Getty Amon-Ra St. Brown runs with the ball during a 2022 game.
Through the years, the Detroit Lions haven’t received a ton of love for having young talent, but the more players they add, the more it looks as if that has to start to change.
The team’s roster is beginning to flip a bit a few years into Detroit’s latest rebuild. Overall, the team seems to be in great shape for the future in more than a few key areas, and one spot to like the most is that of wide receiver.
Potential dynamo Jameson Williams hasn’t even played a down yet, and Amon-Ra St. Brown has burst on the scene in a big way the last two seasons. As a result, he should be considered one of the top players in the league under 25 years old. Except, St. Brown was omitted from that list, which was recently compiled by ESPN insiders.
Not to worry, though, because analyst Matt Miller wrote about how St. Brown was snubbed by the piece.
“The do-it-all ability of St. Brown makes the Lions’ offense one of the most difficult to shut down in the NFL. He is among the toughest players pound-for-pound in the NFL, an electric runner after the catch and a physical route runner. St. Brown has 716 receiving yards this season, and his time is coming for national attention,” Miller wrote.
St. Brown’s time is coming, indeed, if it is not already here. In the future, it would not be a shock to see him occupy more lists like this one much higher.
Penei Sewell Was Named to ESPN’s 25 Under 25
Detroit did get at least one player on the list even if St. Brown was a major omission for the team. Offensive tackle Penei Sewell checked in at 22nd on the list, and it remains clear the future is bright for him as well.
Sewell was shouted out on the list by ESPN analyst Jordan Reid, who admitted that his ability to be a force against the pass and with the run as he uses his rare physical skills qualified him for recognition.
“After playing primarily left tackle at Oregon, Sewell made the transition to right tackle seamlessly from the start once joining the Lions. He has a strong build that he uses to overwhelm defenders and plays with a lot of aggressiveness as a run blocker. Sewell also shows outstanding feet, with the balance and quickness to mirror and match the most talented edge rushers in the league. He has given up just three sacks in 2022,” Reid wrote of Sewell in the piece.
His work on the field in 2022 thus far will do nothing to dissuade people from considering Sewell one of the more elite talents in the league. As of now, he’s seen as Detroit’s only top player under 25 on the roster by ESPN.
St. Brown Enjoying Fantastic 2022 Season
Back to St. Brown. This year, the wideout has done nothing to change the notion that he is a player on the rise to be taken seriously in terms of star power in the league.
Through Week 12, St. Brown has been the Lions’ leading receiver. He’s managed to put up 716 yards and four touchdowns on the season. More than likely, he’s going to finish the year well over 1,000 yards, which would be a big feather in his cap toward being thought of as an elite talent in the league.
St. Brown’s best game of the year did come on Thanksgiving Day, where he went for 122 yards and a score against a solid Buffalo team. Perhaps this effort will start to get him on more national radars.
For now, St. Brown remains underrated in a big way. Even those in the analyst community would seem to prefer that to not be the case given all the wideout offers both now and for the future. His time may be coming sooner rather than later.