2 weeks Ago
With the 93rd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints selected Jonas Sanker, safety, from the University of Virginia. Selected in the third round, Sanker was the fifth safety drafted, with Malaki Starks (Georgia), Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina), Andrew Mukuba (Texas), and Kevin Winston Jr. (Penn State) having their names called before him.
In his collegiate career, Sanker recorded 273 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, two sacks, 17 pass breakups, two interceptions and four forced fumbles. Sanker was named a First-Team All-ACC selection in each of his final two seasons at UVA. Sanker rose onto the scene in 2023, leading the ACC with 6.
1 solo tackles a game. He also led the Hoos in total tackles (107), tackles per game (8.9), pass breakups (11), and forced fumbles (3).
Sanker had the opportunity to declare for the draft in 2023 but opted to return to his hometown school for one final year and did not disappoint. His senior season, Sanker once again lit up the stat sheet, leading Virginia in total tackles (98), unassisted tackles (65), tackles for loss (8.5), and fumble recoveries (2).
One of those two fumble recoveries went for six when Virginia defeated Boston College on October 5th. Sanker also had four pass breakups and an interception, which he recorded in an upset victory on the road against Pittsburgh. His best game of the season came against the eventual national runner-up Notre Dame, where he nabbed 13 tackles (7 solo) and one sack.
In New Orleans, Sanker will join a defensive back room that three-time first-team All-Pro free safety Tyrann Mathieu leads. Other notable players include the projected starting strong safety of Justin Reid, who will join the Saints after three seasons and two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs. For depth, Jordan Howden and Millard Bradford are slotted as the backups at strong safety, while J.
T. Gray is the lone player behind Mathieu. Sanker started every game the last two seasons at free safety, set to serve as a depth piece behind one of the best free safeties in the NFL.
At the NFL Draft Combine, Sanker posted a 4.48 40-yard dash (7th among safeties at the Combine), a 10'8 broad jump (tied for 3rd among safeties), a 36.5" vertical jump (7th among safeties), and a 1.
51-second 10-yard split (tied for 3rd among safeties). In the Saints press release of Sanker's draft pick, they posted this player analysis by NFL.com: "Energetic safety with good production but areas to clean up in his game.
The three-year starter possesses good size and strength with a willingness to play downhill that led to a high tackle count. Sanker is long and rangy but gets himself in trouble with inconsistent pursuit angles. He's adept at matching up against big slot receivers in man and plays with quick, instinctive eyes and a good burst to close in zone.
He gets caught staring into the backfield at times, so his team will need to work on his eye discipline and focus. Sanker's traits and special teams value could lock him into an NFL roster early on and give him a chance to work his way up." This marks the fourth NFL Draft in a row in which a UVA football player has been selected, as Jonas Sanker follows Malik Washington (2024), Dontayvion Wicks (2023), and Jelani Woods (2022).
Sanker is the first Virginia safety to be drafted since 2019 when Juan Thornhill was selected in the second round by the Kansas City Chiefs..
