George Pickens is having a dynamic start to his second season in the NFL. Without Diontae Johnson, he proved that he could hang as a viable top receiver option because his game is fleshing out more. It’s not fully there yet, but Pickens is rounding out his game nicely to become a more dynamic player on all three levels of the field and all areas. But could he be doing even more?
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell thinks that the Steelers are holding back Geroge Pickens from elite status. He points to the poor play of Kenny Pickett and putrid offensive play calling from Matt Canada as the reasoning for his beliefs that Pittsburgh is holding Pickens back from taking another leap.
“Pickens is one of several Day 2 and Day 3 picks in the 2022 draft who would move up into the first round (or command a first-round pick in trade) on what we’ve seen so far,” Barnwell wrote. “No regular wideout has been thrown less-catchable passes since the start of 2022 than Pickens, but he’s still managed to bring in just under 60% of his targets over that time frame. Like Garrett Wilson, he has been saddled with subpar quarterback play and curious coordinator choices. Pickens might be A.J. Brown or DK Metcalf if the situation around him was better.”
There’s no question that Pickens plays at a high level and could see more production in a better situation. Since entering the NFL, Pickens has the most receiving yards on the sideline in the NFL, and it’s not close. He has 327 receiving yards on those sideline targets since the start of 2022. The second nearest receiver is Stefon Diggs, with 198. That’s how vast the gap between the two players is, and it’s because of the route tree that Pickens has played. He’s run an absurd amount of go routes, with most of the other routes working off that being curls and comebacks.
Pickens has shown more YAC ability and route-running ability this year than in years past. He is becoming a star, but it’s fair to question whether the Steelers could get more out of him. At this point, Pickett’s play is what it is as a factor. He is a young quarterback, and Pittsburgh is trying to figure out what he is, but Canada’s not fully maximized his usage, either. Still, Pickens became a volume monster without Johnson and seems likely to see plenty of work even with him back in the lineup.