It's pretty obvious why Michigan CB Mike Sainristil is a great draft fit for the Washington Commanders

We are officially less than a month away from the 2024 NFL Draft and as we get closer and closer, the picture becomes more clear, for the most part. In more ways than one, too.

One item that has become more than opaque is the Washington Commanders' need for a true nickelback on its roster. Quan Martin played there, a lot, as a rookie in 2023, but he's better suited to play centerfield on a regular basis. Finding a true nickel would allow Martin to patrol the back end, which in turn helps the league's worst pass defense from a season ago.

Fortunately, there's a player in former Michigan Wolverine, Mike Sainristil, that can help them with this exact situation.

Sainristil can come in and immediately help boost Dan Quinn's defense

As mentioned earlier, Martin played a good amount of snaps in the slot last year. In terms of coverage, he allowed 15 receptions on 19 targets that went for 201-yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, per Pro Football Focus. Quarterbacks averaged a 123.9 rating when targeting Martin in the slot and his ratio of 6.3 snaps per target to 7.9 snaps per reception left a lot to be desired.

Martin's run defense was pretty good, as he missed just 5.6% of his tackle attempts and his 5.3% stop rate led all Commanders defensive backs in 2023.

Sainristil not only gives the Commanders a nickel who can play the run, blitz off the line, and play coverage - he provides a feisty, physical presence that will also help set the tone and build the culture on the defensive side of the ball. Don't forget his playmaking skills, either, as he finished Michigan's championship season with six interceptions that included two pick-sixes.

Quinn can play both Martin and Sainristil while the latter continues to develop his route coverage/man coverage skills. Sainristil has only been playing defensive back for two years after converting from wideout (which is another big reason he's projected to be a good NFL player), so there's still a lot to learn, even if he's picking things up very quickly.