The Green Bay Packers have found some hidden gems late in the NFL draft, but missed out on a star in Amon-Ra St. Brown.
St. Brown was taken in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. It ended up being a home run pick by the franchise. However, St. Brown recently admitted that he was hoping he’d land in Green Bay.
“When it got to Day 3, I was already mad,” St. Brown told ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “I even told my brother [Equanimeous], ‘If there’s one team I don’t want to go to, that’s the Lions. Just, please, I don’t want to go to the Lions.’ [My brother] was on the Packers at the time and I was like, ‘I want to play with him.’”
The Packers took Amari Rodgers in the third round instead. The former Clemson receiver was unpopular in Green Bay, having eight receptions and seven fumbles during his time with the Packers.
Fans will wonder how things would have been different with St. Brown instead of Rodgers.
Amon-Ra St. Brown’s Path to Stardom
It may have taken St. Brown a while to hear his name called in the draft. However, once he got into the league, he became an almost overnight sensation.
St. Brown was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school in California. He could have gone to virtually any school, but decided to stay close to home to play for the USC Trojans.
USC played St. Brown immediately as a true freshman, and he produced right away. By the time he left for the NFL, he had caught 178 passes for 2,270 yards and 16 touchdowns over 30 games.
Despite success at a top program and a solid frame, St. Brown saw his stock dip in the pre-draft process. His 40-yard dash time of 4.61 seconds raised some questions, as did his mediocre agility drill times.
None of that mattered once St. Brown got into the league. He’s already a two-time Pro Bowler and 2023 first-team All-Pro in three seasons. In 49 games, he has already logged 315 receptions for 3,588 yards and 21 touchdowns.
The Lions even rewarded him with a four-year, $120 million extension this offseason, locking him in for years to come. After being an afterthought in the draft, St. Brown is now one of the highest-paid receivers in the league.
Packers Late-Round Gems
Packers fans won’t want to hear that St. Brown wanted to be drafted by Green Bay. Fortunately, there are other late-round gems Brian Gutekunst and his staff have snagged in recent years.
The Packers saw significant contributions from Day 3 picks from last year’s draft. Karl Brooks and Carrington Valentine made plays for the defense, while Dontayvion Wicks looked liked a legitimate long-term starter by the end of the season.
Zach Tom has looked like a multiple-time Pro Bowler at right tackle for the Packers as a fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest. In fact, the Packers are so high on him that they also think he could be a Hall of Fame-caliber center.
Gutekunst is finding great value in later rounds of the draft. It just might sting knowing what could have been with St. Brown.
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