Draft Analysis: Amon-Ra St. Brown

February 9, 2021 /
  • Height: 6’1″
  • Weight: 195
  • College: USC
  • Tape watched: UCLA, Utah, Washington State, Notre Dame 2019.
  • NFL Comparison: Anthony Miller

Pros

  • Release
    Active, fast, and intense are all ways to describe Amon-Ra St. Brown’s release off the line. He has fast, but decisive footwork, rarely wasting a step. He has active and strong hands that deflect punches from defenders.
  • Lateral Agility/Overall Athleticism
    It is to be seen if St. Brown will run agility drills at his Pro Day, simulating what would have been at the combine this year, but I expect he would put up impressive numbers. His short area explosiveness is rather impressive. He has great footwork and gets to top speed with ease. St. Brown often slips the first tackle with elusiveness, too.
  • Tracking
    Amon-Ra St. Brown looks very comfortable catching the ball over his shoulder. He repeatedly caught out routes over his head, and secured the ball with no issues. St. Brown had good pacing on deep routes as well, locating the ball and catching passes. He showed great body control on awkward catches.
  • Route Running
    Much like his release, St. Brown usually has a plan and executes it fast. His cuts are sharp and he has great explosiveness to the top of his stem, and through his route breaks. He excelled vertically and laterally, though most of his deep plays came from the slot.

Cons

  • Functional Strength
    St. Brown gets disrupted by almost all types of contact. Reroutes, blocking game, and breaking tackles are all affected as a result of his smaller frame. To give him credit, St. Brown has a lot of desire and energy in the blocking game.
St. Brown gets caught in the wash, with a pretty elementary hit from a linebacker.
If I show him on the receiving end of a pancake, it is only fair to show St. Brown dishing one out as well.
  • Hands/Drops
    The drops are definitely a thing with St. Brown. He shows good hands in a variety of situations, but had a number of concentration, contact, and clutch-catch drops. There were also double catches that are cause for concern. For someone with his athletic ability, yet small stature, securing the ball needs to be priority number one.
  • Usage
    Used most often in the slot, St. Brown had a lot of production in the middle of the field underneath coverages. Evidenced by his career 12.8 yards per catch, St. Brown utilized his excellent release and footwork to run a lot of slants, whips, and hitches. While used as a boundary receiver, he excelled at running out routes and corners, or standup screens. I need more evidence St. Brown can win with more versatility on the boundary.

Overview

A 2020 team captain at USC, Amon-Ra St. Brown will introduce speed and separation to the slot for NFL teams. He is a versatile player that has experience on the perimeter, as well as the run game. He offers a great first step, fluid route running, and playmaking abilities. He can become more consistent at the catch point, and work through contact more to improve his overall game. St. Brown could find himself in the first round with his skillset and quick-twitch ability.