Defensive back Mike Sainristil played all over the secondary for the Washington Commanders last season. That’s likely to be the case again for the third-year former second-round pick.
That’s how Sainristil likes it. He shared with reporters at offseason workouts this week that it doesn’t really matter where he lines up; he’s going to have an impact.
“I’ve always been a sponge,” said Sainristil on Wednesday. “No matter where you put me at, I’m going to do my best [to] make sure whatever you got me doing.
“I’m going to get the job done.”
Sainristil got the job done last season with 85 combined tackles and 12 pass defenses. He also had four interceptions — up from the two he had as a rookie in 2024.
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Washington drafted Sainristil as a slot cornerback. But he’s played a variety of spots in the team’s secondary because of injuries the past two seasons.
What started out as a necessary, though, might become a strength for the Commanders under new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. The new coordinator has stressed Sainristil learn his entire defense for this fall.
The more places where Sainristil can line up, the potentially more confusing it will be for opposing offenses.
“Sainristil’s track record thus far makes him a fit for both inside and outside, which ironically could make him a fit for Jones’ scheme, which will adopt much of Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ philosophies on using multiple fronts to create confusion for offenses,” wrote Commanders.com’s Zach Selby.
The more each defensive player understands the overall concepts of the unit, the better equipped the defense will be too.
“He [Jones] tells everybody in the room, whether you’re a lineman, a linebacker, a DB, just learn the defense as a whole; don’t learn it as a specific position,” said Sainristil. “Because sometimes you’re going to be asked to do multiple, different things. It doesn’t matter who you are. I think everyone has been doing that exact thing and just picking up the defense conceptually.”
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The 25-year-old played nearly twice as many snaps at outside cornerback last season as his rookie campaign. At times, though, Sainristil provided a mixed bag in 2025.
He gave up more catches and yards last season than as a rookie. He also yielded more touchdowns.
Part of why was simply playing more often. But that may have exposed Sainristil a little bit.
He scored lower Pro Football Focus grades across the board in 2025 than the prior season. His PFF coverage grade dropped from 64.5 in 2024 to 52.1.
With more interceptions and pass defenses as well, Sainristil’s playmaking ability was obviously still there. But in a perfect world, the defensive back will combine that playmaking ability with more consistent coverage skills.
Last season, Sainristil played 934 outside cornerbacks snaps. He also had 151 snaps in the slot and 67 snaps at safety.
Sainristil lined up for more snaps in the slot and safety as a rookie.
The Commanders will continue offseason workouts next week from June 2-4. The team will host its mandatory minicamp from June 16-18.
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