It’s safe to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers are very, very excited with the selection of wide receiver George Pickens.
One day after selecting Pickens out of Georgia at No. 52 overall, Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin finally got the chance to address the selection of Pickens and stated he believes there is still a lot of meat on the bone with Pickens, as far as development at the position for a guy who has played in just 24 career games at Georgia, including just four last season due to a torn ACL.
Getting a big, physical height/weight/speed guy to develop has Tomlin quite excited.
“You need differing skillsets in the receiver room. Kevin [Colbert] outlined [George] Pickens and why we’re excited about him,” Tomlin said, according to video via the Steelers’ official YouTube page. “Quite frankly, we just think there’s a heck of a lot more meat on that bone. His talent was very evident. His health was very evident at his Pro Day. We got a bird’s eye view of an extended workout at that Pro Day, and we were really comfortable with what we saw, the things that he’s been able to do, and the pedigree that he brings is exciting.”
There certainly is a lot of meat on the bone with Pickens, who still have some developing to do overall, even though he dominated the collegiate game when on the field.
A sound route runner with obvious speed and physicality to win deep, the Steelers feel very good about his overall projection.
It’s clear the Steelers did their due diligence on him on film and in person as new wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson put Pickens through positional drills at his Pro Day, leading to the clear and obvious interest right away.
How much meat is left on the bone remains to be seen, but getting a physical playmaker is just what the Steelers needed at the position.
