In 2023, George Pickens cemented himself as the WR1 for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He had a standout second season in the league.
However, the team's wide receiver situation is not great beyond him.
This has made him one of the most needy receivers in this year's draft.
NFL.com’s Michelle Magdziuk revealed in an article on April 18 that she believes he belongs on that list.
She wrote:
“However, he has yet to post a season with 70-plus receptions in college or the NFL as a full-time WR1.
Pickens is a strong, big-bodied receiver who is incredible at the catch point and playing through contact. His highlight reel is impressive. wow However, Pickens has struggled to consistently create separation on his own. According to Next Gen Stats, he averaged just 2.3 yards of separation per target in 2023, which ranked third-lowest among wide receivers with 75-plus targets. It would highly benefit Pickens if the Steelers added a technically sound wideout to play on the opposite side of him.”
Magdziuk believes former Michigan WR Roman Wilson is the right fit to be that “technically sound” receiver.
“Wilson would be a fantastic fit for the Steelers’ offense; he is exactly the type of receiver that would allow Pickens to have more space to work with along the perimeter. Wilson isn’t the flashiest wideout in this draft class, but he is a smooth route runner with reliable hands who does all the little things well.”
A Strong Start for Pickens
Pickens is just two years into his NFL career and he has already established himself as a massive steal after he was drafted 52nd overall.
He was a big contributor right off the bat for the Steelers, making 52 catches for 801 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Pickens was even better in year two.
His second season saw him rack up 63 catches for 1140 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Those two seasons came with him competing against Diontae Johnson for targets.
Now he should command an ever bigger share of the team’s targets even if they bring in a rookie to play alongside him.
He’ll also be getting those targets from a QB who is better than any of the quarterbacks he has played with in his first two seasons.
The biggest concern for him is that he could face a lot of attention from opposing defenses in 2024 because the Steelers don’t have much else to worry about at receiver right now.
Steelers’ Wide Receiver Situation
The Steelers set themselves up pretty poorly at wide receiver this offseason.
They traded Johnson without having a replacement ready for him.
The Steelers have made some moves at the position since the trade, but still don’t have a WR2 or really a WR3 right now.
None of the receivers other than Pickens reached 250 yards in 2023.
With those options available, it looks like their second receiving option could even be their tight end.
On April 12, Steelers.com’s Dale Lolley wrote that he believes Pat Freiermuth could be the team’s second pass catcher because of his competition and the histories of Arthur Smith and Russell Wilson getting the ball to tight ends.
Including a receiver in the draft might make a difference, but currently there is not a lot of support for Pickens on the Steelers' roster.
