George Pickens hasn’t had flashy stat lines yet in the 2024 season, but some of that is because of the penalties that have negated 93 yards and a touchdown. But he is still playing at a high level and seems to be unstoppable against man coverage so far.
Analytics expert Josiah Fortgang posted a chart of wide receiver separation and yards per route run versus man coverage, and it is easy to see that Pickens is excelling against man coverage schemes.
He is roughly in the middle of the pack in terms of separation in man coverage, but we all know that Pickens can secure catches anywhere in his vicinity. His knack for hauling in passes even when it looks like he is covered is what makes him so special.
This isn’t for a lack of teams trying to take him away, either. The Denver Broncos put Patrick Surtain II, one of the best cornerbacks in the league, on Pickens in Week 2. While Pickens only had two catches for 29 yards, that did not tell the full story. He gained 42 hidden yards that didn’t show up in the box score via defensive pass interference and holding calls, and he had a 51-yard reception that was negated by a Broderick Jones holding penalty.
That play was man coverage with Surtain on Pickens. Pickens put him in the blender with a nice triple move to get some separation. By the time the ball got to him, Surtain was all over him. He caught the pass, but the play didn’t count due to holding.
According to Fortgang’s chart, Pickens is generating about league-average separation while gaining about 4.8 yards per route run versus man coverage. That is the third most in the league, only behind Justin Jefferson and Jameson Williams. Those other two players are creating much more separation, too. This shows just how impressive Pickens is at catching passes, even when tightly covered.
This is a big reason why Justin Fields says he will take Pickens versus anybody. Throw the ball his way, and there is a good chance he will make your decision correct.
