A lot rides on the success or failure at the quarterback position for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields drawing a great deal of attention.
But for ESPN’s Mina Kimes and NFL Network’s Gregg Rosenthal, neither quarterback is the Steelers’ X factor for the upcoming season. Instead, on the latest episode of “The Mina Kimes Show” wide receiver George Pickens and offensive tackle Broderick Jones were selected as the Steelers’ X factors.
Kimes chose Pickens, while Rosenthal chose Jones.
“The reason I went Pickens is regardless of who’s playing quarterback, whether it’s Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, if this offense is successful, one would think Pickens is a huge beneficiary because Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have kind of similar profiles in a lot of ways,” Kimes said, according to video via her YouTube page. “Similar weaknesses, but also similar strengths. They’re both very good at throwing the ball deep. George Pickens, of course, one of the best deep targets in the NFL.
“Last two years, 35 percent of his catches have gone for over 20 yards, which is the most of any receiver in the league. That’s crazy. He has a less than 2 percent drop rate on throws over 20 yards, which is, if you watch George Pickens, checks out. He has to be the best friend of either of those guys.”
Though there are warranted concerns at receiver behind Pickens for the Steelers entering 2024, there is no denying that if this offense is going to be successful in the passing game, Pickens is going to be a massive part of it.
Last season, Pickens hauled in 63 passes for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns, taking a star turn late in the season and pushing to become the true No. 1 receiver for the Black and Gold. He had five 100-yard games, going for 127 yards and a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, 130 yards and a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, 107 yards against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7, 195 yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16, and 131 yards against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17.
Now, with upgrades at quarterback in Wilson and Fields, Pickens appears poised to take off in Year 3, assuming the Steelers and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith can scheme ways for him to win despite not having that WR2 opposite him to take attention away, for now at least.
If the passing game is as expected in 2024, Pickens will be a huge part of that and will be a dominant force downfield hauling in bombs from Wilson and/or Fields.
As for Rosenthal’s selection of Jones, it comes down to the second-year pro being a huge part of the run game success for the Steelers under Smith.
“I’m not like an offensive line expert, but man, that guy can steamroll people, that guy can pull, and it’s pretty rare that you put a guy into your lineup and the offense literally changes,” Rosenthal said of Jones while explaining his choice for X factor. “They were 24th in rushing EPA before he started, eighth after. And it’s less about just the production, it’s just watching it. They just started calling way more pulling runs and it worked great.
“They have two good backs in Jaylen Warren, and Najee Harris too. And then you think about pairing him with [Troy] Fautanu like, what a great match. And I think a great match for Arthur Smith, too. They could be really fun to watch in terms of their running game. And, to me, he’ll be a huge part of that.”
Jones will undoubtedly be a huge part of the Steelers’ rushing attack in 2024. As Rosenthal pointed out, the Steelers have two good running backs in Warren and Harris, which will help wear down opposing defenses throughout games and throughout the season.
Having those people movers up front will be huge, too.
Where Jones plays in 2024 remains the question.
Ideally, he moves back to left tackle, taking over for Dan Moore Jr., and rookie first-round pick Troy Fautanu starts at right tackle. But chances are Jones starts the season at right tackle and then flips to left once Fautanu is ready at right tackle, relegating Moore to swing tackle.
If Pickens and Jones play up to expectations in 2024 for the Steelers, it could be a very bright season for the Black and Gold on that side of the football.
