Washington Football Team: Third-round picks impressing early

Washington Football Team CB Benjamin St-Juste

Out of the two third-round draft picks, and in Washington’s draft in general, St-Juste had less buzz than others with his selection. The wide receiver position generally brings more excitement with some fans, and Brown also filled a clear need.

With St-Juste, it was rather murky what need he filled. Washington had already spent a lot of money at the position, signing William Jackson III to pair with Kendall Fuller. Both are rather cemented as the starting outside corners. And Jimmy Moreland very quietly had a quality season in 2020 as the team’s starting nickel corner.

So some analysts and fans were unsure of where St-Juste was going to play. Could he be potentially moved to safety? Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio debunked that theory quickly, saying St-Juste would be played at cornerback.

So far, that seems like a solid decision, as St-Juste has been impressive to this point. St-Juste had multiple pass deflections throughout the practices, including one against Terry McLaurin. He promptly proceeded to stare down the star receiver after the play.

It is also easy to see why Rivera liked St-Juste when he is interviewed. St-Juste has a high football character, similar to that of the star players for Washington. His character alone should allow him to stick around in the NFL for a while.

In the Mic’d Up video on Washington Football Team’s Youtube with defensive backs coach Chris Harris, Harris raved about the job St-Juste (or “Juice”, as he calls him) was doing. After a play where St-Juste deflects a pass intended for Dyami Brown, defensive captain Chase Young can be seen telling Harris “I like him!”

So where does St-Juste fit on Washington’s defense? If St-Juste continues to perform well and proves it during live action in the preseason, it could be expected that there could be some packages with St-Juste on the outside and Kendall Fuller on the inside.

Washington seems to want to run more press coverage. The signing of William Jackson pointed to that, as Jackson is best as a press-man corner. St-Juste also happens to excel at that skill set. If Washington can get quality play from St-Juste, that can allow them to play more press coverage behind that elite defensive line. And then they can use Kendall Fuller’s versatility to move all around the secondary, as well as sprinkle in Jimmy Moreland, who is very capable as well.

That is where fans can expect St-Juste to fill in: The outside boundary corner as a press-man corner in some situations. He could also be moved around some as well; his short-area quickness and his willingness to tackle could suit him well at nickel. Of course, he’d will need to beat out Jimmy Moreland as CB3 in training camp, which will be no small task.