- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,265,185
- Reaction score
- 59
Just 33 days remain until the New Orleans Saints regular season opener. The Saints are on the road to kick off 2026, traveling to play the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13. Wearing No. 33 for New Orleans is Jonas Sanker, a second-year defensive back.
A third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanker got more playing time than originally anticipated thanks to an injury to Julian Blackmon. He responded pretty well. Now, after the free agent loss of Alontae Taylor, Sanker has even higher expectations in his second year. Here's a closer look at the background of our latest Saints Player of the Day.
At the Covenant School in Virginia, Sanker was a three-star recruit who stayed in-state with his commitment to the University of Virginia. After playing little as a freshman, he'd record an interception and a forced fumble in more action during the 2022 campaign. Sanker was a full-time starter by 2023, with his 107 tackles leading the Cavaliers and 73 solo stops leading the ACC and 3 forced fumbles. He'd lead Virginia again in tackles in 2024, with 9 of those for loss including 2 sacks and an ACC-best 65 solo tackles with an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown. Sanker was a back-to-back first team All-ACC selection in both 2023 and 2024.
New Orleans used their second of two third-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on Sanker. The retirement of Tyrann Mathieu at the beginning of training camp and a season-ending injury to Julian Blackmon on opening week thrust Sanker into a prominent role at safety. He'd respond with a solid season, grabbing 2 interceptions, breaking up 6 passes, recovering a fumble, and recording 3 tackles for loss among 80 total stops. He struggled a bit down the stretch in deep coverage, but was consistently sound all year as a tackler and in run support.
With the departure of Alontae Taylor, Jonas Sanker will be given the first shot at filling his responsibilities in the defense. Sanker will have to show vast improvements in coverage, but could prove to be a disruptive blitzer and should flourish around the line of scrimmage. How the second-year defensive back adjusts to his new role will help determine the success of the 2026 New Orleans defense.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Jonas Sanker is the Saints Player of Day 33
Continue reading...
A third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanker got more playing time than originally anticipated thanks to an injury to Julian Blackmon. He responded pretty well. Now, after the free agent loss of Alontae Taylor, Sanker has even higher expectations in his second year. Here's a closer look at the background of our latest Saints Player of the Day.
- Name (age): Jonas Sanker (23)
- Hometown: Charlottesville, Va.
- Position: Safety
- Height, weight: 6-foot-1, 206 pounds
- College: Virginia Cavaliers
- Relative Athletic Score: 9.54
- Drafted: Round 3, 93rd overall in 2025 (Saints)
- NFL experience: 1 year
- 2026 salary cap hit: $1.42 million
At the Covenant School in Virginia, Sanker was a three-star recruit who stayed in-state with his commitment to the University of Virginia. After playing little as a freshman, he'd record an interception and a forced fumble in more action during the 2022 campaign. Sanker was a full-time starter by 2023, with his 107 tackles leading the Cavaliers and 73 solo stops leading the ACC and 3 forced fumbles. He'd lead Virginia again in tackles in 2024, with 9 of those for loss including 2 sacks and an ACC-best 65 solo tackles with an interception and a fumble return for a touchdown. Sanker was a back-to-back first team All-ACC selection in both 2023 and 2024.
New Orleans used their second of two third-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on Sanker. The retirement of Tyrann Mathieu at the beginning of training camp and a season-ending injury to Julian Blackmon on opening week thrust Sanker into a prominent role at safety. He'd respond with a solid season, grabbing 2 interceptions, breaking up 6 passes, recovering a fumble, and recording 3 tackles for loss among 80 total stops. He struggled a bit down the stretch in deep coverage, but was consistently sound all year as a tackler and in run support.
With the departure of Alontae Taylor, Jonas Sanker will be given the first shot at filling his responsibilities in the defense. Sanker will have to show vast improvements in coverage, but could prove to be a disruptive blitzer and should flourish around the line of scrimmage. How the second-year defensive back adjusts to his new role will help determine the success of the 2026 New Orleans defense.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Jonas Sanker is the Saints Player of Day 33
Continue reading...
