Canal Street Chronicles
When the New Orleans Saints selected Jonas Sanker in the third round of this year’s NFL Draft, there was quick excitement around the safety out of Virginia. Sanker was a versatile talent who would improve the Saints’ struggling run defense and further bolster an already solid safety room. The main concern with the selection was whether Sanker could get on the field right away due to the players the Saints already had. Things changed a bit when it was announced that Tyrann Mathieu was retiring from the NFL, but the Saints immediately went out to sign Julian Blackmon from free agency. To make things a little more complicated, Blackmon has really impressed in practice, and which will probably make it harder for the rookie to start right away, but that has also not stopped Sanker from shining in preseason.
In the first game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sanker was making big plays in run defense and had an extremely impressive pass breakup. It was a good start to the young safety’s career and further confirmed that the Saints made a good selection in the third round. Expecting Sanker to play even better in game two against the Jacksonville Jaguars would have been a bit unrealistic, but that is precisely what ended up happening. Sanker was making great plays against the run, ended the game with 5 tackles, did well against the pass, and had the game-sealing (for a tie) interception on a tip drill.
Although the rookie should have probably gone down so the Saints could kick a field goal, and honestly, it looked like there was still one second left on the clock, Sanker had a fantastic day and continues to shine on every snap.
The New Orleans Saints may have some depth issues throughout their roster, but between Sanker, Howden, Blackmon, and Reid, safety may be the best position group on the team.
