In a recent ranking by PFF’s Bradley Locker, two current Detroit Lions players earned high praise for outperforming their draft positions, being non-first-round picks.  

Locker included wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown and cornerback D.J. Reed in his top 20 ranking of the NFL’s most valuable non-first-round draft picks since 2016. 

“Since St. Brown was a fourth-round pick by the Lions five years ago, all he’s done is hit the ground running,” Locker wrote. “Throughout his career, St. Brown trails only [Puka] Nacua in PFF receiving grade (93.5), and his 358 first downs lead the league. It’s no surprise that the USC alum is also second in WAR behind just Ja’Marr Chase.”

Wide receiver St. Brown was a fourth-round pick (No. 112) of the Detroit Lions in the 2021 NFL draft, but was projected as a late first-round pick by CBS Sports. 

He has recorded a total of 547 receptions for 6,252 yards and 44 touchdowns across five years with the Lions. He posted 117 receptions for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, earning his fourth Pro Bowl and Second-team All-Pro honors. 

“St. Brown is indubitably one of the faces behind the Lions’ dramatic turnaround over the last half-decade,” Locker wrote. “The three-time All-Pro looks like he has no intentions of slowing down, given the tear he’s on, continuing to repeatedly make teams regret passing him.”

His 2025 production ranks him at No. 5 on the top NFL wide receivers list, trailing Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks and Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

He also became the fourth player in league history to record more than 100 receptions and 10 touchdowns in three straight seasons, according to Josh Helmer of Lions Wire.

Among St. Brown's many impressive performances last season were five games with over 100 receiving yards. His most explosive outing came in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears, where he recorded 115 yards and three touchdowns, the first such game of his career.

Besides St. Brown, Locker also ranked the cornerback Reed, within the top 20 in his most-valuable late-round pick rankings.

Locker Ranks CB Reed at No. 20

Reed was ranked at No. 20 in Locker's valuable non-first-round draft picks since 2016. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.

After playing for Seattle and the New York Jets, he signed a three-year, $48 million contract with the Lions in 2025.

“None seemed to quite match the combination of performance and draft slot that Reed brings,” Locker noted. “He grades as the 10th-best cornerback since 2019 among qualifiers."

Despite concerns about his 5-foot-9 frame, changing team situations, and late draft status, Reed consistently delivered. He posted a PFF coverage grade of at least 70.0 in six consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2024.

Reed recorded 46 tackles (37 solo), defended seven passes, and forced one fumble in 2025, though his production was limited by a hamstring injury. He was ranked as the NFL’s No. 6 cornerback by PFF in its post-2025 season rankings.

Locker believes Reed will bounce back post his first season with the Lions, where he produced a career-low 65.2 overall mark on only 583 snaps.

St. Brown and Reed have each outperformed expectations, becoming key contributors to Detroit’s success despite entering the league as non-first-round picks.

What are your thoughts? Share in the comments.

Read more at Detroit Lions Community.

Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar