It took him a little time to get rolling, but Amon-Ra St. Brown rode the lightning and thundered into national recognition for his strong play in the final third of the season. The Lions rookie wideout cracked into the top 25 wideouts of the 2021 season as chosen by Pro Football Focus.
After just 39 catches in the first 11 games, St. Brown exploded with 51 in the final six, catching at least eight in every game. PFF noted the Lions’ fourth-rounder blew away nearly all the competition in his thunderous finish to his first NFL season,
St. Brown went from fourth-round pick to a top-25 wide receiver in one year. Over the last six weeks of the regular season, he ranked third in PFF grade at the position — behind only Cooper Kupp and Davante Adams. While he may not have been beating press-man coverage on the outside, St. Brown did an excellent job finding soft spots in zone from the slot. He also didn’t drop a pass from Week 3 onward and caught half of his contested opportunities.
It’s worth noting that none of the three prominent wideouts the Lions let go after last season — Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola — are anywhere to be found on PFF’s list. Green Bay’s Davante Adams captured the top honor.
