Pickens goes to Pittsburgh

The Steelers added Georgia WR George Pickens with the 52nd overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pickens was a 5-star recruit and a top-5 WR in the 2019 class. He immediately delivered on that hype, leading the Bulldogs in catches (49), yards (727) and TDs (8) as a true freshman. He ranked 17th in Pro Football Focus’ receiving grades among 290 WRs with 50+ targets – 2 spots ahead of Jerry Jeudy and 3 spots ahead of Justin Jefferson. Pickens improved his per-game numbers a tad in 2020, averaging 4.5 catches, 64.1 yards and .75 TDs across 8 games. But his PFF receiving grade took a significant step back, landing 75th among 146 qualifying WRs. Pickens’ 2021 was then basically wiped out by a torn right ACL suffered in March of that year. He made it back for the final 4 games of the season but totaled just 4 catches. That freshman year is enticing, though, and Pickens pops on tape. He has long-striding speed, a big catch radius and is physical after the catch. The 6’3, 195-pounder earned a 94th percentile Relative Athletic Score at the Combine. Pickens’ limited college resume leaves him as a risky prospect. But he has the upside to develop into a #1 WR in the NFL. Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are locked in as Pittsburgh’s top 2 WRs in the short term, but Pickens has a good shot to win the #3 WR job this summer. Longer term, Johnson is is the final year of his contract and Claypool is set to hit free agency in 2024.