During a football camp in Destrahan, Ed Reed gave simple advice to Jonas Sanker ahead his position change. The New Orleans Saints 2025 third round pick is moving from safety to STAR after the departure of Alontae Taylor, and the impact of the move can't be understated.
Reed's advice came down to knowledge and communication. "Switching from that position, you better know your job. You better know the playbook, because you have to communicate. Communication is the key so know your job," Reed told WGNO's Jon Sokoloff.
There’s only so much Reed could say in a short clip, but he did offer more personalized assistance to Sanker prior to the explanation. He told the reporter to tell Sanker to reach out to him. It might have been a slight comment, but Reed is too good of a resource for Sanker not to try. Reed discussed the intelligence required for the position, and you won’t find too many smarter defensive backs in NFL history than the Destrahan native.Â
Experience is the key for Jonas Sanker’s move to STAR
Experience is a bit of a double entendre in relation to Sanker moving from safety to STAR. Both his own experience in the slot as well as the experience of the players behind him should help this transition.Â
The Saints secondary is a tale of two halves in a sense. The front half of the secondary is extremely young. Sanker and Quincy Riley are going into just their second year in the NFL. Kool-Aid McKinstry is stepping into year 3. There’s a lot of potential but it’s still a young group of players.Â
The safeties are a different story. Justin Reid is going into Year 9, and Blackmon has six seasons under his belt. Having those experienced players in the back half should help with communication.
The communication throughout the secondary is something Sanker is banking on.Â
Sanker also has experience in the slot. During his time in Virginia, he played in the slot frequently. It was his primary alignment when first started to see significant playing time. While he’s moved to safety since, playing close to the line of scrimmage isn’t anything new to him.
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