Detroit Lions star named dark-horse candidate for major NFL award

The Detroit Lions are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball going into the 2024 campaign, which could lead to the team seeing an award or two for its players and/or coaches.

One player who is more likely than most to win an award is star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is coming off a career year in 2023 and only figures to get better as he prepares to turn 25 in October.

In a recent article naming three dark-horse candidates for major awards in 2024, St. Brown was listed as one for the Offensive Player of the Year award. Here's what Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon said about the USC product:

The trajectory is pointing way upward for Detroit's standout No. 1 target, and it wouldn't be surprising at all if he were to top 125 catches, 1,800 yards and a dozen touchdowns in his age-25 season. But eight players have better OPOY odds.

It's important to note that Gagnon is calling St. Brown a dark-horse candidate because of his placement in the betting odds to win the award. If we put that aside, he should not be considered a dark-horse candidate by any means.

After all, St. Brown broke 1,500 receiving yards and found pay dirt 10 times last year and it certainly isn't crazy to think he can improve those numbers in 2024 after he has increased his production in every season of his three-year career.

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Adding to that, three of the last five Offensive Player of the Year winners were wide receivers (Michael Thomas, Cooper Kupp and Justin Jefferson) and all three tallied anywhere from 1,725 yards to 1,947 yards, and two of them had fewer than 10 touchdowns, a number St. Brown broke in 2023.

We get considering St. Brown a dark-horse candidate because seven other players have better odds to win the award, but when you break it all down, he should be considered a step above that.