Entering the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft Friday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers were sitting in a good spot at No. 51 overall after landing Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu at No. 20 in the first round Thursday night.
With the 51st pick, the Steelers could have gone in a number of directions, whether that was cornerback, wide receiver, or ultimately center, which they did, selecting West Virginia’s Zach Frazier, addressing the center position.
However, if things had played out differently, the Steelers potentially might have added Michigan slot cornerback Mike Sainristil.
Sainristil, of course, went No. 50 overall to the Washington Commanders. But, in his introductory press conference with the Commanders, he stated he thought he was for sure going to the Steelers at No. 51.
“I’ll say this, it was definitely a dream come true. Growing up, you know, dreaming, wish and pray to be in this position. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was not expecting it to be the Commanders. I thought I was going to the Steelers at 51,” Sainristil said to reporters, according to the transcript via commanders.com. “But I felt my phone vibrating. I looked down, there was a Virginia number. I’m like, ‘man, who the heck from Virginia’s calling me right now.’
“I pick up the phone and right away my heart was just, I felt at ease. I felt at peace. My mind was finally at peace.”
Having Sainristil come off the board one pick ahead of them undoubtedly made the selection easier for the Steelers at No. 51 overall, but if he were on the board, it makes you wonder what would have happened from the Steelers’ perspective: take a slot cornerback who checks in on the smaller side, or address the center position for the foreseeable future?
The Steelers certainly paid close attention to Sainristil throughout the pre-draft process, holding a formal meeting with him at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Then, the Steelers’ contingent of head coach Mike Tomlin, GM Omar Khan, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, and even former Steelers’ cornerback Ike Taylor attended the Michigan Pro Day to get a good look at Sainristil.
That interest pre-draft, along with the Steelers’ need at the position and the buzz that his agent was hearing, led Sainristil to believe he was going to be a Steeler.
“My agent was just telling me for a while that if I fall at 51, that the Steelers had a chance of getting me. The [Pittsburgh Steelers] GM [Omar Khan] really liked me at 51,” Sainristil added regarding his belief he was ticketed for Pittsburgh. “Once we got to pick 48, I was like, ‘alright, I’m probably getting into my wheelhouse.’ So, I was just thinking that, alright, I might fall to Pittsburgh.
“So, I’m just, I’m excited. I got the call from Washington and I’m already very comfortable with the whole staff, so I’m just, I’m super excited. I can’t wait.”
Needing a slot corner and seeing a player like Sainristil who fit the “angry little people” model that Tomlin has talked about in the past, the interest was obvious.
Outside of the Combine and Pro Day interest, the Steelers were expected to get a good look at Sainristil at the Senior Bowl, too, but did not end up attending.
At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, he measured in at 5093, 182 pounds with 30 7/8-inch arms. Sainristil ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and had a 40-inch vertical jump paired with a 10’11” broad jump. He also showed elite change of direction and short-area burst with his 4.01-second short shuttle—one of the top marks for cornerbacks who participated.
The fit made sense as Sainristil models his game after former Steelers’ slot cornerback Mike Hilton. But in the end, it didn’t happen as he landed with the Commanders at No. 50 overall, one pick away from the Steelers being on the clock.
He thought he was going to the Steelers, which is rather interesting and would have potentially shaped the Steelers class in a completely different way. It’s fun to think about in hindsight.
