Mike Sainristil's hype train is officially leaving the station in Washington

Legendary former Alabama head coach Nick Saban proudly proclaimed Washington Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil to be the best pound-for-pound player in the 2024 NFL Draft. He's proving just that through an outstanding rookie campaign so far.

Sainristil's had some first-year growing pains, which is entirely expected considering the daunting transition for cornerbacks from college to the pros. The former Michigan star has come to life in recent weeks, displaying assured coverage and relentless pursuit in the run game that defies his size.

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. switched Sainristil from the slot to outside responsibilities. It was a gamble deemed necessary considering the problems others were suffering on the boundary. It's paid off in no uncertain terms so far.

Whitt revealed that Sainristil will continue to eat into Benjamin St-Juste's reps moving forward. Once recently acquired shutdown presence Marshon Lattimore returns after the bye, this has the makings of a potentially prolific tandem long-term.

The Commanders saw something others didn't in Sainrstil en route to taking him No. 50 overall. That looks like a bargain as things stand, and the player is only going to improve further with more experience under his belt.

Former NFL executive believes Commanders got a steal in Mike Sainristil

This was a sentiment echoed by former NFL executive Jeff Diamond, who's now an analyst for The 33rd Team. He placed Sainristil at No. 4 in his list of draft steals, with only Bo Nix, Ladd McConkey, and Cooper DeJean ahead of him.

"The Commanders have slipped recently, but at 7-5 and in solid wild card contention in the NFC, the team’s performance is among this season’s biggest surprises. The significant improvement in pass defense from last ranked in 2023 to No. 4 this season has played a major role in the team’s rise from a four-win team last year. [Mike] Sainristil was a second-round pick (No. 50) and is a starting corner with 61 tackles, one interception and nine passes defensed. He’s a versatile player with excellent speed and ball skills and will be a future leader for the Commanders as he was a team captain on Michigan’s national champs last year."

- Jeff Diamond, The 33rd Team

There's a long way to and a lot of hard work ahead, but Sainristil is well on track to become a franchise cornerstone.

His mentality fits perfectly into Dan Qinn's culture shift. Sainristil is also not afraid to take on big challenges versus the NFL's best, as witnessed by his encouraging production versus A.J. Brown against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football.

Adam Peters is getting some decent returns from his first draft class. There are a few unknown quantities. In Sainristil and quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders have two sure things to hang their hat on.

Sainristil won't be taking anything for granted. He wants to be the best. He wants to learn from the game's greats. That's the biggest positive above all else with questions surrounding the likes of St-Juste, Michael Davis, Noah Igbinoghene, and former first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes Jr. once the campaign concludes.

It's a good start. Building on it is crucial for Sainristil to meet some ever-increasing objectives.

More Commanders news and analysis