George Pickens

George Pickens caught all five of his targets for 87 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers’ Wild Card Round loss to the Ravens.

Pickens entered the league as a deep-ball specialist and went for 801 yards as a rookie. He rounded out his game in 2023 and totaled 1,140 yards through the air. Looking for a true breakout season in 2024, Pickens found nothing of the sort while catching passes from Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. He averaged fewer yards per catch and per target en route to 900 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 59 grabs. A hamstring injury cost Pickens three games late in the year, suppressing his already-quiet counting stats. Beyond the numbers, Pickens piled up mental errors in his third season. Per Pro Football Focus, he committed nine drops, the seventh-most in the NFL. He also appeared to give up on plays when he wasn’t a priority target in the read progression late in the season. His talent is undeniable, but Pickens’ ability and desire to win on a down-to-down basis are questionable at best. Pickens enters a contract year in desperate need of a rebound campaign.