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Rick Spielman gives Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown the biggest praise he's gotten

The Detroit Lions have an elite player in Amon-Ra St. Brown, but it's possible he has never been given the kind of praise he recently from former general manager Rick Spielman.

By Max DeMara

Megan Briggs/GettyImages
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The Detroit Lions have a bonafide star in Amon-Ra St. Brown, as he has become one of the best wide receivers in the league and one of the best young players at any position in the league.

Former general manager Jeff Diamond recently unveiled his ranking of the best players under age 25 in the NFL, and five Lions were included. Diamond had St. Brown in the No. 9 spot, second among Lions after Penei Sewell.

"Amon-Ra St. Brown is a great success story. A fourth-round pick in 2021, he developed into a two-time Pro Bowler and First-team All-Pro last season. He deservedly received a $30 million per year extension this offseason from a Detroit team that has committed big money to keep its top players. He ranked third in the league with 1,515 receiving yards last season on 117 receptions with 10 touchdowns as a vital member of the Lions’ second-ranked passing offense."

Rick Spielman: No WR does more for his team than Amon-Ra St. Brown

Taking things a step further, Rick Spielman, a former general manager himself, lauded St. Brown in a video for The 33rd Team where he discussed wide receiver tiers with Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson and Steve Palazzolo.

"To me, he's what makes the Lions. I know the Detroit Lions (have stars) with (Sam) LaPorta, with (Jahmyr) Gibbs, with the way (Jared) Goff has played, but at the receiver position, I don't know that anybody does more for his team than St. Brown does for the Lions."

St. Brown has been durable, but when he has had to miss time, his absence has been noticeable. He also continues to lead by example with his hard work, driven by motivation from being the 17th wide receiver taken in the 2021 draft. He was rewarded as a core player by the Lions this offseason with a nice contract extension that very briefly made him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league based on annual average.

Spielman's point seemed rooted in things St. Brown does not only on, but off the field. It's impossible to argue against the sentiment.

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