George Pickens officially introduced himself to the NFL last season, eclipsing 1,100 yards to go along with five touchdowns. With Dionate Johnson sidelined for a chunk of the season, Pickens took a leap in his development. According to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, we should expect another this season.
In a recent article, Knox listed six breakout stars from 2023 who are poised to take another jump this season. Pickens found himself on the list, noting the stabilization at quarterback being a major factor.
“Despite getting some very inconsistent quarterback play out of Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph, Pickens exploded with a 63-catch, 1,140-yard, five-touchdown season,” Knox wrote. “…the Steelers, on paper, improved their quarterback situation significantly.”
Knox is referring to the new additions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as the improvement in the quarterback room. The addition of the two fits seamlessly into Pickens’s strengths.
Both Fields and Wilson are known for their ability to stretch the field on long balls. Last season, Pickens dominated vertically down the field, leading the league in yards per catch at 18.1.
While Knox notes that Wilson took a step back in his deep ball efficiency last season, it’s difficult to imagine anything worse than what the Steelers had in 2023.
“Wilson has seemed to lose a bit of the long ball in recent years, so Pickens’ yards per catch could dip if Wilson holds off Fields,” Knox wrote. “However, it’s hard to envision Pittsburgh’s QB situation being less consistent than it was last year—when it ranked 25th in yards and 20th in net yards per attempt—which should increase Pickens’ opportunities.”
I disagree with Knox here. After watching Wilson’s 2023 tape, it seemed to me that he still had plenty of zip on the ball and can still throw the moonball better than most. I expect this to gel perfectly with Pickens leading to even more “wow” catches.
Outside of the quarterback fit, Knox also notes that Pickens should expect an uptick in production because of the underwhelming options surrounding him.
With Johnson now in Carolina, there isn’t a clear-cut number two receiver on the team. Unless rookie receiver Roman Wilson overperforms in his debut season, it’s hard to imagine anyone on the roster challenging Pickens for the majority of targets this season.
As I alluded to earlier, a similar thing happened this season when Johnson was hurt, leaving Pickens as the only viable option at receiver. Pickens shined in Johnson’s absence, racking up 357 yards on 17 catches, putting him at 21 yards per catch. If not for inconsistent quarterbacking it may be even better as Pickens was targeted a whopping 33 times during this stretch.
Barring the Steelers acquiring a wide receiver in a trade, expect this to be the recipe for Pickens this season. Lots of targets, lots of big plays, and hopefully lots of wins for the Steelers.
