Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the most gifted wide receivers in the NFL, and for a brief period this offseason, the Detroit Lions star was the highest-paid player at his position.
Amon-Ra St. Brown’s meteoric rise as the Lions’ WR1 is a huge factor behind their on-field success. Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
It’s easy to see why the Lions signed St. Brown to a four-year, $120 million contract the day before the 2024 NFL Draft began. After all, St. Brown has caught 315 passes for 3,588 yards and 21 touchdowns in his first three seasons, despite being a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
“He’s not just speed,” Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake told Heavy by phone shortly after the Super Bowl. “He’s not just strength. He’s not just hands. You know, he has everything.
“Amon-Ra and Jared Goff do a great job of lining it up each and every Sunday. The biggest thing about him is that he’s smart, too. He’s really smart. He understands his offense, and how the defense is going to attack him. He’s stronger than you think and has a lot more speed than you would think.”
Even with his impressive numbers, St. Brown may be among the more underrated players at his position.
“He reminds me a lot of Hines Ward,” a rival NFC executive told Heavy about St. Brown’s potential. “He’s tough, he’s smart, he can break off big plays after the catch, and he can block. The kid’s just a winner.”
Big Things Ahead for Amon-Ra St. Brown
As the 2024 season approaches, St. Brown’s best football might be ahead of him.
Over at Pro Football Focus, Mason Cameron compiled a list of the top ‘triple-threat’ wide receivers across the league, with St. Brown as one of the headliners.
“Just another point in a series of analytical measures to reinforce the massive extension St. Brown signed this offseason,” Cameron writes for PFF. “In his third season, the All-Pro ranked above the 72nd percentile in all three recorded facets, an incredible feat given his sizable volume. St. Brown amassed the second-most targets in the league this past season yet managed to create open separation on 81.5% of targets and hauled in 51% of his contested targets.
“But where St. Brown really shined was after the catch, finishing above the 84th percentile in yards after catch per reception. His 677 yards after the catch in the regular season were the most at the position, powered by 17 missed tackles forced after the catch.”
With another season of familiarity with quarterback Jared Goff and added attention on Jameson Williams on the opposite perimeter, St. Brown could have even more opportunities to create big plays in 2024.