When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for DK Metcalf during the 2025 offseason, fans thought he would provide a massive spark to the offense. However, the move ultimately gave general manager Omar Khan the flexibility to send George Pickens packing to the Dallas Cowboys.
One year later, Khan has to be filled with regret.
After an up-and-down final season in Pittsburgh, which included 53 receptions for 900 yards and three touchdowns, Pickens exploded in Dallas for a 93-catch, 1,429-yard season that included nine touchdowns. Now we just got another reminder of this trade blunder.
On Wednesday, ESPN Insider Jeremy Fowler released his top-10 wide receiver rankings, as voted on by NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. Sadly, Pickens was voted the seventh-best wide receiver in the league one year after leaving the Steelers.
"One of the best I've ever seen at the contested catch. There's such untapped ability there. It's just a consistency issue and where his head's at week to week," one unnamed veteran NFL offensive coach said.
This is disheartening, especially when you consider that Khan traded Pickens for a mere third-round pick—a selection that the Steelers ultimately turned into Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan should regret his decision to trade George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys
Here's the worst part—not only did DK Metcalf miss the top-10 rankings, but he also was not listed among the six honorable mentions. Instead, the three-time Pro Bowler found his name in small print in the "also receiving votes" category, along with the likes of Alec Pierce, Tee Higgins, Terry McLaurin, Garrett Wilson, DeVonta Smith, Ladd McConkey, Brian Thomas Jr., Jaylen Waddle, and Chris Olave.
According to NFL coaches, execs, and scouts who participated in the poll, Pickens is a top-seven NFL wide receiver, while Metcalf isn't a top-16 wideout (when you count the top-10 plus honorable mentions), and he might not even be in the top-20.
And for all the talk about Pickens' character, it was Metcalf who was suspended for the final two games last year for getting into a physical altercation with a fan.
In his first season in Pittsburgh, Metcalf recorded just 59 receptions for 850 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. A 24-year-old Pickens outpaced the veteran by 579 yards last season on his new team.
A plan that started off looking genius by Omar Khan continues to look worse with each passing day. Metcalf is currently the sixth-highest-paid receiver in the league, but the Steelers aren't getting their money's worth out of the deal.
George Pickens is straight-up the better wide receiver... and everyone knows it at this point.
Add us as a preferred source on Google