Splash Plays Could Vault 'Impressive' Benjamin St-Juste Into Packers' Starting Lineup
If what you do on the practice field translates to games, the 6'3" cornerback could wind up being a bargain.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — One way to cement yourself as a fixture in the secondary is to make a splash on the practice field, and Benjamin St-Juste appears to have gotten the memo.
The 28-year-old has flipped between seeing work with the Green Bay Packers’ first and second-team defenses, but his defining moment—so far—came in 11-on-11 drills Friday. St-Juste jumped a Tyrod Taylor pass on third-and-7, snatched the ball out of the air before it could find Savion Williams’ awaiting hands, and returned it for what would’ve likely been a pick-six in an authentic game environment. It was the second pick-six for the Packers’ new defense headlined by coordinator Jonathan Gannon, the first courtesy of undrafted rookie Marlon Jones on Wednesday.
“He’s an intriguing guy for sure,” said head coach Matt LaFleur ahead of Sunday’s practice. The 6’3” St-Juste, who signed a two-year deal with the Packers in March worth $10 million, is the tallest player at the position on the roster. The next-closest is 6’1” Kamal Hadden.
His frame alone is enough for the Packers to be enamored with what he could provide a cornerback room that could undeniably use a spark. He’s an anomaly in a room whose starters last season were all sub-six-foot.
“You just don’t see many corners that look like him,” continued LaFleur. “I’ve been super impressed with the person. The day he came in here, you can tell he’s a really mature guy. He has a family—two kids—and he’s just a smart guy. He’s picked it up pretty fast.”
St-Juste was brought aboard to fortify a lowly group that didn’t exactly conclude the 2025 campaign on a high note. Keisean Nixon surrendered 15 receptions for 200 yards and three touchdowns over his last five contests to end the season, and Carrington Valentine missed seven tackles in as many games to finish his third season in Green Bay. Valentine was even benched at one point in favor of Hadden, but that was short-lived after Hadden sustained a gruesome ankle injury in the Packers’ Dec. 27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Both players, who have been the Packers’ primary starters for the last two seasons, needed competition—competition is best for all parties involved. That’s why the Packers spent a pair of draft picks on Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson in the second and fifth rounds, respectively, and signed MJ Devonshire Jr. and St-Juste in free agency.
A Canadian native, St-Juste is a former third-round pick of the Washington Commanders. Days before that, St-Juste was drafted in the third round of the Canadian Football League draft by the Toronto Argonauts.
“He’s from Canada, he likes to tell everybody that,” Nixon said in jest after Thursday’s practice. “Nobody really cares.”
St-Juste spent four seasons with the Commanders and matched up with LaFleur’s Packers in back-to-back seasons to begin his career, logging seven tackles in two games. During his time playing under three different defensive coordinators, St-Juste intercepted one pass in 45 starts, defended 34 passes, forced four fumbles, three sacks, and accumulated 206 total tackles.
He signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers last spring and, by all accounts, put together his best season to date. Opposing quarterbacks completed 47.5 percent of their passes into St-Juste's coverage, and he surrendered just a single touchdown—a career low. He also secured the second of his two career interceptions, as well as three pass break-ups and a passer rating of 60.9. St-Juste played in 16 games for the Chargers, as well as in their Wild Card loss to the New England Patriots, but he wasn't a full-time starter. He served as a backup behind primary cornerbacks Cam Hart and Donte Jackson.
St-Juste may be staring into a similar role in Green Bay; it’s likely that he won’t be on the field in anything other than a rotational capacity. The Packers remain committed to Nixon—even amid contract negotiations—but the job on the opposite boundary is up for grabs. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for the Packers to defer to what they know in Valentine, or perhaps Cisse makes a first-year leap into a starting job. Pads don’t come on until Monday, and the first preseason game is still 11 days away; take all observations with a grain of salt.