If Amon-Ra St. Brown has his notebook handy, he might be crafting a new list. And he might be carving out another minute or two before each practice this season. The Lions' Pro Bowler already keeps a list of the 16 receivers drafted ahead of him in 2021, which he reads three times a day during the season.
"So I personally never forget it, having that in my notebook every time I go out to practice just to make sure I’m staying focused and never forget what happened to me," St. Brown said last week.
Here's some more reading material: in ESPN's annual compilation of the NFL's top 10 players at each position as voted on by players, coaches, execs and scouts around the league, St. Brown didn't even earn an honorable mention among wide receivers. Conveniently, 16 receivers were ranked ahead of him.
Some of them justifiably so. No one would earnestly argue that St. Brown is better than the top five receivers in said ranking: Justin Jefferson, Davante Adams, Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill and Cooper Kupp. Stefon Diggs and A.J. Brown, Nos. 6 and 7, belong ahead of him, too. Beyond that, no discussion is legitimate that doesn't at least include St. Brown.
St. Brown finished fifth among receivers last season in catches (106) and 10th in yards (1,161). He was one of only seven in the 100-1,000 club. He was fourth in first down catches, fifth in catch rate and seventh in yards after catch, per Pro Football Focus. And while we're citing PFF, know how many receivers earned a higher offensive grade last season than St. Brown? One: Hill. Only two -- Hill and Adams -- earned a higher receiving grade.
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Rounding out the top 10 on ESPN's list were DK Metcalf, Terry McLaurin and CeeDee Lamb. Lamb is coming off his second straight 1,000-yard season and McLaurin his third, so again, hard to object. St. Brown said himself last year when McLaurin was one of four NFC receivers originally voted into the Pro Bowl ahead of him that "Terry McLaurin has been underrated for the whole time he’s been in this league. I think he’s one of the best wide-outs in this game."
St. Brown also said this: "I feel like I can play with the best of ‘em. Obviously everyone is watching on Sundays and everyone has their own opinions, you know how that goes. But I feel like myself personally, I can go up against anyone."
He's right, and the numbers back it up. For whatever reason, the NFL has yet to fully acknowledge it. Metcalf is a physical freak in the mold of Megatron who might inspire more awe, but St. Brown had more catches, more yards, more yards after catch, more first downs and as many 20-plus yard catches and touchdowns as him last season, in one fewer game.
In the 'Honorable Mention' tier, St. Brown was beaten out by Deebo Samuel, Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, Garrett Wilson, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith. His name didn't appear until the 'Also Receiving Votes' section. It's hard to square with his resume, other than the fact that St. Brown plays a less glamorous role in the slot and has yet to stack seasons upon seasons of success. Then again, he's seventh among receivers in catches since he entered the NFL.
Are 16 of them really better than him? Maybe so: over the same span, St. Brown is -- conveniently -- 17th among receivers in yards. Still, his elite-level production since the second half of his rookie season deserves more respect around the NFL. If he's reaching for his notebook, it might be time to turn the page.
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