Getty Amon-Ra St. Brown during 2022 Lions training camp.
The Detroit Lions have Ben Johnson in the mix as the team’s new offensive coordinator, and as usual, his success or failure will be determined by the players on the field.
This coming year, the Lions could have a complete rising star at wide receiver in the form of Amon-Ra St. Brown, and it’s clear to the coach that St. Brown is motivated to get himself to the next level.
Speaking with the media on Friday, August 5, Johnson spoke about St. Brown and shared some of the reasons he was impressed with the player. As he explained, St. Brown is committed to improving himself.
.@amonra_stbrown‘s on a mission.
“He’s special, man. He really is. He’s on a mission right now. We talked in the spring about each coach giving each player areas of improvement. He has taken those to heart. You can really see that translate on the field right now,” Johnson told the media. “I talked to him middle of the summer during our off time just seeing how he is doing. He’s like ‘coach, I’m telling you right now, this run after catch, I am all over it.'”
As Johnson explained, St. Brown wanted to improve at run after the catch and seems to have done just that with a hard offseason of work.
“I think you see that every single day on the field, at least I do. Ball gets in his hands, he’s consciously thinking thinking ‘knife up the field, get what I can, break tackles along the way,'” Johnson said. “He has that controlled aggression which for a receiver is rare. It shows up in the run game, his route running, his breaks and it carries over for the rest of the group.”
St. Brown being committed and showing such discipline is huge for the Lions as well as the offense. He is taking his development seriously, and despite a solid 2021 year, not pretending he has everything figured out.
St. Brown Making Big Plays During Camp
What has St. Brown been able to do in order to impress the coaches? It’s been a solid body of work during camp for the player which has included plenty of different plays.
While they might not be highlight-reel busters, St. Brown is still making savvy plays to keep the momentum going ahead of 2022. That happened again on Thursday, August 4 when St. Brown made a solid catch and run behind the defense:
Such plays show what St. Brown is capable of for the Lions. He is getting himself in the right mindset and the right groove ahead of the season starting, and seems to understand his role on the offense.
St. Brown Could Evolve Into Top Wideout
Many folks have wondered if St. Brown can be a true top wideout or if he is merely a player that is capable of doing some nice things, but isn’t anywhere near the level of a top threat.
The reason? St. Brown isn’t exactly the biggest deep threat on the roster and is not a vertical player. He operates mostly in the slot and is much better underneath, which may not allow him to put up the kind of stats that help him to look like a true top wide receiver.
Even though that’s the case, the Lions could still give a lot of looks toward St. Brown for the future, especially if he keeps earning the trust of the coaches with his commitment. So far, it looks as if that’s what he’s been able to get done as Johnson’s words prove.
St. Brown could continue to show what makes him an elite option on the field in a big way, which is what many see him doing this year in Detroit. He’s handling his development like a true pro, which the coaching staff loves.
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Lions Coordinator Proclaims 2nd-Year WR ‘on a Mission’ for 2022