The Detroit Lions tallied yet another top-10 player in ESPN’s positional rankings based on a survey of NFL coaches, executives, and scouts, and it’s another top-five player.
Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown made the top-10 list for his third consecutive year, and after placing seventh in 2024 and sixth in 2025, St. Brown climbed to fifth in ESPN’s top-10 wide receivers list for 2026.
“Savvy, knack for getting open, plays faster than his timed speed,” an anonymous NFL coordinator told ESPN. “He’s putting
continuous stress on you even when you know he’s not going vertical. He has a unique way of working leverage. Strong as hell, can separate at the point and is shifty, plays as if he’s being disrespected at all times.”
Admittedly, St. Brown isn’t coming off his best season. While his overall production numbers were still top-five at his position—117 catches (fourth among WRs), 1,401 yards (fifth), 11 touchdowns (t-second)—St. Brown did deal with an unusual amount of drops. While drops are not an official stat, Pro-Football-Reference credited him with 10 drops and a 5.8 drop rate—both career-worst. Additionally, his 68.0 catch rate when targeted was the lowest of his career.
Still, St. Brown’s production over the past four seasons has gone nearly unmatched. Since 2022, here’s where St. Brown compares to the other receivers in the NFL (ranked by receiving yards):
- Justin Jefferson: 383 catches, 5,464 yards, 25 TDs
- Ja’Marr Chase: 439 catches, 5,382 yards, 41 TDs
- CeeDee Lamb: 418 catches, 5,379 yards, 30 TDs
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: 457 catches, 5,340 yards, 39 TDs
- A.J. Brown: 339 catches, 5,034 yards, 32 TDs
The four players above St. Brown in this year’s rankings were Chase, Jefferson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Puka Nacua. Interestingly enough, at least one pollster had St. Brown as high as No. 2 on this year’s list, and at least one person had him completely off their top-10 rankings.
Lions No. 2 Jameson Williams didn’t crack the top-10 list this year, but he was among six receivers who received an honorable mention. He also got some high praise from an unnamed NFL coordinator.
“He can fly and is slippery. His speed opens up intermediate cuts. Getting in and out of breaks is not natural to him, but he’s improved there. He goes across the field, uses all 53 yards. Hands aren’t as consistent.”
Williams has now produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for Detroit. There are only 10 wide receivers who did that for 2024 and 2025, and Detroit had two of them (St. Brown obviously being the other).
As a reminder, St. Brown is now the seventh Lions player to land in the top-10 of these rankings at their respective position. Only the top-10 safeties have yet to be announced at this point. Here are the other six:
