The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted wide receiver George Pickens in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, hoping he would provide their 2022 first-round pick, quarterback Kenny Pickett, with a reliable target and a young receiver to grow with. Many draft experts believed Pickens was the most talented wide receiver available, but concerns about his attitude and effort made teams wary of selecting him.
In his first two years with the Steelers, these concerns have surfaced a few times. The most notable incident occurred when Pickens refused to block for teammate Jaylen Warren on a potential scoring play, claiming he was trying to avoid injury. This comment did not sit well with the media or the team, creating a storm that forced Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin to address the situation mid-week. Some fans even called for Pickens to be benched or traded. Pickens responded with an impressive performance of four catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite his troubles and frustrations in Pittsburgh, Pickens' on-field performance has lived up to the hype. In his rookie season, he recorded 52 catches for 801 yards and five total touchdowns (four receiving and one rushing). In 2023, he improved to 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns. These numbers were impressive, considering he played under the guidance of the much-criticized Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada for most of those two seasons. Canada was fired midway through the 2023 season.
Recently, Anthony DiBona of Pro Football Network ranked each team's most overrated player and identified Pickens as the Steelers' most overhyped player.
“Surprise! Another wide receiver from the 2022 NFL Draft has landed on this list. It feels like we’ve been waiting an eternity for George Pickens to have a breakout season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yet, he’s only heading into his third NFL season.”
DiBona claimed that Pickens has yet to have a breakout season. While this is somewhat true, his 2023 season was far from disappointing. Despite the challenging circumstances, Pickens still managed to have a very good season. DiBona believes Pickens has not yet fully lived up to the hype.
“Following Russell Wilson’s arrival in Pittsburgh, Pickens will be playing with easily the most talented quarterback he’s had throwing to him at the next level. Now, we’ll wait and see if Pickens can finally put it all together on the field and live up to the hype.”
In the upcoming season, Pickens is set to be the star wide receiver. This offseason, Pittsburgh traded away wide receiver Diontae Johnson, making Pickens the primary target for the first time in his career.
During the 2023 season, Pickens seemed frustrated with Pickett's play at quarterback. In 2024, he will have the luxury of catching passes from Russell Wilson, which bodes well for his outlook.
Steelers' George Pickens Made The Most Out Of An Awful Situation
Calling Pickens the most overrated player in Pittsburgh is harsh and cringeworthy. In 2023, Pickens averaged an impressive 18.1 yards per catch, made incredible catches, and displayed tremendous talent.
The fact that he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards while playing in a Canada system for half the year and with quarterbacks Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph throwing the ball adds to the impressiveness of his season. Pittsburgh's quarterbacks combined for just 13 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions last season.
While Pickens is not without critique for his attitude and effort at times, he has improved every year and made the most of poor situations. Calling him overrated is unfair, considering he played on one of the worst offenses in the league with subpar quarterback play.
Despite this, Pickens showed glimpses of immense potential and produced well. In 2024, he will look to silence his detractors and have a true breakout season. For now, Pickens has performed admirably and should continue to thrive with a better system and improved quarterback play.
