One major concern with each Commanders 2024 NFL Draft pick
By Jonathan Eig
Commanders drafted Ben Sinnott
- Tight End | Kansas State Wildcats
- Round No. 2 | No. 53 overall
Adam Peters compared him to George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk. The Washington Commanders general manager isn’t the only one who sees those similarities. Ben Sinnott should prove to be an excellent addition to the offense, offering playmaking ability and versatility.
However, sometimes versatility can be a curse.
Sinnott can do it all. He can line up in the backfield. He can block on the line. He can run short crosses in the middle or deep seams. He can run after the catch. But can he do any of it at an elite level?
If he can’t, then he just becomes another guy. He’ll be okay, but he won’t be a playmaker. In other words - is Sinnott the next Trey McBride, or is he the next Jeremy Ruckert?
Commanders drafted Mike Sainristil
- Cornerback | Michigan Wolverines
- Round No. 2 | No. 50 overall
Nick Saban declared Mike Sainristil the best pound-for-pound player in this year’s draft. Praise-wise, that’s about as good as it gets.
He is likely to be the Commanders' starting slot cornerback from Day 1. With a proven defensive backs guru like Joe Whitt Jr. running the defense, what could go wrong?
There's one thing that concerns about Sainristil. His short-area quickness is not elite.
Sainristil has every other physical tool you could want in a slot. For a smaller corner, he is very strong. He has an outstanding leg burst. He has very good straight-line speed. All this allows him to come up and stick tackles. It allows him to run with bigger receivers. But quick movement in space, which is essential for a slot corner, is iffy.
It was not a problem for him against college receivers, but stepping up against pros could prove challenging. I have only minor concerns about Sainristil being asked to cover a player like CeeDee Lamb, who is running more routes from the slot for the Dallas Cowboys these days. I have much bigger concerns about asking him to stick with DeVonta Smith, who has been seeing increased slot usage with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Even this concern is mitigated by Sainristil’s high football IQ and ability to recognize routes. That skill makes his less-than-ideal short-area quickness far less worrisome.