Pride of Detroit
ESPN just concluded it’s positional ranking series, the NFL is still counting down their top-100 players of the 2026 season, and our roster ranking is near its end. But Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff doesn’t care about any of those lists. He’s got his own list of NFL wide receivers, and it’s one person long.
During an interview with NFL Network this week, Goff explained why he thinks there’s no better receiver in football than Amon-Ra St. Brown.
“I think he’s the best wide receiver in the league,” Goff said. “I think he’s the only guy who catches with it, runs with it, blocks—does everything. He can do it all. It’s a lot of fun to work with him, play with him. The way he works in practice, he makes me want to give him the ball. He makes me want to reward him for all of his hard work. It makes everyone around him work harder. He’s such a great teammate, great player, great person, and I love playing with him.”
Statistically, you can certainly make a case that St. Brown is one of the best receivers in football. Since 2022, among wide receivers, St. Brown ranks:
On top of that, he’s tied for the most First-Team All Pro honors (two) and Pro Bowl nods (four) over that time.
St. Brown’s value goes beyond his statistics and honors. As Goff points out, he’s also a model in practice that raises the bar for the entire team. And his blocking is among the best for a receiver. That checks out when looking at PFF blocking grades, as well. Last year, St. Brown ranked t-seventh among wide receivers in run blocking grade (70.0) and fourth in pass blocking (79.0—although on only five snaps).
Despite all of those accomplishments, St. Brown is often not considered among the top-three receivers in the NFL. Players like Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and CeeDee Lamb regularly top St. Brown in annual rankings.
Goff was asked why St. Brown doesn’t always seem to get the kind of credit he likely deserves. In typical Goff fashion, he returned the question back to sender.
“I don’t know, man. That’s your guys’ job,” Goff said.
You can catch Goff’s entire interview below:
