The Pittsburgh Steelers plan for WR George Pickens to be a central part of the offense, but what else? Everybody understands how talented he is, and arguably, that is all they need from him. But while he is younger, he is also the been-there-done-that guy in a Steelers jersey in that wide receiver room. How is he taking to that role relative to the new veterans and less experienced players?
“I feel good being a vet”, Pickens told Prospect Media during training camp recently. “I feel like my personality for sure fits it, just because I always want to help the other guys be just as good as me. Van [Jefferson], Calvin [Austin III], of course, Scotty Miller. We got a lot of guys”.
The other guys Pickens didn’t mention are Roman Wilson and Quez Watkins, though, of course, there are others. Dez Fitzpatrick and Duece Watts have been here since last year, and Jaray Jenkins and Jacob Copeland make some plays. But the latter group is working toward a spot on the practice squad, more realistically—not that they don’t also deserve leadership.
A 2022 second-round pick, George Pickens is waiting to break out in a way that matches his talent. He has offered plenty of glimpses of what that will look like, but he hasn’t had the surrounding cast to support it. Now, going into his third season, he knows how important those around him are and wants to nourish that. He often talks about how he leads through his example, but what more does he offer?
Steelers rookie third-round WR Roman Wilson even called Pickens “a great leader” recently, reflective of the veteran passing on his wisdom in one way or another. Earlier in the offseason, people were calling Calvin Austin III the leader of the group, but Pickens believes they share duties in that department.
George Pickens is the only productive wide receiver remaining from the Steelers’ 2023 roster. Austin is still there, but he only caught 17 passes for 180 yards last year. In addition to the draft selection of Roman Wilson, the front office restocked the room with proverbial journeymen. Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, and Scotty Miller all signed one-year, Veteran Salary Benefit deals, trying to make this team.
But all of them understand one thing: they are there to complement Pickens, who is rightfully the centerpiece. He is the guy through whom the offense is going to run successfully, and their job is to enable that. That necessarily includes making some plays of their own, but that’s more of a group effort than individuals.
George Pickens is the player on this roster most capable of producing difference-making plays for the Steelers on offense. He has all the tools from a physical standpoint, but he can’t do it alone. He seemingly found that out the hard way over the last two seasons, but now the team believes they have the right support around him—including new wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni, who is not one to back down to a wide receiver’s ego.
