PITTSBURGH -- One of the biggest storylines of the Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason has been their wide receiver drama. They traded veteran Diontae Johnson for cornerback help and opened the door for third year receiver Goerge Pickens to be their top target.
A big reason the Steelers made this decision was due to off the field factors. Reports and speculation ran wild, and despite Mike Tomlin giving a very diplomatic reason for the trade, no one bought it. Everyone understood that the Steelers didn't want Johnson in their locker room and influencing the rest of their receiver room.
It's understandable that the Steelers wanted to move in a different direction. The move has been questioned and knocked by the media, but the team is committed to this younger and revamped group.
Some analysts don't agree with this approach. Former Steelers executive Doug Whaley is one of those people. On a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Whaley discussed the receiver situation. He posed an interesting observation about George Pickens in reference to the Johnson trade.
"I look at it this way," Whaley said. "If he is that impressionable, you already got your answer if he's the No. 1 or not."
Whaley went on to say that if Pickens was influenced so greatly by Diontae Johnson, he may not be cut out to be the leader and top receiver for the Steelers.
"Great players are focused on being great," he said. "They don't like anything outside or anyone else affect them trying to achieve their goal of being the best. And if George Pickens is being that influenced and it affects him, thn you know what type of player he is. He's not a No. 1, you don't pay him, and you know what you got. "
The performance on the field suggests that Pickens is a top wide receiver in the game. He crested 1,000 receiving yards for the first time last season, hauling in 63 receptions for 1,140 yards. His 18.1 yards per reception was also tops in the league in 2023. His 340 yard jump in year two indicates he's capable of even more next season.
That's if he can step into that number one receiver role. With Johnson out of the picture, this group is Pickens' to lead and dominate. He should bring that on the field with an undeniable ability to make the big catch. But can he overcome the criticisms he's received early on in his career to truly become the top guy with the Steelers?
