When the Washington Commanders selected Minnesota cornerback Benjamin St-Juste in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft, many fans said, “Who?”
The 6-foot-3 St-Juste quickly turned heads in his first offseason. During OTAs and through training camp, other defensive players noticed St-Juste and head coach Ron Rivera praised him at every turn.
On more than one occasion, Rivera compared St-Juste to former All-Pro cornerback Charles “Peanut” Tillman. Anytime you receive a comparison like that, others take notice.
Unfortunately, St-Juste’s rookie season was cut short after nine games due to concussions.
In 2022, St-Juste played slot cornerback throughout the offseason. He began the 2022 season inside, but once Washington moved around its secondary and St-Juste moved back to outside cornerback, he looked like a different player. St-Juste was physical, used his length well and competed on every snap with some of the NFL’s best wide receivers, including Justin Jefferson.
St-Juste won his share of those battles.
Again, injuries cut St-Juste’s season short; this time, he missed five games.
The Commanders added cornerback Emmanuel Forbes with a first-round pick in April’s NFL draft, giving them three legitimate starting cornerbacks for 2023.
St-Juste has been standing out in camp early this summer. Is this the year he gets noticed on a national level?
Jarrett Bailey of Touchdown Wire believes so, naming St-Juste to his 2023 NFL All-Breakout team.
St-Juste brings a versatility to the Commanders’ secondary that allows them to move him around and try different things. He spent extended time both on the perimeter and in the slot in 2022. Now, with Emmanuel Forbes coming in to compliment both he and Kendall Fuller, all of these guys are going to make each other better.
St-Juste finished sixth in the NFL in lowest reception percentage in 2022. With added help in the secondary, as well as a more defined role, the Minnesota product could have a breakout year.