The Pittsburgh Steelers aim to get faster and more aggressive in the secondary. 

With positions of need at outside CB, slot CB, and strong safety, look for them to hit the defensive backfield hard in free agency and the draft. 

Well, following a strong Combine performance, I found the perfect player to fit one of those roles:

The Steelers should draft Michigan CB Mike Sainristil with the 51st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

Mike Sainristil in a nutshell. Always plays with excellent eyes to the QB and reacts extremely quickly, great break downhill. More of a drag down tackle here, but he plays well above his size as a tackler. pic.twitter.com/jgcWPkq98I

— Nicholas McGee (@nicholasmcgee24) February 29, 2024

Why Draft A Nickel Before an Outside CB?

The Steelers need an outside CB, (which we will address) but the team has thrived defensively when they have an active and aggressive nickel or slot corner, a position that Sainristill would surely fill. 

Think of the Steelers' defense when they had Mike Hilton. He was on the smaller size, but he can pressure off teh edge and cover slot targets as a do-it-all all chess piece on defense. 

And who does Sainristil model his game after?

Mike Hilton:

#Michigan DB Mike Sainristil says he studied Mike Hilton’s film this summer and picked his brain on Instagram to learn tips from him.

Very cerebral guy who can articulate his thoughts. Impressive podium session. pic.twitter.com/O1XhWzEHFW

— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) February 29, 2024

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Mike Sainristil Scouting Blurb

Good player wigh ball production, instincts and long speed. The WR background gives him a leg up in cintestetd cath situations. Size and being a tad on the older side for a rookie are the only real coincerns with his profile. -Anonymous Scout

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Final Word

There was a thought that Sainristil would be a third of fourth-round pick ahead of the NFL Combine, but after nailing his podium presser, likely blowing away teams in interviews and testing after recording a 4.47 40-yard dash, over 40' vertical and broad jump that nearly touched 11 feet. 

Pittsburgh likes athletes on both sides of the ball, but they especially like athletes that play with a chip on their shoulder and aggressive nature, leaving Sainristil as a perfect player for their position of need. 

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