George Pickens has had an interesting season so far for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He came out of the gate hot, making several impressive catches, but after an ugly few weeks, there were a lot of questions surrounding him. However, against the New York Jets, he was at his best, being a huge reason why the Steelers won Sunday night.
“When George Pickens is bought in, and when he is on the same page as the offense and he’s giving maximum effort, there’s not many guys in the league I’d pick over him,” former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Long said Monday on his Pushing the Pile podcast. “Because you have a chance, covered or uncovered, jump balls, contested catches, to make an explosive play every single time he’s on the field.”
Physically, there’s nothing stopping Pickens from being what Long sees him as. The only thing that’s stood in his way has been the mental aspect of the game. A few weeks ago, against the Dallas Cowboys, Pickens quickly became frustrated with his lack of production and the team’s lack of success. Pickens was his own worst enemy.
However, as Long goes on to say during that same episode, when he’s l0cked in, Pickens might be one of the best players on the Steelers.
“He’s the most talented guy not named T.J. Watt on the roster.”
That is certainly high praise when considering all the incredible players on the Steelers’ defense. Watt is in a category of his own, but the Steelers have other elite defenders. Cam Heyward is still one of the best defensive linemen in the league at 35 years old. Minkah Fitzpatrick might be the best safety in the league. Even Alex Highsmith has shown to be a significant difference maker.
However, Long may be correct that Pickens has more talent than any of those players. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a better player than them. It could mean that his well of potential is deeper than theirs, and that might not be untrue. The Jets were doing a good job covering Pickens, and even so, he made several unreal catches.
The most important thing Pickens can do is stay locked in. Russell Wilson gave him chances to make plays in Week 7, but sometimes, he might not be in position to do that. It’s those moments that will define Pickens. If he can battle through times like those, then he truly can be one of the best receivers in the league. It’s all about staying engaged.
