Were Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown disrespected on list of top NFL QB-WR duos?

Despite a slow start to his rookie season, Amon-Ra St. Brown has been one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL over the last three seasons. That high level of performance has him lined up to become one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the league with his looming contract extension this offseason.

Another big priority for the Detroit Lions this offseason is a contract extension for quarterback Jared Goff, who is also entering the final season of his current deal. No longer the bridge quarterback in Detroit, he has been a top-10 performer among his peers for the better part of the last two seasons. That said, the price of a new deal for Goff is only going up and the big free agent deal a now-former divisional peer got may have complicated matters.

Regardless, St. Brown and Goff are core players for the Lions and neither one is going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

Where do Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown rank among top NFL QB-WR duos?

With the added (and unnecessary?) premise of "heading into the 2024 NFL Draft", Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report has ranked the top-10 quarterback-wide receiver duos in the NFL.

Goff and St. Brown are on the list, of course, but where do they rank?

After three honorable mentions (Patrick Mahomes-Rashee Rice; Derek Carr-Chris Olave; C.J. Stroud-Nico Collins), here's how the list starts, counting down from No. 10.

10. Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans
9. Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua
8. Geno Smith and DK Metcalf
7. Brock Purdy and Brandon Aiyuk

Goff and St. Brown land at No. 6.

Wideouts who see most of their targets out of the slot rarely earn mention as part of a top quarterback-receiver tandem......Amon-Ra St. Brown has established three years of consistency with quarterback Jared Goff, seen an increase in production across multiple receiving categories every year and put together an All-Pro campaign in 2023.

In Detroit, Goff, 29, has become a more efficient quarterback, with higher completion rates and lower interception rates than he had in Los Angeles thanks in part to St. Brown's playmaking ability out of the slot and on the boundary.....Goff's longevity with St. Brown pushes them above Brock Purdy and Brandon Aiyuk."

A piece of something Mouton wrote about St. Brown might become fresh bulletin board material for the "Sun God."

"The 2021 fourth-rounder doesn't beat defenders over the top for big plays often, but he's one of the league's most reliable down-to-down receivers inside and outside the red zone."

Any issue with the ranking of Goff and St. Brown has to have the context of who came in above them. So here's the rest of the list, starting at No. 5.

5. Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown
4. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs
3. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb
2. Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill
1. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase

It's hard to argue with Burrow and Chase at No. 1, based on Mouton's general criteria to move the rankings (longevity and high-end production). Hill has clearly boosted Tagovailoa big-time, and they got the nod over the longer-tenured tandems they closely bested (Allen-Diggs, Prescott-Lamb).

Ultimately, it seems Goff and St. Brown were knocked down as a duo because St. Brown garners the brunt of his targets out the slot. But Lamb also lines up in the slot a lot, and per Pro Football Focus' data St. Brown actually had a few more snaps lined up outside than in the slot last season. On sheer pass play snaps, the gap between St. Brown's outside and slot snaps (number and percentage) narrowed compared to 2022.

Goff and St, Brown may have a case to be higher on this list, but No. 6 ultimately isn't too bad.