Washington drafts CB Benjamin St-Juste and WR Dyami Brown in round 3
April 30, 2020
by Steve Thomas
Washington selected University of Minnesota corner Benjamin St-Juste with pick 10 of round three, 74th overall, and University of North Carolina receiver Dyami Brown with pick 19, 82nd overall.
St-Juste, who is 6’3” and 200 pounds, is originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and did not learn to speak English until age 17. He began his collegiate career at the University of Michigan, playing 12 games in 2017 before redshirting his 2018 season. He graduated from Michigan in only two years, then transferred to the University of Minnesota for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. In total, he played in 18 games in the 2017, 2019, and 2020 seasons, making a total of 62 tackles, including 50 solo. He did not have an interception. In 2020, St-Juste played in 5 games and made 14 tackles, including 11 solo.
At his pro day, St-Juste ran the 40 yard dash in an unofficial 4.51 seconds, jumped 34.5” in the vertical leap and 9’11” in the standing broad jump, ran the short shuttle in 4.00 seconds, and completed the three cone drill in 6.63 seconds. He is very inexperienced and has limited game time considering that he played three seasons at two different universities. St-Juste’s best advantage is his natural size and length, and the fact that he played in multiple systems in college. He can be physical and can use his size in press-man coverage. Scouts view him as a project who lacks necessary ability to recognize coverages and read the quarterback. St-Juste will also need time to develop NFL-quality technique. Some draft analysts projected him to be a second round pick, whereas others believed he would drop to as low as round 4.
With St-Juste’s size and physical characteristics, his destiny is likely as a boundary corner, assuming he’s not transitioned to safety. The team currently has Kendall Fuller and new arrival William Jackson as the engrained outside starters, with Danny Johnson, Jimmy Moreland, and Greg Stroman as the mostly likely candidates for the role of the third corner on the field. The team also has practice squad-level players DeMarkus Acy, Jordan Brown, and Torry McTyer. St-Juste will have to fight for backup playing time in 2021.
Dyami Brown, is 6’1” and 189 pounds and hails from Charlotte, North Carolina. He spent three years at North Carolina, playing in a total of 32 games, and made 123 receptions for 2,306 yards, 18.7 yards per reception, and 21 touchdowns. In 2020, Brown played 11 games, with 55 receptions for 1,099 yards, 10.0 yards per reception, and 8 touchdowns, and was selected as a Third Team All-American.
Brown ran the 40 yard dash in 4.44 seconds at North Carolina’s pro day. He’s viewed by scouts as being primarily a vertical threat who can track the ball well in the air but who has trouble separating from physical, press-man coverage and lacks sure hands. Brown can be the deep ball specialist that the Redskins Washington has lacked since the departure of Desean Jackson, as he was the Tar Heels’ principal vertical threat. Some scouts see Brown as initially being limited to a certain number of routes while he continues to develop. His body type is probably best suited for the slot, but he has potential to also play on the outside.
Washington currently has a very crowded receiver group. The team has made major improvements since the end of last season, starting with the addition of former Carolina Panther Curtis Samuel. Washington also added former Tennessee Titan Adam Humphries. Samuel will pair with star receiver Terry McLaurin on the outside, with Humphries in the slot. Last year’s “Z” starter, Cam Sims, returns, but will most likely be relegated to a backup role and will have to compete with Kelvin Harmon and 2020 draft choice Antonio Gandy-Golden. 2019 undrafted free agent Steven Sims Jr, and 2020 undrafted free agent Isaiah Wright are both slot-only players and thus will play behind Humphries. Brown will likely initially compete with Humphries, Sims, and Wright for playing time, although Washington’s coaching staff will probably eventually move him around.