The Pittsburgh Steelers have done well picking wide receivers on day two of the NFL draft and last season was no exception. The Steelers selected George Pickens at pick 52 in the second round of the 2022 draft and found the best pair of hands in the NFL. The rookie made the catch of the year against the Cleveland Browns in his first primetime appearance and never looked back.
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Steelers George Pickens Incredible Catch
Pickens did not put up the same numbers as Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, but the former Georgia Bulldogs receiver’s production was more about the offense than talent. Georgia Bulldogs insider Mike Griffith joined The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller and discussed the recent pro day in Athens that featured several notable Steelers targets.
“Do you think the Steelers would take Broderick Jones,” Andrew Fillipponi asked? “Was Tomlin drooling over him?”
“It wasn’t like the Pickens pick,” Griffith observed. “That was pretty obvious.”
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Steelers rookie receiver George Pickens makes a catch versus Alabama
The back-to-back NCAA champions have had an embarrassment of riches over the last two seasons. Pickens slipped because of an injury last season not because of his ability. The Steelers are keen observers of wide receiver talent and immediately picked up on teams undervaluing his previous years in college. The fact that he worked so hard to return for the SEC Championship game and his appetite for contact when blocking made him the ideal receiver to play in Pittsburgh.
“Boy, did Green Bay ever blow it,” Griffith said. “It would have been nice to see what Pickens would have done with Aaron Rodgers instead of that offense last year.”
The Green Bay Packers had an opportunity to draft Pickens early in the second round of last year’s draft, but they elected to go with Christian Watson instead. Watson had a fine rookie season after he missed the start of the campaign due to injuries. The former North Dakota State standout should be a productive player for years to come, but he does not have Pickens superhuman catch radius and sticky fingers.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) celebrates a touchdown with quarterback Kenny Pickett, a fellow rookie, in a 28-14 victory against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh, Jan. 8, 2023.
Griffith is no fan of Matt Canada's offense, and the SEC network contributor is not a big fan of Kenny Pickett either. He was not shy about expressing his frustration about the offense Pickens finds himself a part of in Pittsburgh.
“I think I have made it pretty clear how I feel about the offense,” Griffith continued. “They get a quarterback, and they may be the Pittsburgh Steelers again. I don’t know maybe Pickett just needs more time. I was so disappointed with how little Pittsburgh did with George Pickens last year, I don’t understand it.”
Steelers Duo Of Kenny Pickett And George Pickens Primed To Make A Big Leap In 2023
The Georgia Bulldogs insider is no fan of Pickett, but he fails to acknowledge the obvious chemistry the duo built down the stretch. The game plan which was Canada's domain, inexplicably called for Diontae Johnson to be featured, even in the red zone. In big moments like the game-winning drive against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Pickett-Pickens chemistry was obvious. The second season together should produce an even stronger connection.
“As unsettled as the quarterback situation was from the outside,” Griffith said. “It’s hard for a guy to say I am going to stake my future on a rookie. Maybe if you got an established guy back there. We are talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the greatest franchises in the history of any sport. They are in a slump.”
One of the big issues with Pickens' rookie season was his snap count. It is hard for a quarterback to find him when he only played 75 percent of the snaps. Miles Boykin, Steven Sims and Gunner Olszewski were on the field far too often at the expense of Pickens. They subbed him out on running plays and in the red zone which limited his opportunities and that is on the offensive coordinator.
Griffith is not wrong about the current state of the franchise. The Steelers' standard has slipped from competing for championships to just trying to make the playoffs. Tomlin is often quoted about the standard but despite the head coach's objections and his detriment, it is too often lowered by Tomlin apologists. Lombardi Trophies have been replaced by nine win seasons as the goal in Pittsburgh.
Rebecca Blackwell AP
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett (8) celebrates a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins with George Pickett (14)
The first-year duo of Pickett and Pickens demonstrated down the stretch that they are fixated on winning games. They look for each other in big moments and are intent on competing for championships and helping Tomlin remind his media shills that he never lowered the standard, they did.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Do Pickens and Pickett break out as a combination this season? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
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