Is Brandon Aiyuk better than George Pickens?
Many Steelers fans believe that George Pickens is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. At the very least, they maintain that he is among the most talented, and only needs to prove himself. But how does he compare to Brandon Aiyuk, the name so often connected to the Steelers this offseason?
Brandon Aiyuk manages to be productive in the most run-heavy offense in the league. Nobody attempted fewer passes last year than the San Francisco 49ers, though the Pittsburgh Steelers also ranked 29th. He still outproduced George Pickens, however.
So why exactly are we talking about this? Well, many still believe the Steelers will trade for a wide receiver, and Aiyuk is the best receiver available on the trade market. He’s even talked openly about the possibility, so it’s not coming out of nowhere. And the reality is he would be the top receiver over Pickens if he found himself here, at least initially.
Aiyuk over Pickens is a seniority and productivity honorific. But featuring in the same offense with the same coordinator and same quarterback, they would be competing routinely for targets and production. Both of them are capable of producing big plays, averaging north of 17 yards per pass attempt. They don’t necessarily need heavy volume to produce.
What the question ultimately boils down to is this: the Steelers probably don’t trade for Brandon Aiyuk if they think George Pickens is better. They can’t trade for Aiyuk without paying for him, but if they pay for him, they can’t afford Pickens. At least, it would be very difficult to fit two top-of-the-market wide receiver contracts on your salary cap.
Let’s assume, though, that the Steelers are not trading for Aiyuk—I doubt that they will, anyway. We can still ask the same question: is he better than Pickens? Presumably, Pickens is in a better position this year thanks to Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith. If he doesn’t take that big step forward this year, what will that say about him and his ceiling?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
