Jalen McMillan (6-foot-1, 197 pounds) in the College Football Playoff title game.

Sainristil played high school football at Everett (Mass.) High School, where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 590 overall recruit in the 2019 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Sainristil

Overall, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein is pretty high on Sainristil. His size will inherently limit some of what teams are comfortable asking him to do, and he needs time on task to improve his man coverage instincts.

But with 4.47 speed in the 40 and enough twitchy athleticism, plus an innate feel for zone coverage and ball skills that reflect his wide receiver pedigree, Zierlein is confident Sainristil will become a starting-level nickel defender in the NFL.

“Reliable and tough with the athleticism and upside to keep getting better as a nickel corner,” Zierlein said. “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.