The Pittsburgh Steelers and Steeler Nation are hoping that the future of the franchise's offense lies in the hands of their 2022 first and second round draft picks. Quarterback, Kenny Pickett, and wide receiver, George Pickens, have shown flashes of being the dynamic duo for the future. It was on full display on Saturday night after the signal-caller found the pass-catcher in the end zone with less than a minute left, putting Pittsburgh ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders. There should be tons of excitement as the two continue to improve and have the potential to be a lethal combination in the coming years.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) and wide receiver, George Pickens (#14) greet in warm-ups before a 2022 regular season matchup against the New Orleans Saints at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pickens has caught 47 passes for 700 yards and leads the team with three receiving touchdowns. What has been unbelievable to watch are his circus-like catches that you have to watch over and over to figure out how he caught it. His route running has been questionable, but he is making up for the lack of separation by simply going up over defenders and winning the 50-50 balls. He's doing something a rookie hasn't since Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, DK Metcalf in 2019.
Most contested catches in a season by a rookie since 2016:
— PFF PIT Steelers (@PFF_Steelers) December 27, 2022
GEORGE PICKENS - 17 (2022)
DK Metcalf - 17 (2019) pic.twitter.com/gMHqjWRCoO
NFL's Nex Gen Stats have Pickens as averaging just 2.4 yards of separation from a defender when he catches a pass. Metcalf is actually worse this year at 2.1. The impressive 17 contested catches is a testament to his desire to go up and get the ball along with his big play ability, but it also isn't necessarily a statistic to be overjoyed about, because of the inability to get wide open. It's especially important to do that when you have a young quarterback in Pickett.
Steelers rookie wide receiver, George Pickens (#14) makes a great catch near the sideline against the Detroit Lions in the team's final preseason game of 2022 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh's play-maker also has an average cushion of just 4.8 yards which is the lowest mark in the NFL. This number indicates how close a defender is to a wide receiver when he sets up on the line of scrimmage. It gives us a good idea of how defense's are looking at the rookie. They are pressing him hard at the line and trying to make it difficult for him to get down field quickly, which could be why his separation at the time of catch is in the bottom half of the league as well.
While Metcalf certainly struggles to create separation, he has been one of the better wide receivers in the NFL since he was drafted in 2019. Drawing comparisons is definitely a compliment for Pickens and he needs just one more to pass him and have the most contested catches ever by a rookie since the stat has been officially recorded. The Seahawks' pass-catcher has proven that he can be successful by being more physical and Pickens is using the same approach.
Pickens is averaging 14.9 yards per catch which is a breath of fresh air for Steelers fans. It seems like ever since offensive coordinator, Matt Canada took over, big plays have been few and far between. That has changed with Pickens and there is no reason for that not to continue after he has displayed a good deal of success when the ball finds him in the passing game.
Steelers' George Pickens (#14) makes a one-handed catch at practice in Pittsburgh, PA. | Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
He only needs one more catch to do something that has never been done since PFF started tracking contested catches in 2016. Pickens is slowly becoming a fan favorite in Pittsburgh. He and Pickett could be a lot of fun to watch for many years in the black and gold.
Are you impressed with Pickens' contested catch ability? Let us know in the comments below!
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