Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox recently suggested the Pittsburgh Steelers could look to trade their star wide receiver George Pickens this offseason, potentially as soon as the next few days leading up to the NFL Draft.
"Pickens has largely filled the Steelers' No. 1 receiver role over the past three seasons," Knox wrote. "However, Metcalf should come in as the new top target, while Pickens heads into a contract year without a new deal. The Steelers are unlikely to pay both receivers top-of-the-market value, which could lead to Pickens' departure sooner than later."
Though Knox didn't specifically mention the New York Jets as a potential landing spot, they could make sense if the Steelers opt to move Pickens.
Pickens played with New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields a year ago and the two seemed to have quite the connection in the few games they played together.
New York needs to add a wide receiver even though it was able to retain Allen Lazard. The Jets lost Davante Adams and they're unlikely to use their top draft selection on a star wide receiver prospect.
Pairing Pickens alongside Garrett Wilson would give the Jets a formidable pair of talented wide receivers with the potential to break open the game at any time. If the Steelers opt to float Pickens as a trade chip, the Jets should take the bait.
At the end of the day, I don't believe the Steelers should or will trade Pickens. Pittsburgh has struggled with wide receiver depth for the last two years. It brought in DK Metcalf to fix this issue. Trading Pickens would cause the Steelers to have the same lack of depth at the position, so it just wouldn't make much sense.
