Getty Amon-Ra St. Brown congratulates Josh Reynolds during a 2021 Lions game against Arizona.
The Detroit Lions watched as wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown broke out down the stretch of the 2021 season, but lingering in the back of everyone’s mind is a big question for 2022.
Can he do it once again?
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Sophomore slumps are often an unfortunate reality in the NFL for players, and heading into his second year in the league, St. Brown will be thought of as a potential victim for that fate until he proves it on the field once again.
There’s good news, though, and it revolves around the fact that many see St. Brown as an easy candidate for yet another breakout on the field this coming year. Pro Football Focus is one such publication. PFF writer Kevin Cole took a closer look at pegging wideouts primed for a fantasy football breakout on the field based on comparing them to similar players, and St. Brown came out quite nicely.
As Cole explained within his analysis, the way St. Brown performed down the stretch lends itself to confidence that he can get it done once again. Cole revealed that within the methodology, St. Brown now compares to the likes of Cooper Kupp, Michael Thomas, Keenan Allen and Jarvis Landry. That’s a who’s who of some of the best wideouts the last few seasons.
Cole concluded, “the big question for St. Brown is how well his late-season peak will hold up with healthier target competition this season. Those concerns are real but also baked into St. Brown’s ADP, which gives plenty of upside potential with the high probability of a second-year breakout.”
Competition or not from his Lions peers at wideout, St. Brown figures to have worked his way into the conversation as Detroit’s top player at the position, which could ensure he continues to see lots of play as a receiver and increases chances of another big season on the field.
Already, that’s what some folks are thinking St. Brown will be primed to show this season.
St. Brown’s 2021 Finish Inspired Confidence
A big reason for this resurgence heading into the season is how St. Brown showed as he progressed most of the year. Down the stretch of the season, St. Brown only seemed to gain in confidence from where he was earlier in the year, and his emergence from an unknown rookie to one of the better wideouts in the league was a great sight to see for the Lions and their fans.
St. Brown looked like a major weapon most of the second half of the season for the Lions catching and running with the ball. He took on the look of a player who may will his team to bigger and better things thanks to the plays he was able to deliver.
St. Brown was on fire for the Lions down the stretch, and the fact he finished with 912 receiving yard and 5 touchdowns will simply springboard him moving forward into 2022. The Lions have seen St. Brown come into his own with big plays, and he has looked like a future dynamo in waiting for the team’s offense.
Why St. Brown Could Blossom Further During 2022 Season
If it seems that St. Brown isn’t primed to slow down, his finish to the 2021 season could be a big reason why. Oftentimes, all players need is to get used to the speed and pace of the NFL game and they can turn things around quickly on the field or keep things going.
St. Brown seems like the kind of guy who could do just that with the Lions thanks to his major work ethic. In 2021 as a rookie, St. Brown was routinely cited as one of the hardest working Lions players by his own teammates and usually sticks after practice to work on his catching skills and route running.
As a result, he’s shown to have some of the surest hands in the league. With that kind of game and mindset, there will be no letup whatsoever as it relates to chasing greatness on the field.
St. Brown hasn’t assumed he has made it in the league, so he will continue the grind to greatness. Don’t sleep on him becoming elite and even breaking out further as a result. That is just what some are beginning to see ahead of the new season that is rapidly approaching.
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