Saints use 3rd-round pick on Sanker

The New Orleans Saints selected Virginia safety Jonas Sanker in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 93rd overall.

He's the Saints' fourth pick this year after offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. (ninth overall), quarterback Tyler Shough (40th), and defensive tackle Vernon Broughton (71st).

Sanker provides immediate depth to a secondary led by a pair of veteran safeties in Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Reid, the latter of whom signed with New Orleans earlier this offseason.

Pre-draft profile

Sanker is an exciting prospect who isn't getting nearly enough attention. He's a smart player who demonstrates good instincts to process the game as a run defender and in pass coverage. He's most impressive when triggering downhill. In the run game, that can lead to some tone-setting stops at the line of scrimmage. In coverage, Sanker often makes sudden breaks on underneath routes to disrupt the catch point. His transitions aren't as smooth as you'd like when he has to turn and run, and his trouble with change of direction could give him some issues mirroring receivers at the top of their routes in man coverage. Sanker is a natural fit as a box defender in a zone-heavy defense, and he could also thrive as a deep safety who can attack plays developing in front of him.