Steelers’ TJ Watt Exuberant About Rookie: "I Don't Know If George Pickens Understands Just How Good He Is"

The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot complain about the rookie season their first two draft picks of 2022 had. Quarterback Kenny Pickett was selected in the first round and after some initial struggles, he helped lead the team to an end-of-season comeback. Wide receiver George Pickens, selected in the second round, has made himself a household name with his amazing catches. 

The saying, "Pickett to Pickens," is one we are going to be hearing a lot more of. 

Today, Steelers linebacker TJ Watt spoke to Peter King on radio row about the two young rookies and how they performed in their first season. 

Steelers Watt With High Praise For The Rookies

Both Pickett and Pickens improved as the season went along. Pickett, who took over for the benched Mitch Trubisky, during Week 4, had a rocky start. He threw eight interactions and scored only three touchdowns during his first five games, with one win and four losses. 

The entire team improved after the bye, including Pickett, who had one interception to four touchdowns in the final eight games. The young QB also led four game-winning drives and had three late-game comebacks.   

Pickens, who expressed frustration during the year about his lack of targets, ended the season with a team-high four touchdowns. He accumulated a respectable 801 yards but the stats do not paint an accurate picture of the talent he has. 

Watt told the King that he was impressed with both rookie's skills and work ethic:

"George Pickens is one of those guys that's like, I don't know if he understands how good he is. It's like holy cow - some of the things you see in practice. But it's also on top of that, it's the little things. Like finishing plays, running - he can run for days."

Regarding his new quarterback, Watt was equally complimentary:

"Kenny Pickett, getting better each and every week. Commanding two-minute drills back in training came. You could just see the progression. Then you come to the Ravens game down the stretch where he was able to lead the team down the field. And we just had a feeling - we're going to score this, we're going to get on defense, and we're going to win this game. So, it's just little things like that."

One anecdote that comes up quite often about Pickett is how hard he works. We have heard numerous teammates and coaches talk about his "office" at the facility. Pickett is so dedicated to studying plays, watching film, and picking the brains of the staff that head coach Mike Tomlin gave him an office that he can use. 

Watt echoed the same sentiments as others, 

"It's all about gaining respect through teammates, through work. And those guys came to work every day."

The Steelers certainly seem to have all the necessary components to make a serious bid for the playoffs in 2023. They have a highly-paid defense with proven leaders in Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Cam Heyward. The defense also made significant gains during the 2022 season, ironing out some of their wrinkles. 

The offense also made tremendous improvements and the whole season felt just one game short of a playoff berth. It is obvious from their comments the players are all feeling the same way this offseason. They sound like they are coming into 2023 with something to prove, a chip on their shoulder, and frankly, the Steelers always play best when they have that come-from-behind mentality. 

What do you think of Watt's assessment of the two rookies? Do you think George Pickens has the potential to be great? Do you think Kenny Pickett has shown enough skill to be QB1? What do you think will happen in the 2023 season? Click to comment below. 

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