He obviously has a place on the list, but where does Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown land on ESPN's list of the biggest draft steals from the last decade?
When the Detroit Lions took Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, it wasn't difficult to see it as a potential steal after he posted 178 catches over three seasons at USC. In a thin Lions' wide receiver corps, he certainly had a level of immediate opportunity in front of him.
After a nice rookie season, St. Brown did even better last year with 106 receptions for 1,161 yards despite missing one whole game and being limited by injury in a couple others. His 196 receptions over the last two seasons are the eighth-most in the league over that span.
Not bad for the 17th wide receiver taken in that 2021 draft. And as we know, St. Brown knows the names of all 16 who were taken before him. Most of the teams that passed on him for another receiver now surely regret it.
ESPN draft analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid (subscription required) have collaborated on a list of the top 50 draft steals from the 10 drafts prior to this year (2013-2022). Two former Lions, Darius Slay and Quandre Diggs, are on the list.
Where does Amon-Ra St. Brown land on list of biggest draft steals from 2013-2022?
St. Brown comes in at No. 48 on the list.
"St. Brown followed up a 912-yard rookie season by surpassing 1,000 receiving yards and becoming the No. 1 option in Detroit in Year 2. Not bad for a fourth-rounder. Working primarily out of the slot, the USC product is an electric pass-catcher who is a key building block for an ascending roster.""
At a glance, there seems to be a case for St. Brown to be higher on the list. But only having a two-year resume seems to be a factor there, compared to others who are higher. Any re-do in a couple years will surely have the "Sun God" a little higher on a list of draft steals over the previous decade.