2 second-year Commanders dubbed as breakout candidates by NFL analyst

The Washington Commanders‘ 2021 draft class was extremely uninspiring as rookies. While fourth-round tight end John Bates asserted himself as a people-mover in the running game and a reliable outlet as a pass-catcher, the rest of the class left a lot to be desired, including first-round pick Jamin Davis.

The good news? Most of the players from that class are turning in an impressive training camp, seemingly indicating they’re in for a big Year 2. Those sophomores include Benjamin St-Juste, Dyami Brown, Darrick Forrest, who might be the lead candidate for the Buffalo nickel position, and receiver Dax Milne.

While the Commanders have enough talent scattered throughout the rest of the roster to win games — and maybe even make the playoffs — one (or several) of these players stepping up this year would really elevate the team’s ceiling.

That begs the question of which players from the 2021 class have the best chance of breaking out? If you asked Rivers McCown of Football Outsiders, he’d dub St-Juste and Brown as the most likely candidates.

Could Commanders second-year players Benjamin St-Juste and Dyami Brown have a coming out party in 2022?

In the article (subscription required), McCown put together a list of the NFL’s top “under-the-radar prospects” who could break out in 2022. Amid his encouraging offseason, St-Juste checked in at No. 13 of 25 players.

"” . . . The confidence to throw St-Juste outside in Week 1 of last season and hang with him through his ups and downs likely tells us a lot about how much Washington believes in this third-round pick,” McCown said of St-Juste.The Commanders didn’t draft another corner, nor did they bring in a backup plan other than last year’s solution, 2018 UDFA Danny Johnson. St-Juste will have every opportunity to make an impact in his second season, and if he can get coached up and cap some of his weaknesses, he could be a fixture outside in the NFL."

Tough to argue with those points. Throughout the pre-draft process, the Commanders were linked with a plethora of cornerbacks; “Sauce” Gardner, Derek Stingley and Trent McDuffie, each of whom went in Round 1, chief among them. The fact Washington didn’t take a cornerback until Round 7 (Christian Holmes) and didn’t sign one in free agency is a testament to their conviction in the Minnesota product.

St-Juste could prove to be a weapon defending the slot. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds and boasting legit lateral quickness, the second-year corner has the desired traits to cover small, shifty receivers (he’s looked the part against Jahan Dotson at camp) as well as big-bodied wideouts and tight ends.

Here’s what McCown said of Brown.

"Brown’s rookie season in Washington was something of a missed opportunity, with injuries limiting his effectiveness and a poor deep passing game keeping him from unlocking his best traits. He also was blanketed on many routes and will need to improve his ability to get open against NFL coverages and body types. As the Commanders season dwindled, Brown was a complete nonfactor, drawing only five targets from Week 7 on.But the big leap for most players is Year 1 to Year 2, and the situation in front of Brown hasn’t exactly settled. Most of the reason to believe in him comes from his prospect profile rather than his first season in the NFL, but he still has a chance."

Yes, Brown’s rookie year was a major disappointment, but we’re interested to see how the former UNC star performs with a better quarterback. As McCown notes, Brown averaged 20.0 yards per catch in 2019 and 2020 for the Tar Heels and Carson Wentz’s efficiency on deep balls could bring out the best in him.

Of course, Washington didn’t draft Brown to be a one-trick pony. He needs to become a threat in the intermediate passing game. That will keep defense’s honest, which will help unlock the occasional splash play.

This is a huge year for the 22-year-old, who’s now part of a loaded receiver room and will have to make the most of his targets. As McCown says though, there’s plenty of reasons to believe he’ll burst onto the scene this year. He’s not the first touted rookie to disappoint in Year 1 and he definitely won’t be the last.