Amon-Ra St. Brown impressing in camp for Detroit Lions

Amon-Ra St. Brown is setting himself apart from the pack in his first training camp with the Detroit Lions.

Amon-Ra St. Brown has been maybe the Lions' best receiver in camp, per reports

NO way he should have fallen to the 100s … just no way, imo

5+ catches in 16 of his final 17 college games and only three career games with fewer than 3 catches.

— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) August 10, 2021

St. Brown has been the Lions’ best receiver throughout camp, according to Ed Edholm of Yahoo Sports. The former USC Trojan was drafted by Detroit in the fourth round, 112th overall.

Surprisingly, St. Brown was the 17th receiver taken in the NFL Draft. While it may have been disheartening for the wide receiver to fall so far, the Lions were counting their lucky stars he made it to them.

While at USC, St. Brown saw an impressive volume of passes go his way. The wide receiver had five or more catches in 16 of his 17 final games of his college career, while also only having three career games with fewer than three catches, per Edholm. 

In 2019, St. Brown broke out to the tune of 77 receptions, totalling 1,042 receiving yards and 6 receiving touchdowns. In a shortened 2020, he tallied 478 yards and 7 touchdown receptions on 41 receptions. All in all, impressive numbers for the highly-talented receiver.

Detroit Lions begging for a breakout wide receiver

In 2021, perhaps no team is undergoing a bigger changing of the guard than the Lions. The franchise cleaned house this offseason, hiring Dan Campbell as their head coach and gifting Matthew Stafford a trade to the Los Angeles Rams.

Entering at quarterback for the foreseeable future is Jared Goff, the maligned former first-overall selection in the NFL Draft. While he did bring the Rams to the Super Bowl in the past, the franchise shipping him out proves they believe he’s to blame for their offensive struggles of late.

Unfortunately, Goff leaves behind two of the most talented receivers in the entire league. Robert Woods has been tremendous for Sean McVay’s offense since joining Los Angeles, while Cooper Kupp developed into one of the league’s most reliable targets.

Now, Goff enters a situation where his new crop of receivers are unheralded. Leading the way are veterans Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman, with players like Geronimo Allison and Khalif Raymond looking to carve out roles.

As the Lions beg for a playmaker to rise from the ashes, look no further than St. Brown.

Amon-Ra St. Brown wants to be the Dennis Rodman of the Lions

As Campbell tries to bring an edge to the Lions in his first season in Detroit, St. Brown is providing it. According to Kyle Meinke of Michigan Live, the rookie receiver has been realizing his head coach’s vision through bringing a Dennis Rodman-like energy.

For example, Meinke tells the story of St. Brown’s scuffles in camp with defensive backs Jeff Okudah and Ifeati Melifonwu. Instead of backing down, St. Brown craved contact, wanting the opportunity to go out and perform against the best the team had to offer.

St. Brown’s been one of the hardest working players at his first camp, trying to make an impression in his rookie season. As a fourth-round selection with a chip on his shoulder, Rodman may be the perfect inspiration for the receiver. 

“For me, just going out there, playing my game, doing what I do – making plays, catching the ball, blocking hard, and just going out there and being myself,” St. Brown said, per Meinke. “Not thinking too much. This is my first NFL training camp, so you hear these stories, ‘It gets tough, this, that and the other,’ so for me, I’m just going out there and trying to do my thing and show the coaches what I can do.”

If Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to bring the same energy all season long, the Detroit Lions got a steal in the former USC Trojan.

Image courtesy of Leon Halip / Getty Images