George Pickens

The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen believes Cowboys WR George Pickens could see a “huge uptick” in single coverage this season.

Pickens, who was traded from the Steelers to the Cowboys last week in exchange for draft pick compensation, won’t function as the primary wideout in Dallas. Pickens’ ability to challenge secondaries deep is something the Cowboys have “sorely missed” in recent seasons, Nguyen said. “You would expect teams to continue doubling Lamb, which means Pickens could see a huge uptick in one-on-one coverage.” More single coverage could mean more explosive plays for the new Cowboys WR2. In the Steelers’ run-first scheme last season, Pickens was third in targets of more than 20 yards downfield and second in receiving yards on downfield receptions. Pickens had just one drop on 30 downfield looks in 2024.