Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is expected to take a leap in year three after surpassing the 1,000-yard mark in his second season, but NFL Media’s Bucky Brooks thinks Pickens could take an all-time leap. Brooks named five receivers who could potentially break former Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving mark of 1,964 yards, and he put Pickens at No. 4 on his list of receivers most likely to eclipse that mark.
“Though the Steelers will adhere to a run-centric offensive approach under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Pickens could light up the stat sheet as the big-play specialist on the perimeter. The third-year pro has averaged nearly 17 yards per catch for his career, including a league-leading 18.1 yards per catch in 2023 with a revolving door at quarterback. With Russell Wilson and Justin Fields potentially being significant upgrades over their predecessors, the Steelers’ top playmaker could see his numbers spike as the focal point of a passing game committed to pushing the ball down the field,” Brooks wrote.
Pickens came in behind Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, and one spot ahead of Amari Cooper of the Cleveland Browns. It’s certainly impressive company for Pickens, and it would surely be a surprise if he even came close to the single-season receiving record, nonetheless broke it. But Pickens will be playing with a quarterback better than he has in his career, as Russell Wilson or Justin Fields will be better than Kenny Pickett was for the Steelers. Without Diontae Johnson, Pickens is going to get the lion’s share of the targets in the Steelers offense.
Even though Arthur Smith does like to run the ball, his creativity could serve Pickens well. Pickens said he’s playing in the slot more than he ever has during his NFL career at this point, and moving around and giving him different looks could be a benefit, especially since opposing defenses are likely to key on him. It seems increasingly likely that the Steelers will stick with what they have in the receiver room and not make any major outside additions, which leaves Pickens as the only real proven talent in the receiver room. Using him creatively is going to be important so defenses can’t look to take him away.
While it’s extremely unlikely that Pickens can break Johnson’s record, the chance of him taking a leap and having an All-Pro caliber season is real. Last season, Pickens had 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and 5 touchdowns, and those numbers should increase by a decent margin in 2024, especially with upgraded quarterback play. It’s going to be exciting to see just how well Pickens can perform this season, and if he does take the leap that’s expected, he’s going to become a lot more expensive for the Steelers as they look to possibly extend him after this season.
