Any pre-draft mock drafts and analysis shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Largely for fun, even when we do it, most of it will be forgotten once teams start turning the cards onThursday night. But Pro Football Focus mapped out a hypothetical trade where the Pittsburgh Steelers trade WR George Pickens. And it’s a doozy.
Outlining trade scenarios for all 32 teams, Pro Football Focus proposed the following trade that sends Pickens to the Detroit Lions.
Lions Receive: Pick No. 185 and WR George Pickens
Steelers Receive: Pick Nos. 102 and 196
PFF correctly notes Pickens is a pending free agent after 2025 and that the Steelers could be enticed by teams calling, a notion we wrote about over the weekend. But this is far from “enticing.” Pittsburgh would receive a low third-round pick and sixth-round pick for Pickens and the Steelers’ sixth-round selection.
While technically giving Pittsburgh a pair of Day Two selections, the Steelers would be left with No. 83 and No. 102 in what’s universally viewed as a weak receiver class.
Pittsburgh could potentially be stuck in a similar situation as last season. A No. 1 receiver, in this case DK Metcalf, without enough talent opposite to either take the attention off him or a viable option to take advantage of the double-coverage Metcalf will receive.
In 2024, the Steelers were missing a No. 2 target opposite Pickens, an issue magnified when Pickens missed time late in the season with a hamstring injury. Unless the team finds a rookie gem or Roman Wilson roars back in his sophomore season, the Steelers will be in trouble if they deal Pickens.
Trading George Pickens isn’t off the table. And perhaps our own proposal, a deal that sent him to the New England Patriots for No. 38, was too strong.
But dealing Pickens for a draft pittance when the team is likely to receive a future third-round comp pick assuming he leaves in free agency makes no sense. Pittsburgh is motivated to produce the best version of its offense in years and losing Pickens only hurts in that mission. Only a “too good to refuse” offer featuring a much higher Day 2 pick should be considered for Pickens.
