INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan CB Mike Sainristil arrived in Ann Arbor as a wide receiver and made the switch to defensive back, earning more of a role on defense during his time with the Wolverines. The switch proved to be a wise business venture for Sainristil. He broke out in a big way in 2023, posting 44 total tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, six interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), and six pass deflections.
Speaking to me and other members of the media Thursday at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, Sainristil was asked to describe his style of play, being a guy who can do more than just take the ball away in coverage.
“Just very instinctual,” Sainristil said. “Like I said earlier, just being somebody who knows how to find the football, whether it’s in the air, on the ground. I would say very instinctual. I think I had to stop myself from trying to find the ball too much in terms of in coverage. And I’m still continuing to work on eye discipline, but I think my instincts and my natural ability to be around the football is what helps how I play, at the nickel position especially.”
Sainristil only played defensive back for two full seasons in college, but he has made quite the impression with seven interceptions and 14 pass deflections. Still, he sees himself as more than just a coverage player, showing a willingness to mix it up in the run game as well as a blitzer coming off the edge. When I asked who Sainristil likes to model his game after, he mentioned a player we all know well: former Steelers and current Bengals CB Mike Hilton.
“Mike Hilton, Trent McDuffie, Budda Baker, and Kenny Moore,” Sainristil said of guys he likes to watch and emulate. “I did a lot of Mike Hilton study tape this past offseason. I had a few conversations with him as well, and I asked him what does he do that helps him disguise his blitzes and allows him to get there and his timing and everything. He gave me a few tips on that. But, you know, Mike Hilton was definitely one of the people that I spoke to.”
Having completed the pre-draft profile on Sainristil, I concluded that you see a lot of similarities between him and Hilton, making the latter my pro comparison for Sainristil. They share similar size, athleticism, and a skill set that fits well at the nickel, each having the tenacity to come downhill in run support as well as fly in off the edge on the blitz. Both aren’t premier players when it comes to coverage, but both are more than capable of running with slot receivers and tight ends as well as making plays off the ball thanks to their instincts in zone.
I then asked Sainristil if he has spoken to the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin here at the Combine.
“I spoke with Coach [Mike] Tomlin,” Sainristil said. “The whole staff was real cool, real relaxed. I enjoyed our conversation. I enjoyed the interview. I was a big Steelers fan when I was younger. Santonio Holmes, Antonio Brown, I used to love watching those guys at receiver and on defense, Troy Polamalu, just seeing what they did. And then when they won the Super Bowl, of course. I used to love the Steelers, but I grew up a Patriots fan since I’m from Boston, so, but yeah; Coach Tomlin and that staff…great staff.”
The Steelers need a quality slot cornerback with Chandon Sullivan and Patrick Peterson primarily playing that role this past season. They could look to target more of an outside cornerback early in the draft, but Sainristil would be the perfect fit in the third or fourth round, filling the Hilton role with a nearly identical player that the Steelers have missed since Hilton’s departure for Cincinnati. The formal meeting shows that the Steelers’ interest is there with their need at the position. A Pro Day visit by Tomlin and GM Omar Khan along with a potential top 30 pre-draft visit later this spring could point to Sainristil being a player that Pittsburgh highly covets as a potential Hilton replacement.
