George Pickens does not disappoint in his first game with Steelers

George Pickens has been hyped up all throughout training camp, but he certainly lived up to his reputation in his first preseason game with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Of all the players to get excited about during Steelers training camp, George Pickens was, without a doubt, the player who garnered the most hype. The talented second-round wide receiver seemed to come down with nearly every acrobatic catch within his vicinity.

Because of his excellence at training camp, expectations were high for Pickens entering his first preseason contest at home against the Seattle Seahawks. Unsurprisingly, it took just minutes for Bob Pompeani and Charlie Batch to call his name on the broadcast.

Pickens kicked things off with the first reception of the evening on the sideline — good for 9 yards. He then got the crowd at Acrisure stadium roaring with an impressive over-the-shoulder touchdown catch in the back of the endzone. His ability to tap his second foot down the way he did after nearly running out of real estate was quite impressive.

Mike Tomlin pulled Pickens through the game halfway through the second quarter. The Steelers head coach had seen enough, and there wasn’t much more he needed to show out there. Pickens finished the night with 3 receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown on 5 targets, according to ESPN.

While this stat line might seem rather unimpressive, Pickens played just a few series and reeled in all three catchable targets for 14.3 yards per reception and a score. It was as clean of a rookie debut as anyone could ask for — especially from a 21-year-old wide receiver who played just 12 games of college football combined over the past two seasons.

Steelers may have a star in the making

I certainly don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch, but the Pittsburgh Steelers could have a star in the making when it comes to wide receiver, George Pickens. Had he struggled during Steelers training camp, this statement might seem a bit premature. However, after watching him show up cornerbacks practice after practice over the past three weeks, it’s hard not to think that the sky is the limit.

At 6’3 1/4” with 4.47 speed, Pickens has incredibly natural football ability to pair with very good athletic traits. These were on full display Saturday night when the Steelers held their first preseason game of 2022 against the Seahawks.

George Pickens had a fantastic rookie debut, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for him this season. He’s certainly giving Steelers fans a reason to tune into exhibition action.