49ers NFL Draft needs: CB Benjamin St-Juste a perfect fit

The 2021 49ers NFL Draft plans are likely going to include at least one cornerback, and Minnesota’s Benjamin St-Juste would be an ideal target.

Last season despite it being a pretty clear need, the San Francisco 49ers NFL Draft class didn’t include a cornerback despite the knowledge their top starter, Richard Sherman, was entering a contract year and fellow corner Jason Verrett was coming off an injury stretch where he appeared in only six regular-season games between 2016 and 2019.

Sherman, 32 years old, is unlikely to return in 2021. And Verrett, too, is a free agent although figures to be a bigger offseason target for the Niners.

Those two comprise a class of pending free-agent cornerbacks that also include Ahkello Witherspoon, Dontae Johnson, K’Waun Williams and Jamar Taylor. Even if San Francisco is able to retain two or three of its defensive backs, it’s also highly likely the 49ers NFL Draft efforts this April won’t pass up on a cornerback again.

While top names like Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley and Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II are possibilities in Round 1, where the Niners currently hold the No. 12 overall pick, Minnesota’s Benjamin St-Juste has been a riser in San Francisco draft circles.

And it appears as if the 49ers already showed some interest, at least according to The Draft Wire’s Justin Melo, who cited St-Juste as having a “great connection” with some teams at the 2021 Senior Bowl including the 49ers:

https://twitter.com/JustinM_NFL/status/1361407232122978308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1361407232122978308%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.49erswebzone.com%2Farticles%2F144759-benjamin-st-juste-felt-great-connection-49ers-senior-bowl%2F

St-Juste, a transfer from Michigan to Minnesota, hasn’t necessarily puffed up the stat sheet. Over 18 games played between the two schools, he’s logged 62 total tackles, 11 passes broken up but with zero interceptions.

Yet his work at the Senior Bowl certainly caught some notice.

Why 49ers NFL Draft big board should include Benjamin St-Juste

There are a few notable reasons why St-Juste should be in consideration for the 49ers NFL Draft plans.

For starters, his 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame embodies the long, lanky defensive backs the Niners have historically preferred on the boundary, Sherman being a primary example.

Like Sherman, St-Juste won’t be able to rely on top-end speed. Instead, however, St-Juste has the press ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage while also being able to rely on his larger frame to break up passes at the point of the catch.

Factor in a would-be fit in a zone-style offense, and it’s not hard to see why San Francisco would be interested.

Especially looking at The Draft Network’s profile on him:

"Benjamin St-Juste is a long-bodied cornerback who shows some promise as a perimeter cornerback. St-Juste isn’t the most dynamic athlete and he doesn’t appear to be a universal prospect, but his skill set and length will be attractive to either press-man heavy defenses or alternative deep third coverages."

It’s hard to gauge exactly where St-Juste winds up being selected this April. His promising efforts at the Senior Bowl surely upped his stock from a likely late day-three selection perhaps into the fringes of Rounds 3 or 4, depending on how teams view his value.

Yet the 49ers could be viewing that value as more essential to their defensive scheme, which prioritizes the big-bodied boundary corners who can excel in zone-style coverages.

St-Juste has that capability.

And with players like Sherman, Witherspoon and possibly even Verrett leaving this offseason, putting in the work to scout and hopefully develop St-Juste could go a long way.