Getty Amon-Ra St. Brown catches a pass in a Lions preseason game in Pittsburgh.
The Detroit Lions are counting on Amon-Ra St. Brown to have another good season, and the question at this point revolves around whether or not the wideout will produce.
Though St. Brown is drawing rave reviews early in camp for his work, there’s still worries about if he can match his fast finish to the 2021 year.
Duplicating such a feat can be difficult, and there are some factors out of St. Brown’s control which could hurt his ability to be a statistical dynamo again. Pro Football Focus writer Dwain McFarland took a look at key camp storylines, and St. Brown’s future production
As was explained in McFarland’s piece, there’s a reason St. Brown might not deliver as big as hoped this season, and it could revolve around al of Detroit’s additions.
As he wrote, a problem for St. Brown could come with “a reduction in routes thanks to multiple additions to the receiver room. Over the last seven games in 2021, St. Brown skyrocketed in route participation thanks to an expanded role beyond slot duties.”
McFarland believes if the Lions keep St. Brown in one place, it might hurt his ability to put up stats.
“If St. Brown is limited to a slot role and the Lions plan to use multiple personnel groups, it could dampen 2022 production,” he wrote.
Detroit added multiple players to the wideout room, so there are suddenly more options. Dan Campbell doesn’t seem worried about what St. Brown is going to do on the field, but it will be interesting to see what numbers he puts up.
St. Brown: Output More Than Just Production
Even though production is glamorous, St. Brown seems to have the right perspective on matters. As he said when meeting with the media on Friday, July 29, he is more worried about being a more complete player.
“All you can really look at is production as media, but besides production, there’s things that don’t go on the stats like blocking, missed assignments, trying to have the least amount of misses,” he explained. “For me, at the end of last year I had more production. I think I want that same production starting right away this year so if I can get that right away, I help my team win some games.”
It sounds as if St. Brown is comfortable within the offense, and plans to have the best season possible no matter what else goes on around him.
St. Brown’s Production Could Hinge on New Additions
St. Brown isn’t exactly the biggest deep threat on the roster and is not a vertical player. He operates in the slot and is better underneath, which may not allow him to put up stats that help him to look like a true top wide receiver.
Additionally, the Lions added players like DJ Chark, while re-signing Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond. The team also will have Jameson Williams back at some point. That’s more weaponry to co-exist with.
Even though that’s the case, the Lions could still give a lot of looks toward St. Brown for the future, which could give him chances to make plays for the team. He could continue to show what makes him elite on the field, which is what many see him doing this year in Detroit.
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Analyst on What May Slow Amon-Ra St. Brown’s Production