Notes: Amon-Ra St. Brown named biggest steal of 2021 NFL draft

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has been given major props these past few years for his ability to find talent in later rounds of the draft. But the title of biggest steal of the 2021 NFL Draft belongs to none other than Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon chose one player from each of the past 10 years who performed the best but was selected no earlier than the fourth round of their draft. He notes that he considered production statistics, team impact, and player-individual awards when choosing an athlete.

Stats are exactly where Kenyon headed first when highlighting the value of St. Brown, the 23-year-old wide receiver taken in the fourth round at 112th overall.

“On a bad Detroit Lions team in 2021, he still gathered 973 yards from scrimmage and totaled six touchdowns. Last year, the USC product stood out as Detroit’s only reliable receiver and pulled in 106 passes for 1,161 yards and six more scores,” he explained.

Then team impact is where the writer headed next.

“Several factors aided the Lions’ rise to respectability and a near-playoff bid in 2022, but St. Brown’s impact was inarguable,” Keyone wrote.

Not bad for Holmes’ first draft as a general manager.

Kenyon also gave a nod to Trey Smith, a Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman taken in the sixth round in 2021, for his help getting the Chiefs a Super Bowl win as a starter.

And onto the rest of your notes.

• Notecard questions! Get to know Cam Sutton and David Montgomery a little better:

• Texas Tech, Florida, and more. Detroitlions.com’s Tim Twentyman suggests eight Pro Days to watch this week.

• CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin graded team moves in the second week of free agency. You’ll see a recent former Lion on the list.

• CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani named C.J. Gardner-Johnson one of the top five best free agency signings. “While it’s a one-year deal, I feel like the Lions are building the kind of culture that ends up attracting players. Depending on how 2023 goes, CJGJ may want to stay in Detroit.”

• Who will Detroit target with early-round picks? Time for a fresh Lions big board from The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy. ($)