NFL player comparisons for Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens

Low-end NFL comparison: Justin Hunter

Coming out of college, Justin Hunter had pretty much every trait you could ask for in an outside receiver. At 6’4” and 196 pounds, Hunter tested as a remarkable athlete with 4.44 speed. Because of his freakish traits, Hunter was formerly the number 5 overall receiver recruit in the nation coming out of high school, according to 247 Sports.

Though he had just one year of good college production at Tennessee, Hunter was selected with the 34th overall pick by the Tennesee Titans back in 2013. Sadly, he never became the player that many were expecting he would be.

The X’s and O’s of the game always seemed like a challenge to him and while he would occasionally make the big play, he was never very consistent. Hunter still averaged roughly 16 yards per reception over his six-year NFL career, but he was a disappointment. Injuries were an issue and he never played more than 14 games in a single season.

This is a pretty low NFL comparison for Hunter, but if character and/or injury issues get in the way at the next level, it’s reasonable to think that they could have a similar impact on another very talented, high-profile receiver in George Pickens.