Breaking down Michigan football's Mike Sainristil as a draft prospect
When the Michigan football season began versus East Carolina on September 2, Mike Sainristil recorded his first interception to kick off the opening game in Ann Arbor. He would finish the season collecting six interceptions. This defensive back played nickel cornerback for the majority of the season.
Sainristil switched to playing the outside corner position when the team needed to adjust to different situations on defense. Stellar play and off-the-field leadership led to him being voted team captain during the last two seasons. Sainristil also earned First-Team All-Big Ten media honors in 2023.
When the NFL combine was about to begin, questions arose about his speed. Mike Sainristil came out and delivered a magnificent performance at the combine. The 40-yard dash he recorded was 4.47 seconds. His vertical was 40 inches, he completed the 20-yard shuttle in 4.01 seconds. That was the second-best shuttle time amongst all cornerbacks. His 3-cone drill was 6.99 seconds, which was fourth best among cornerbacks. Combining these testing metrics with his dynamic coverage abilities shows the Michigan football legend can play more than nickel coverage.
A defender who sustains high-rate tackling with the flexibility to play zone or man coverage shows that he is an all-around talent on the gridiron. A former wide receiver who shifted to the defensive side of the field has shown how much he has grown as a defender while raising his IQ and attributes, throughout the seasons.
Sainristil does not bite on the double move from the opposition, nor does he give up deep passing completions. Over the last two seasons with Michigan football, his intelligence and football IQ improved as the season progressed. Sainristil came to the Wolverines as a three-star player; he exceeded expectations and showed how his valuable contributions to the team led to successful endeavors.
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After his NFL combine results, some draft evaluators project Sainristil to get selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft. He produced better results on his pro day for his shuttle and three-cone events, some evaluators feel like he can vault into the second round after those workouts. Mike Sainristil displays all the characteristics to become a high-quality cornerback in the NFL.