Praise for Steelers WR George Pickens is already through the roof

George Pickens has turned heads early at Steelers training camp, but here’s why expectations are already skyrocketing for Pittsburgh’s second-round pick.

I know it’s still very early at Steelers training camp, but if we had to declare one player as the ‘winner’ so far, it would probably be wide receiver, George Pickens. When Pickens was on the board with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. So far, I’m guessing they don’t have any regrets.

Early at Steelers training camp, Pickens has taken advantage of added opportunities with Diontae Johnson in the midst of a hold-in. While Johnson could certainly use the reps with his new quarterbacks, we can at least be assured that his would-be opportunities are being capitalized by another receiver.

Quite frankly, Pickens has been a cut above the rest so far at Steelers camp. In addition to utilizing his size and flashing his soft hands to effortlessly pluck the ball out of the air, Pickens has made some splash plays on the football down the field — some of which were even caught on camera by fans.

His early dominance has not gone unnoticed. The second-round pick has been impressive that the official NFL Twitter account asked if Pickens could be the most underrated pick in the NFL Draft. Shortly after, Chase Claypool said he believes George Pickens will be the best rookie receiver in the NFL:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1553461034333126658

Oftentimes, stories tend to get a bit overblown during training camp. With the hype for the upcoming season revving up, the media is guilty of making a bigger deal out of things than they should. However, it’s hard not to come away impressed with what Pickens has done so far.

Why Pickens has been so impressive at Steelers training camp

Like many, I was a huge fan of George Pickens prior to the 2022 NFL Draft. The former five-star recruit first turned heads with a breakout freshman season for the Georgia Bulldogs as an 18-year-old. While he was injured much of the past two seasons, I still saw the immense upside and ultimately slotted Pickens as my 37th overall player heading into the draft.

So far, Pickens has done anything but disappoint. Early at training camp, Pickens has been running with starters — primarily as the ‘X’ receiver in Johnson’s absence. Though this is a difficult position to master, Pickens has been the most targeted player in camp.

Pickens has also been one of the lone bright spots on offense so far. Recently, Alex Highsmith was asked by 93.7 The Fan reporter, Josh Rowntree, who he thought the most impressive player was so far at Steelers training camp. He mentioned two names: George Pickens and Dan Moore Jr.

I know he still has a lot to prove, but the 21-year-old receiver has been as impressive as anyone could have predicted. At 6’3 1/4” and with 4.47 speed, Pickens is a smooth athlete who makes things look so effortless. His blend of size, quickness, toughness at the catch point, and natural football ability has already helped him stand alone as the top weapon on the team early in camp.

Pickens will still have much refining to do, but it’s safe to say that his impressive start has not gone unnoticed. If he keeps progressing at this rate, he could carve out a role bigger than anyone expected during the 2022 season.