2021 NFL Draft: Grading the Washington Football Team’s first four selections
Washington Football Team Draft Grades: DB Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota
This was a big-time upside pick for Washington. It was also probably a bit of a reach. Most mock drafts had St-Juste listed as a Day 3 option, so taking him in the third round was just a little bit early.
That said, Ron Rivera did confirm that one team had tried to trade up for St-Juste, as noted by NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay, so perhaps teams were higher on St-Juste than people realized.
St-Juste was a productive cornerback for the Golden Gophers. He has a strong 6-foot-3 frame and his skill set should allow him to be a good press corner at the next level. He will be able to win with strength but he has enough athleticism to win in coverage.
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There’s also a versatility element with St-Juste. He can play outside at corner but could be a big slot corner if needed. He also did a little bit of safety work during the Senior Bowl, so if Washington really wanted to see what he could do there, they could at least give him a trial run there during camp.
For now, it seems like St-Juste will fight for a starting cornerback job with Jimmy Moreland and if he can’t win that, he’ll have a chance to replace Fabian Moreau as the top backup corner on the team. What he adds is more depth and competition, but if he can continue to grow as a player and fill out his frame, he could become a perfect complement to William Jackson III outside.
There are some concerns with St-Juste. He has had some injury concerns in the past, and that’s part of the reason that he transferred from Michigan to Minnesota. Regardless, the potential is there and the pick fills a need even if the value was a little lacking.