2025 NFL Draft Profile: Jonas Sanker, Virginia

Jonas Sanker 2025 NFL Draft Profile

College: Virginia

Position: Safety

Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia

Class: Senior

Measures

Height: 6’ 0”

Weight: 206 pounds

Arm Length: 32 1/4 inches

Hand Size: 9 3/4 inches

Combine Results

40-yard dash: 4.48

10-yard Split: 1.51 seconds

Vertical Jump: 36 1/2 inches

Broad Jump: 10’ 8”

Bench Press: 12 reps

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2025 NFL Draft: Jonas Sanker Scouting Profile

Jonas Sanker goes into the 2025 NFL Draft as a productive three-year starter at Virginia with high passion and energy. He has the size and strength to play downhill and is a willing participant with his high tackle count with the Cavaliers. Sanker has the range to play all over the field, but he needs some work at taking better angles to the ball. He can match up against tight ends and slot receivers in man coverage, has instinctive eyes, and has the closing ability to make plays in zone coverage. His eyes sometimes do wander in the backfield a little bit too much.

Sanker was a Class of 2021 three-star recruit by ESPN and the other recruiting outlets, played running back, quarterback, and safety at the Covenant School in Charlottesville. He played nine games as a reserve as a freshman but broke out as a sophomore when he started nine games and recorded 693 tackles and an interception. Sanker made First Team All-ACC in each of his last two seasons at Virginia, recording 205 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 15 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, one interception, and a blocked kick.

Strengths

• Prototype measurable and frame.
• Highly active in the box as a run defender
• Wil hit his target with authority coming through the run alleys.
• Possesses good route anticipation in both man and zone coverage.
• Closing burst to his target is a plus in coverage and in the box.
• Will be a special teams gunner early in his career.

Weaknesses

• He will have a tendency to run into bigger blockers instead of running around them while playing in the box.
• He will take poor pursuit angles to the runner.
• He has a habit of staring into the backfield too much and loses focus on his coverage responsibilities.
• Can be susceptible to play-action passes with his over-aggressiveness on plays or when he loses focus.

NFL Comparison: 

Bryan Cook, Kansas City Chiefs

Potential Team Fits

Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Draft Projection

Day Two (Fourth-Fifth Round)

Last Word on Jonas Sanker:

Jonas Sanker is a prospect who is being flown under the radar in the 2025 NFL Draft, especially for a player who played in a Power Four conference. He can play in the box; his coverage skills aren’t fundamentally lacking, he has the measurables, he has high football character, and he can play special teams. I believe that playing at Virginia and not playing a bunch of marquees may have affected his stock a little bit, but I think some team will be getting a steal in the upcoming draft. All in all, if Sanker can clean up some of those roadblocks with coaching, do not be surprised if he winds up in a Pro Bowl sooner rather than later.