Yesterday on ESPN’s NFL Live, Dan Orlovsky and Ryan Clark had a lot of praise for Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens. Today, NFL analyst and former NFL wide receiver Harry Douglas expanded on Clark and Orlovsky’s take on Get Up, explaining that if Pickens understands coverages better, he could be one of the best receivers in the league.
“The next step for George Pickens is understanding little nuances of the game from the wide receiver position. Like Ryan Clark and Dan Orlovsky was talking about with Justin Jefferson, understanding stems, understanding coverages. Understanding the entire concept of the play, not just what you have but the why,” Douglas said on the ESPN morning show. “All those types of things, I think if George Pickens can learn and be a better savant in that manner, I think he could be one of the better players in the National Football League at that wide receiver position.”
Pickens is a freak athlete, but understanding the intricacies of the position is the next step, like Douglas said. It’s something Pickens has already worked on during training camp. He’s expanded his route tree, improved his route running and become a more complete receiver. While there’s still work to do to fully improve in that regard, Pickens has taken major steps forward, which provides hope he could take over as Pittsburgh’s No. 1 receiver.
There’s been a lot of hype thrown Pickens’ way this offseason, especially in the wake of Pittsburgh’s preseason opener in which he caught a 33-yard touchdown pass on the first drive of the game. But before we start proclaiming Pickens as one of the best receivers in the NFL, we still have to see him perform when games really count.
He looked good last season, but he primarily just ran go routes, finishing with 52 receptions for 801 yards and four touchdowns. Those aren’t the numbers of an elite receiver, but given the strides Pickens has taken this offseason, 1,000-plus yards should be his goal in Year Two. With an expanded route tree and a focus on getting more yards after the catch, Pickens should be a weapon beyond just go balls, which will make him even more of an option for Kenny Pickett, and an increase in volume could make him the team’s top receiver.
We’ll see if Pickens can expand his game and become the player who understands coverages and stems to a degree that could make him a star. While he might not ever be a player as talented in Justin Jefferson in that regard, his natural athleticism does give him an edge. It’s going to be fun to see what Pickens is capable of this year and going forward, but I think the hype does need to slow down a little bit until we actually see what he can do during the regular season.
