Expectations have grown for USC legend Amon-Ra St. Brown as an established face for the Detroit Lions. His team will enter 2025 with Super Bowl aspirations for the second straight year. Now he's lifted his team to a major top five ranking.
Pro Football Focus sorted through the NFL's best wide receiver units for '25. St. Brown has helped catapult the Lions inside the top five -- as the league's fourth-best receiving unit.
"The Lions recorded the highest team PFF receiving grade in the league last season (89.0). Five Detroit players recorded marks of 74.0 or higher: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. And St. Brown and Montgomery earned elite 90.0-plus PFF receiving grades," PFF's Trevor Sikkema wrote on Tuesday.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown
Sergio Estrada
Sikkema added: "The Lions' receiving corps is diverse and features high-ceiling players at every position."
Detroit has risen as a dynamic wide receiver hotbed. St. Brown is the perennial Pro Bowler of the group. Williams is fresh off delivering his first 1,000-yard season and averaged 17.3 yards per catch. Tight end LaPorta finished second on the team with 60 catches.
Even the backfield of Gibbs and Montgomery can catch out of the backfield. Both combined for 88 receptions in this offense.
The Lions, however, must operate without famed offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. He'll now become an NFC North rival by taking over the Chicago Bears this season. Johnson leaves behind the league's best scoring offense. Detroit also took second in total yards of offense.
St. Brown finished with 115 receptions for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final campaign with Johnson as his OC.
