ESPN Put Two Lions Receivers on Their Annual Rankings and the Blocking Numbers Explain Everything
ESPN put together their annual top wide receiver rankings and the Lions landed two names on it. Amon-Ra St. Brown came in at No. 5. Jameson Williams made the honorable mention section for the first time in his career.
That matters. This is a list compiled through conversations with scouts, executives, and coaches around the league. People who actually watch film and make personnel decisions think these guys are legit.
But here’s the part that separates Detroit’s receiver room from almost everyone else in the NFL.
St. Brown at No. 5 Makes Perfect Sense
St. Brown ranked 8th on this same list last year. He’s been as high as 2nd before. Fifth feels about right.
You could maybe argue he should be ahead of Puka Nacua at 4th, but the top of this list is stacked. Ja’Marr Chase is No. 1, Justin Jefferson is No. 2, Jackson Smith-Njigba sits at No. 3. Hard to fight that too much.
Here’s what an NFL coordinator told ESPN about St. Brown: “Savvy, knack for getting open, plays faster than his timed speed. 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.”
That last part is perfect. St. Brown does play like someone owes him an apology.
His 582 yards after catch in 2025 ranked third among all receivers. He’s also the only player in the NFL with at least 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches in each of the past three seasons. The only player in Lions franchise history to do that. Only Calvin Johnson has a longer streak, and he did it four times straight.
But the blocking is where it gets interesting. One veteran coach said St. Brown can help the offense function like it’s in 12 personnel even when it’s in 11 personnel because of how he supports the running game. That’s not fluff. That’s game film talking.
Williams Makes the List for the First Time
Jameson Williams has never appeared on this list before in any form. Now he’s in the honorable mention section and that’s a big deal.
An NFL coordinator described him this way: “He could fly and is slippery. His speed opens up immediate 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.”
Fair assessment. Williams is still figuring some things out. But he earned that spot over DK Metcalf, DeVonta Smith, Brian Thomas Jr., Jalen Waddle, Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson. All of them missed the honorable mention cut.
That’s meaningful company to jump ahead of.
Will Williams ever crack the top 10? Hard to say. It’s also tough to have two receivers from the same team in that section, though the Cowboys currently have both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens there. But I’m not sure George Pickens is necessarily a top 10 receiver right now. It’s subjective.
The Blocking Numbers Are What Separate Detroit From Everyone Else
This is where Detroit’s receiver room stops looking like everyone else’s and starts looking like something Brad Holmes built on purpose.
Pro Football Focus gave St. Brown the 4th-highest pass-blocking grade among receivers. Nacua edged him slightly with a 79.7 to St. Brown’s 79, but St. Brown logged 348 blocking snaps compared to Nacua’s 290. Volume matters.
Among receivers with a minimum of 100 run blocking snaps, St. Brown ranks 6th. Williams ranks 13th.
Other than Nacua at 4th, none of the other receivers in ESPN’s article ranked above the Lions’ duo in run blocking. These guys block and they block like crazy.
Williams graded out at 67.2 as a run blocker. St. Brown posted a 70. For wide receivers, those numbers are significant.
This isn’t some feel-good Dan Campbell culture story. This is measurable, on-film production in a phase of the game most receivers treat like an afterthought. To have one guy like that is significant. To have two is huge.
Williams is putting in the work this offseason to become a better pass catcher, and if he takes that next step, who knows where he lands on next year’s list. But even now, having two receivers who show up and contribute in every phase of the game is something this franchise hasn’t had in a long time.
Are these two enough to carry the offense if things go sideways, or does this team still need one more alpha dog in the receiver room? Drop your take below.
