After two seasons in the National Football League, it's clear the Pittsburgh Steelers might have something special in 2022 second-round pick and wide receiver, George Pickens.
Pickens finished his rookie year with 801 receiving yards and four scores, only to build on that in his sophomore campaign with 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and five scores, all career-highs.
Making those numbers even more impressive is the fact that the Steelers have had a rough situation at quarterback.
One NFL analyst who has been thoroughly impressed with what Pickens has put on tape is Greg Cosell, who thinks the Georgia product has the goods to be ranked inside the top 10 at his position, and as high as No. 6 or No. 7.
"But George Pickens, ability-wise, you could make the argument that ability-wise he's a top six, seven receiver in the league," he said on the Ross Tucker podcast. "Whether he becomes that guy on a week-to-week basis, that remains to be seen. But Pickens has big-time traits."
“Ability-wise, you could make the argument that he is a top 6 or 7 guy in the league…”@gregcosell breaks down Steelers WR George Pickens on this week’s @RossTuckerPod pic.twitter.com/hhyiaMiQ2q
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) August 8, 2024
No lies detected.
Pickens can truly do it all. He's a deep threat, can make contested catches with the best of them, and has sensational hands overall. Adding to that, he's got ideal size at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, so he's a threat in the red zone, also.
If the Steelers can get better play out of their quarterback position in 2024 from either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, Pickens could have a monster season.
The big concern, however, is that Pickens will draw a ton of extra attention with a lack of help at receiver around him. Assuming the Steelers don't land Brandon Aiyuk, someone is going to have to step up to help take pressure off.