The Detroit Lions selected wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft with the No. 112 overall pick.
St. Brown was the 16th receiver selected in the draft. He said Sunday after the final practice of Detroit's three-day rookie minicamp in Allen Park that watching the 15 receivers taken before him has become a source of motivation for him.
"I'm never going to forget the 15 receivers that went before me in the draft," St. Brown said. "That's kind of the chip I have on my shoulder coming in. Whenever I'm thinking about anything, that just comes back to my mind and it just motivates me to do more."
St. Brown has a chance to make an immediate impact for Detroit's revamped receiver corps. The Lions' three top receivers from last season – Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola – are all gone. Veterans Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman were signed in free agency, but there's room for youngsters like second-year receiver Quintez Cephus and St. Brown to carve out a role and make an impact in 2021.
St. Brown made an immediate impact as a freshman at USC in 2018 with 60 catches for 750 yards and three touchdowns. He finished his three-year college career with 178 receptions, including a 77-catch, 1,042-yard sophomore campaign in 2019. He had seven touchdowns in six games played last season.
St. Brown played both outside and in the slot during Sunday's rookie minicamp practice, and he comes in with a reputation of being a strong receiver with terrific route-running ability. He ranked eighth in the FBS last year in contested catches.
View photos from the final day of Detroit Lions Rookie Minicamp on Sunday May 16, 2021 in Allen Park, Mich.
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Brock Wright and Alize Mack during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Dedrick Mills during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Dedrick Mills during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Brock Wright and Alize Mack during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Evan Heim during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Dedrick Mills during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Levi Onwuzurike, Tommy Kraemer, and Drake Jackson during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jermar Jefferson during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Alim McNeill during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Amon-Ra St. Brown during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jake Hausmann during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Brock Wright during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Alize Mack during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Brock Wright during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Drake Jackson during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jermar Jackson during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Special Teams Coordinator Dave Fipp during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Inside Linebackers Coach Mark Deleone during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Tavante Beckett during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Brock Wright during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Derrick Barnes during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Scott Daly during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Alize Mack during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Dedrick Mills during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
AJ Parker during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Dedrick Mills during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Drake Jackson during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Evan Heim during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Duce Staley during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Tight Ends Coach Ben Johnson during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Offensive Line Coach Hank Fraley during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Nick Pickett during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
D'Angelo Amos during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jerry Jacobs during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jermar Jefferson during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Defensive Assistant Coach Kelvin Sheppard Detroit Lions Senior Defensive Assistant Dom Capers Detroit Lions Inside Linebackers Mark DeLeone during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jonathan Adams Jr. during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Offensive Quality Control Tanner Engstrand during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Levi Onwuzurike during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Drake Jackson during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Tavante Beckett during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions General Manager Brad Holmes during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Alize Mack during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Alex Brown during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Javon McKinley during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Head Athletic Trainer Dave Granito during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator Anthony Lynn during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jonathan Adams Jr. during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jake Hausmann during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jonathan Adams Jr. during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jermar Jefferson during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Sage Surratt during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Hunter Thedford during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Alijah Holder during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Jerry Jacobs during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Sage Surratt during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Detroit Lions Tight Ends Coach Ben Johnson & Alize Mack during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
Ifeatu Melifonwu during Rookie Minicamp in Allen Park. (AP Photo)
St. Brown grew up with two older brothers, including one who plays for the Green Bay Packers (Equanimeous St. Brown), and said his family was ultra-competitive in everything they did. That forced St. Brown to have to do a little bit extra to be able to beat his older brothers. That's stuck with him throughout his football career.
Next up for St. Brown is organized team activity practices with the veterans. He's motivated to start proving there weren't 15 better receivers than him in this year's draft. He's looking forward to laying the groundwork for what he hopes is an impactful first season in Detroit.
"I'm excited to be here," he said. "I'm excited to work and ready to take someone's job."
