Steelers' George Pickens Proudly Secures Spot On 2023 All-Underrated Team

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft was all about one name: Kenny Pickett. The Steelers had zigged and zagged, but happily picked their quarterback of the future at 20th overall. Another name handed in by the Steelers exactly 32 selections later wouldn't garner the immediate reaction that Pickett had, but being overlooked and lost in the mix was nothing new for George Pickens, the dynamic receiver out of Georgia who watched as a prior knee injury sent him from the upper-tiers of the first round to second round, 52nd overall to be precise. Being underrated is how Pickens' journey carved its way into Pittsburgh, and both the team and the fans have embraced him for it.

Steelers Represented On Underrated Team For 2023

After all the improvements made by Omar Khan (the "Khan Artist"), Mike Tomlin, and Andy Weidl during the Steelers' offseason, the NFL has started to pick up on just how different Pittsburgh will look this coming season. Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus had the Steelers as his most improved team following the draft, and another Pro Football Focus perspective from Trevor Sikkema had Pittsburgh as the most improved team in the AFC North, but sometimes the players that fly under the radar are the ones that end up shining the brightest.

Maurice Moton from Bleacher Report decided to look ahead to the 2023 season by determining which players at each position were the most underrated in the league. None of the players that he considered for this list have higher-tier contracts, never made a Pro Bowl, and have yet to be named to an All-Pro Team. In addition, Moton also narrowed the target by not including any rookies or players who were top-10 draft picks. The players that he eventually chose are the ones who are primed to break out, but haven't garnered enough attention to be recognized league-wide - at least not yet.

Steelers' George Pickens Stands Out In The Crowd

Moton chose Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears for quarterback and Dameon Pierce from the Houston Texans at running back, but when it came to wide receiver, no other player stood out the way that Pickens did. He pointed out the growth shown from the first week to the last, recognizing the bond that swiftly formed between Pickett and Pickens and is likely to continue improving through 2023.

"Last season, Pickens hauled in 52 passes for 801 yards and four touchdowns, which included a 102-yard performance against the New York Jets' third-ranked pass defense in Week 4. He scored in two of the last three games of the campaign, which is likely a result of his developing rapport with Pickett."

Despite the fact that Pickens was in an offense practically devoid of creative depth and flexibility, he took full advantage of every single chance he got most likely knowing what he was battling in their offensive coordinator, Matt Canada. At times, the 6'3" receiver made himself look seven feet tall as he snagged one-handed catches with an ease that should be impossible for a player his size.

Moton wrapped up the Pickens choice by pointing out how his 15.4 yards per catch (YPC) was more than both Pat Freiermuth (11.6 YPC) and Diontae Johnson (10.3 YPC), with Pickens' four touchdowns exceeding Freiermuth and Johnson's combined total of two touchdowns in 2022. With expected growth coming this season, Moton fully predicts Pickens to be well above the underrated label by the end of 2023.

"Assuming Pickett looks more comfortable in the Steelers offense, Pickens has a chance to finish the season within the top 15 across multiple receiving categories."

Steelers' George Pickens Is Comfortable Being Underrated

Pro Football Focus may have had Pickens ranked as their fourth-best receiver in the 2022 draft class, but that was immediately followed by the reasons he was considered the most underrated receiver in the entire draft. If Pickens hadn't torn his ACL and missed the majority of the 2021 college football season, it was agreed that he would have gone in the first round without much doubt. The slide to 52nd overall was a gift the Steelers never expected, and everything he has done since being drafted has proven the underrated labels exactly right.

"The most underrated receiver in this draft class, George Pickens has elite No. 1 potential in a class that doesn’t have too many of those receivers. Another player with a torn ACL hampering his evaluation, Pickens missed almost all of the 2021 season before returning late on for Georgia’s championship run, but he has all of the physical tools to dominate and some real success in a small sample size of play."

Even players who are brand new to the franchise recognize the ridiculous talent that Pickens has to give to the game. Darnell Washington, Pittsburgh's massive rookie tight end, joined Bryant McFadden and Patrick Peterson on their podcast All Things Covered and gave his perspective on what he witnessed from Pickens while they were teammates at Georgia. Among all the amazing traits Pickens has, it is the lack of a ceiling that impressed Washington the most, causing the gigantic tight end to gush about his now-NFL teammate.

“His potential, ain’t no roof on it. Like with him, I saw him in Georgia do crazy stuff against the defense that we just had… It’s crazy, just like his ball skills [are] just crazy. I can’t even explain it."

We don't need anything explained. As long as Pickens comes out in 2023 with the same fire and desire to prove himself, we will never be talking about him being underrated ever again.

#SteelerNation