Amon-Ra St. Brown has been one of the most productive receivers in the NFL lately, and he was drawn another notable comparison.
Over the last three games, coincidentally or not two of them wins for the Detroit Lions, Amon-Ra St. Brown has 26 receptions for 249 yards and two touchdowns. His 34 catches since Week 11 is tied for fifth in the league over that span.
St. Brown has emerged as the Lions’ No. 1 wide receiver lately, after a mostly disappointing start to his rookie season. A number of factors have combined to allow him to deliver on the idea he was a draft steal in the fourth round last April. His effort and attitude have never been a question since he arrived, and now it’s paying off.
Amon-Ra St. Brown draws another solid comparison
Upon coming to the Lions, Josh Reynolds cited how he didn’t realize St. Brown was a rookie. He also had some nice praise for his new-ish teammate, comparing St. Brown’s skill set and presence to Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods. Reynolds of course played with Woods on the Rams, so he knows of which he speaks.
Some Lions fans, as noted by Kyle Meinke of MLive.com in a recent mailbag piece, want to try to compare St. Brown to Golden Tate despite differences in their games as slot receivers. On Thursday, offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn offered a comp for St. Brown that’s easier to see.
"Oh my goodness, just the way he blocks and Hines was so crafty with his footwork and Saint is learning when to be crafty and when not to be,” Lynn said Thursday. “So, that would be the first comparison I would make.”With his skillset inside, it’s easier for him to be a high-target guy because he blocks so well in the run game,” Lynn said. “So many times, he’s gone in to make a hard block and in the passing he’s going in and they think it’s going to be a hard block and he’s slipping by people getting open. So, it goes hand in hand.”"
Lions OC Anthony Lynn says that Amon-Ra St. Brown reminds him of Hines Ward because of his physicality — especially as a blocker — and his footwork.
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) December 23, 2021
Hines Ward spent all 14 seasons of his NFL career (1998-2011) with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with an even 1,000 receptions and over 12,000 receiving yards in the regular season as well as two Super Bowl rings. He was also well-known for his blocking prowess, at times pushing the boundary of the rules or being called out for being outright dirty by opponents.
St. Brown will continue to draw worthy praise as his rookie season winds down. Who else could he be compared to?