George Pickens was a human highlight reel during his rookie season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pickens probably wasn't as involved in the offense as much as he would have hoped going into the season, yet he still managed to solidify himself as a starter and an important piece of the teams' future due to his elite connection with Kenny Pickett. Pickens' significant impact is broken down in an article written by Larry Holder of The Athletic which ranks all wide receivers and tight ends in expected points added per reception (EPA/REC), where Pickens is tied for third in the NFL with a 1.4 EPA/REC. This list ranks all wide receivers and tight ends that qualified for the statistic. The player must have had a minimum of 35 receptions to qualify.
AP PHOTO / MATT DURISKO
Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver George Pickens (14) high-fives teammate Gunner Olszewski before a game.
George Pickens' Impact To Steelers' Offense
Pickens' ranking third in the NFL in EPA/REC puts him ahead of some of the elite receivers in the NFL including Davante Adams, AJ Brown, Mike Evans and Justin Jefferson. Pickens' managed to do this while only recording 52 receptions as a rookie, which was 62nd in the NFL during the 2022 season. Pickens probably wishes he saw more targets in his rookie year as he was also third in the league in expected points added per target with .50.
There has already been many people saying that both Pickett and Pickens will have a breakout year in 2023 and if Pickens continues to play the way he can, that could surely happen. Pickens' can be expected to climb up this list as he becomes a more focal part of the offense where we can likely anticipate to eclipse having just 84 targets. His connection with Pickett should also stronger going into the 2023 season.
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Steelers' George Pickens and Kenny Pickett
Other Steelers On The List
Two other Steelers cracked the top 100 in EPA/REC: Pat Freiermuth and Diontae Johnson. Freiermuth was the second highest Steeler on the list, finishing 59th among wide receivers and tight ends in the statistic. Strictly focusing on tight ends, Freiermuth is 10th in EPA/REC. Johnson was the third and final Steeler that qualified and ranked high enough in this statistic, finishing 81st in the category after the 2022 season.
This statistic shows that Freiermuth is an above average tight end in the NFL and once Pickett becomes more comfortable and consistent throwing the ball to him, he should climb on this list. Pickett and Freiermuth have already shown glimpses of their chemistry together late in 2022 on game winning drives against both the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens.
Johnson has all the makings to be in the top 10 of all major receiving categories in the NFL. In 2022, Johnson finished seventh in the league in targets with 147. However, he was only able to haul in 86 of those passes leaving him with just a 58.5 reception percentage which was 90th in the NFL. Being able to increase his reception percentage will be a major focus for Johnson and the Steelers and doing so will lead to a more productive season for Johnson and the Steelers' offense as a whole.
An increase in reception percentage will likely come with a more experienced and accurate Pickett leading the offense. Pickens taking steps forward will also help as some of the defensive focus will shift off of Johnson.
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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) reacts with wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18)
What This Means For The Steelers' Offense In 2023
When it is taken into consideration that multiple quarterbacks started different games for the Steelers in 2022 along with Pickett being knocked out of a couple games with concussions, it is very impressive that the Steelers' pass catchers were still able to be as productive as they were. Pickett is going into a season in which he is expected to be the starter for all 17 games barring injury and an even more productive season can be expected from Pickens, Freiermuth, and Johnson.
Pickett has been building chemistry with his receiving core the entire offseason and will have more experience with the offense going into year two. The Steelers' passing game has all the recipes for success going into the 2023 season.
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