Off in the distance, there’s a deafening roar that continues to draw closer and closer regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers and one young, second-year player.
It started in the rolling hills at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and made its way down to Tampa, Florida, for a preseason matchup. Now, it’s carrying across the NFL landscape, getting louder and louder.
That deafening roar is the sound of the George Pickens hype train gaining even more steam as it rolls down the tracks at a high rate of speed ahead of the 2023 season.
Pickens is poised for a big second season in the NFL, and he’s drawing a lot of attention this summer for some catches made in training camp, some comments he’s made in training camp, and some comments made by analysts on the outside.
The way the hype train is rolling along, you’d think Pickens was truly the best receiver in the NFL. He’s already called himself that, and ESPN’s Ryan Clark said he’s “much more talented” than the best receiver in the NFL, bar none, in Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson. Not better right now; just much more talented.
There’s a difference in what Clark was saying.
But that leads me to this: let’s all slow down a bit though, shall we?
There is no denying that Pickens is a great talent. Freakish body control, absurd hands, a monster contested-catch weapon. He’s still so incredibly raw though and has a lot to work on to become a complete receiver.
The route running — for now — remains a concern, as does the lack of separation he creates as a route runner. That’s all been well-documented throughout the offseason and through training camp.
Yet despite some highlight-reel catches in training camp and a nice 33-yard touchdown with some YAC in the preseason opener against the Buccaneers’ backups, all the areas of improvement needed for Pickens seem to be forgotten.
I get it; he’s a tantalizing prospect, one that could develop into the best receiver in the game. He has all the tools. He very well could have a monster second season and ascend into the top three to five discussion at the position. Legitimately, the talent and the tools are there.
But let’s slow down a bit. Some of the hype seems warranted, but it’s also creating a lot of pressure and expectations to perform at a Justin Jefferson-like level. He’s not that guy — yet.
It’s going to take some time. There will be ups; there will be downs. But let’s just slow down with anointing him as the next great receiver in the NFL and one of the next all-time greats in Steelers history. Use former Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool as a cautionary tale.
Remember his absurd rookie season? A height/weight/speed guy who did it all on the field and broke out into stardom, only to crash back down to Earth rather hard. Pickens is better than Claypool, no doubt, but expectations create pressure. He seems to be the type of guy who hears the outside noise, too.
Slow down, let the development process play out. Something special appears to be brewing, but let’s see the kid do it again in the NFL before the hype train reaches a dangerously high rate of speed.
You’ll be doing him a favor by slowing that hype train down.
