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Who Are Lions' All-21st Century Team Wide Receivers?
Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Who Are Lions' All-21st Century Team Wide Receivers?

Originally posted on Detroit Lions on SI
By Christian Booher  |  Last updated Jun 16, 2025 4:46 PM ET

When assembling the Detroit Lions' All-21st Century team, there are two players at the wide receiver position that stand out clearly amongst the rest.

The Lions' passing attack has been fueled by a pair of gunslingers over the past 15 seasons in particular, but each quarterback has been able to work with one of the best receivers in the league during their respective eras.

For Matthew Stafford, who quarterbacked the Lions for 12 seasons, it was Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson. Stafford was traded to the Rams for Jared Goff in 2021, and Goff has struck up an impeccable connection with two-time First Team All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown since arriving.

Because they are two of the most productive receivers in the entire league, not just for the Lions, during their respective eras, Johnson and St. Brown are both no-brainer selections for the All-21st Century Team.

Johnson and St. Brown's roads to Detroit are very different, as are their builds and styles of play. However, they both made massive impacts on the organization.

The Lions drafted Johnson second overall in the 2007 draft, and he ascended to stardom quickly. At 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, he was a massive target and a matchup nightmare for opposing cornerbacks.

After surpassing 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his second NFL season, which was the year the Lions finished 0-16, Johnson hit another gear when the team drafted Stafford in 2009.

Johnson made his first Pro Bowl team in 2010, earning Second Team All-Pro honors in the process. That was the first of six-straight years with over 1,000 yards.

The Georgia Tech product notched the first of three-consecutive First Team All-Pro honors in 2011, hauling in 96 catches for a league-leading 1,681 yards. In 2012, he broke the NFL's single-season receiving yards record with 1,964 yards on a league-leading 122 catches.

Johnson, like St. Brown, was one of the most durable wideouts of his era. He played four full seasons without missing a game, and missed just one game two separate times during his nine-year career.

He retired abruptly following the 2016 season, which left the fan base shocked. There was a financial dispute regarding the money left on his contract, which caused some angst between the two parties. Eventually, however, Johnson returned to good terms with the organization and its new leadership.

Johnson was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee and was enshrined into the 'Pride of the Lions' during the Lions' win over Seattle on Monday Night Football last season.

Unlike Johnson, St. Brown was not a first-round draft pick nor a physically imposing matchup problem. Drafted in the fourth-round of the 2021 draft, the wideout is listed at just six-feet tall and has been fueled by an insatiable work ethic.

After playing a modest role for most of his rookie season, St. Brown had at least eight catches and 70 yards in each of his last six games in 2021. He broke Johnson's record for most receiving yards by a Lions rookie with 912, and scored all five of his touchdowns in that six-game span.

St. Brown erupted in his second NFL season, earning Pro Bowl honors and surpassing the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time.

In 2023, St. Brown announced his presence amongst the league's best. He recorded 1,515 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, earning his way into a First Team All-Pro selection. St. Brown followed that up with another First Team All-Pro selection in 2024.

While he doesn't have the physical gifts of Megatron, St. Brown is a crafty route-runner with reliable hands, and also has taken plenty of pride in becoming one of the best blocking wideouts.

Though both took different roads, it's undoubtable the impact that each has had on their respective time suiting up for the Lions.

Lions OnSI All-21st Century Team

QB: Matthew Stafford
RB: Jahmyr Gibbs, James Stewart
WR: Calvin Johnson, Amon-Ra St. Brown

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This article first appeared on Detroit Lions on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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