Amon-Ra St. Brown NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’-1”
Weight: 195 pounds
School: USC
2021 NFL Draft: Amon-Ra St. Brown Player Profile
After three successful years with the USC Trojans, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is taking his talents to the next level in the 2021 NFL Draft. The former five-star recruit faced his hardest challenge to date in 2020, as he had to line up all over the formation following the departure of Michael Pittman. St. Brown was up for the challenge, recording 41 receptions for 478 yards and seven touchdowns in an injury-shortened campaign.
St. Brown initially joined the collegiate ranks as a five-star recruit. The brother of then-Notre Dame standout Eqanimeous St. Brown, many expected great things from the California native. He immediate lived up to the hype, recording 60 receptions on 86 targets for 750 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman.
This early production was obviously encouraging, and St. Brown proved he could be even better in 2019. Serving as USC’s primary slot receiver, St. Brown finished his sophomore season with 77 receptions on 103 targets for 1,042 yards and six touchdowns. While he couldn’t quite match that production as a Junior, he still showed more than enough to be worthy of hearing his name called during the NFL Draft.
Strengths
- Great route runner with multiple ways of getting open;
- Impressive catch radius with the ball awareness to haul in off-target passes;
- Fundamentally sound player that probably won’t have too hard of a time adjusting to NFL life;
- YAC monster in the open field, slippery and hard to bring down;
- Moved around the formation after spending his first two years almost exclusively in the slot;
- Made an impact right out of the gate (92nd percentile breakout age) with multiple seasons of solid production.
Weaknesses
- Pedestrian athleticism puts a cap on his ceiling;
- Even though he played with as a Junior, will probably be limited to the slot in the NFL;
- Lacks the speed to challenge defenses deep;
- Not the most physical player out there and can be overpowered by stronger corners;
- Below-average blocker (albeit, a willing one).
NFL Comparison: Bigger Danny Amendola
Teams With Need at the Position: New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers
Projection: Third Round
Bottom Line on Amon-Ra St. Brown
Amon-Ra St. Brown is a high-floor, low ceiling prospect that does all the little things right. The USC product has a diverse route tree and is capable of getting open using a wide variety of techniques. St. Brown is very hard to take down in the open field, as his lateral quickness allows him to slip by would-be tacklers. Additionally, he seems to have a high football IQ and should be able to make an NFL impact relatively early into his career.
St. Brown is a good player, but it’s hard to see him ever becoming a great one. While St. Brown has the mental tools to succeed at the NFL level, he lacks the physical traits to dominate opposing receivers. He lacks the physicality to consistently win against press coverage, so he’ll probably spend the majority of his NFL career working out of the slot. Additionally, he isn’t a deep threat and will have to be more of a possession receiver. This lack of ceiling keeps him from being a Round 1-2 prospect, but he’s one of the safest players you’re likely to find in the third round.
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