Eagles Star Cornerback Says Amon-Ra St. Brown Among Toughest to Cover

St. Brown has emerged as one of game's toughest covers.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) makes a catch against Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Adoree' Jackson (8) during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, November 16, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Five seasons into his NFL career, Amon-Ra St. Brown has established himself one of the game’s very best receivers. And Philadelphia Eagles star cornerback Cooper DeJean has certainly taken notice. 

Speaking on NBC Sports’ “PFT Live” with Chris Simms and Mike Florio from Super Bowl radio row, DeJean pointed to St. Brown as one of the most difficult receivers he’s had to cover, citing a combination of physicality, top-notch route-running and high-level competitiveness.

“Obviously, I knew he was good but how strong he is, like running routes and at the catch point, definitely surprised me a little bit,” DeJean told Simms and Florio. “I think I’m a strong guy, but going up against him and the way he runs his routes and how physical he is, him and (Rams receiver) Puka (Nacua), both those guys.”

St. Brown recorded two catches and 42 yards in a Week 11 loss to DeJean and the Eagles this past season. 

While the stat line was modest by St. Brown’s standards, the All-Pro wide receiver consistently demanded attention, worked through contact and forced the Eagles’ secondary to stay disciplined in coverage. 

DeJean’s comments reinforce what many defensive backs around the league already know: St. Brown’s impact often goes beyond the box score.

St. Brown’s physicality has become a defining characteristic of his game. 

Despite lacking prototypical “X receiver” size, he plays with a mental and physical edge that is rarely matched. It shows up in contested catches, blocking assignments and his ability to fight for yards after contact. 

That toughness and gritiness, paired with elite route-running, make him especially difficult to cover – something DeJean, an All-Pro defensive back, has now experienced firsthand.

St. Brown, a 2021 fourth-round pick, produced a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl campaign in 2025, amassing the fifth-most catches in the league (117) and the fifth-most receiving yards (1,401). He also totaled 11 receiving touchdowns, tied for the second most in the NFL.

When asked about DeJean’s praise, St. Brown took a humble approach, emphasizing the depth of talent at the receiver position across the league and expressing appreciation for being mentioned among the game’s elite. 

“I feel like there’s so many good receivers in this league nowadays, different body frames, different playing styles,” St. Brown told Matthew Berry on NBC Sports’ “Fantasy Football Happy Hour” show. “The game has changed, evolved so much from 10 years ago. I mean, you’ve got these fast motions, different offenses. I don’t know, I feel like everyone does stuff differently. So just honored he would say something like that. I feel like there’s so many receivers in this league who are elite and can do stuff at a high level. So, I feel like the league is in good hands, with the type of receivers we’ve got nowadays.”

As the rest of the NFL has become increasingly aware, St. Brown isn’t the only highly-skilled receiver the Lions are equipped with currently. There’s also Jameson Williams, a more than capable No. 2 receiver who has many of the traits of a No. 1-caliber wideout. 

This past season, the Alabama product recorded at least 70 receiving yards in seven of his last 10 games, while finding the end zone five times during that same span. He also finished second on the team in both receiving yards (1,117) and receiving touchdowns (seven), and tied for ninth among all receivers in total yards and fifth in the NFL in yards per reception (17.2).

St. Brown continues to be impressed by the 24-year-old receiver. 

“I mean, Jamo’s Jamo. We all know what he is. People ask me all the time, ‘What are you going to see from Jamo this year? What do you expect from Jamo?’ Jamo’s Jamo. He’s here, he’s arrived,” St. Brown said. “You guys have seen what he can do. He’s a superstar in this league. I tell everyone, we’re wide receiver 1A, 1B. There’s no No. 1, No. 2. I couldn’t do what I do without him. And so, we’re lucky to have a guy like him on our team. He’s a beast, he’s a superstar, he’s explosive. He’s everything we need in Detroit. And so, Jamo’s Jamo, we all know what he can do.”