No Detroit Lions WR has caught more passes in his first 2 seasons than Amon-Ra St Brown
The 2021 NFL draft had the potential to go down as one of the most pass-happy classes in league history, with four pass-catchers — Kyle Pitts (a tight end), Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith (the reigning Heisman Trophy winner!) — going in the top 10 picks.
But it’s a fourth-round pick who’s proving to be the gem of the class, at least in the eyes of the Detroit Lions: Amon-Ra St. Brown, the 112th overall pick and the 17th WR drafted in 2021, is rewriting the Lions’ record books over his first two seasons. And that’s despite just six catches over his first three games. But his fourth game saw him snag six passes for 70 yards, and his march toward history was on its way. Here’s how St. Brown’s two-season totals compare to the rest of the franchise’s wideouts, as well as the NFL’s greatest:
Receptions
Franchise rank: through two seasons: 1st.
HOW WILL THEY DO? Lions finally get it done: Dave Birkett's game-by-game picks for 2023 season
Among the Lions: No Detroit player has caught more passes in his first two seasons combined than St. Brown, with 196, and it’s not even close; Calvin Johnson had 70 fewer in 2007-08. In fact, St. Brown could go without a catch this season and still own the Lions’ record for most catches over the first three seasons, as Johnson added 67 in his third season to get to 193. (Also, a shoutout to James Jones, who hauled in 123 passes in his first two seasons as a fullback with the Lions in 1983-84. He also completed three of seven pass attempts under coach Monte Clark.)
Against the NFL: St. Brown has to settle for a tie for first in NFL history, with Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson in2020-21 and New Orleans’ Michael Thomas in 2016-17. Jefferson raised the bar a bit in his third season last year, however, with 128 catches for a three-season total of 324; that topped Thomas’ three-season record by three catches.
Yards
Franchise rank through two seasons: 2nd
Among the Lions: Despite his lead in catches, St. Brown comes in 14 yards behind Megatron in Lions history. They’re both well ahead of No. 3 on the franchise leaderboard, Germain Crowell, who had 1,802 yards receiving in 1998-99. If St. Brown can come close to duplicating his 2022 total of 1,161 yards though, he’ll zip by Johnson, who had 3,071 yards over his first three seasons; St. Brown needs just 999 yards to take the lead. (He might want to start building up a cushion vs. Johnson, as the Hall of Famer went off in Years 5-6, with 3,645 yards in 2011-12.)
JEFF SEIDEL: Why I'm picking the Detroit Lions to beat the Chiefs: 13 reasons we will see an upset
Against the NFL: Even with breaking the 1,000-yard barrier last season, St. Brown came up well short in yards; his two-year sum ranks just 28th, 943 yards less than Justin Jefferson’s 3,016 (which is nearly 300 better than Odell Beckham Jr.’s No. 2 total of 2,755 yards). Still, St. Brown has some decent company, with more yards in his first two seasons than Hall of Famers such as Isaac Bruce (2,053) and James Lofton (1,786).
Receiving touchdowns
Franchise rank through two seasons: 6th.
Among the Lions: St. Brown’s steady production — five TDs as a rookie, then six last season — leaves him in sixth place in franchise history, well off the franchise mark of 16 shared by, yep, Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams (2004-05). St. Brown probably doesn’t have a shot at taking the franchise lead in his third season, either; Cloyce Box, who had 15 TDs in 1949-50, exploded for 15 in 1952 alone to grab a seven-touchdown lead against the rest of the franchise’s receivers. (He caught just two more the rest of his career with the Lions — but that was just two years.)
Against the NFL: St. Brown ranks just 166th here. Surprisingly though, this is one mark that Justin Jefferson doesn’t have. He ranks 25th with 17 TDs — one more than Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (1985-86), but 12 fewer than the 29 Bill Groman caught for the Houston Oilers in 1960-61, the early years of the AFL. (Though, if you’re a strict NFL’er, then Randy Moss holds the first-two-seasons mark with 28 TDs from 1998-99.)
First-down receptions
Franchise rank through two seasons: 1st.
Among the Lions: No Detroit receiver has been better at moving them, well, “Forward Down the Field” than St. Brown (though pro-football-reference’s database only goes back to 1993). His 116 catches for first down smoke Calvin Johnson’s 90 and are 53 more than the No. 3 receiver on the list, Kenny Golladay (73 from 2017-18). Unlike his receptions total, St. Brown will need at least a few first downs this season to stay ahead of the pack; Johnson has the highest three-season total, at 136, followed by Roy Williams at 131.
CARLOS MONARREZ: These 7 games will determine whether Lions will be good, great or bad
Against the NFL: Again, we’re only covering 30 seasons or so, but St. Brown stacks up pretty well here; he’s fifth, and not that far off the leaders — Justin Jefferson and Michael Thomas, at 133. OBJ’s here, too, at 126, and then St. Brown’s 2021 draftmate, Jaylen Waddle, checks in with 119 first downs for the Dolphins. (Jefferson is alone in first place for the three-season total, by the way, with 213.)
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Amon-Ra St. Brown is unlike any other Detroit Lions wide receiver
