It felt like in the 70’s you could say Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Lynn Swann was always open. In the late 90’s into the 2000’s, it was Hines Ward who was always open. In the 2010’s, you’d say Antonio Brown was always open. The Steeler always seem to find a receiver that a generation of fans can watch grow and excite the Steelers Nation. Today, that receiver is George Pickens.
With Pickens, it is almost certain the feeling is… he is always open. You can automatically refer to his incredible catches against the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers his rookie year. Coming out of the University of Georgia, Pickens was known for his acrobatic catches as a raw, talented receiver. Despite his limited play due to injury, his collegiate career felt like a highlight reel.
The 2024 offseason brought new challenges and changes for the Steelers. During the 2023 season, the Steelers dismissed their offensive coordinator Matt Canada. The Steelers turned their attention in the 2024 offseason to address one area that needed the most improvement: a more efficient offense. They got their match in January as they hired former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith.
Smith also previously served as the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator from 2019-2020. You may remember a few notable names that blossomed during that time period. Perhaps a 4th year running back out of Alabama by the name of Derrick Henry? A young 2nd round pick out of Ole Miss in A.J. Brown? Most impressively, a 7th year, former first round quarterback who resurrected their career under Smith… Ryan Tannehill.
Smith was tasked with a challenge of not only rebuilding a Steelers offense that hadn’t finished above 20 points per game in 4 of the past 5 seasons, but getting the most out of their star skill players. Among those players was the default WR1 in Pickens; who also saw opportunity to take the next step in his young career in Smith’s offense. Over the summer, Pickens was seen training with a familiar name to Steelers receivers. He trained with former Steeler Diontae Johnson’s offseason route coach known as Route God.
It didn’t take long, but it appears this offseason work and the presence of Arthur Smith is beginning to payoff.
ESPN Analytics, who has tracked receiver analytics since 2017, has ranked George Pickens 5th-most open receiver 4 games into the 2024 season. Additionally, Pickens also ranks 10th in catch rate and 12th overall in receiver metrics. The area Pickens ranks to lowest is in YAC (yards-after-catch) where he placed 74th.
Over the course of his first three years, Pickens has made his rankings as follows:
| Year | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 (Four Games) |
| Open Ranking | 48 (127th) | 70 (T-21st) | 79 (5th) |
| Catch Rate | 99 (T-1st) | 72 (T-15th) | 55 (T-10th) |
| Yards After Catch | 41 (T-120th) | 56 (T-25th) | 35 (T-74th) |
| Overall | 71 (14th overall) | 76 (8th overall) | 64 (T-12th overall) |
It is still early in the season, however, the early return on investment is benefiting Pickens and the Steelers offense. Even in a stagnant offensive scheme under Canada, Pickens improved his ability to get open and rise to the challenge of being the lead playmaker. With the addition of Smith and Pickens’ desire to dominate, this truly is just the beginning of the rise of the next true Steelers’ star.
The Steelers’ faith in the 2022 2nd round pick couldn’t be rewarded at a better time. After trading Johnson to the Panthers, Pickens has become the WR1 in Pittsburgh. In reality, as it stands, he is the only true receiving threat in the wide receivers room. If he can continue to grow, work at his craft, and buy into what Arthur Smith is selling, he may very well rank–at minimum–among the best in the game. The sky is the limit for the immensely talented receiver.
After all, even the analytics agree. Georg Pickens is always open!