Saints Sanker Shines in Rookie Season

After being selected in the third round (#93 overall) from Virginia, Sanker stepped into a larger role than expected after Julian Blackmon suffered a season-ending injury in the opener. The 23-year-old safety started the final 16 games, playing 89% of the team's defensive snaps.

Sanker finished with 80 total tackles (46 solo), 3 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions. He showed excellent range and instincts as a deep safety, though his tackling was somewhat inconsistent down the stretch. Despite these minor issues, Sanker proved to be a major factor in the Saints' defense ranking 4th against the pass and 9th overall.