There was rampant speculation that the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to trade George Pickens. Rumors had been swirling for a while, and when Pickens unfollowed the team ahead of the draft, it seemed like a move was inevitable.
However, it took a little past the draft to get a deal done.
While it seems like the team fielded some calls for the receiver, no trade materialized. This isn’t the end of the world, Pittsburgh was playing hard to get in the hopes of receiving more value for Pickens.
Arguably the top team that was in on trying to trade Pickens was the Cowboys. After CeeDee Lambs recent X post as well as some other underlying rumors. It turns out there was fire to these rumors, as Pickens is on his way to Dallas.
The Dallas Cowboys are the Pittsburgh Steelers perfect George Pickens trade partners
The Cowboys had to be one of the best fits to get Pickens out of here. He gets to play in the NFC, meaning you don’t have to match up with him regularly.
Perhaps the most important element is that Jerry Jones has wanted a substantial trade this offseason. After multiple years of underperformance, he is looking for some splash to get Dallas over the top, which has left him desperate.
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We saw them overpay for a receiver, Jonathan Mingo, at the trade deadline and proceed to not fill the number two receiver spot on their roster in the draft. It makes sense that the Cowboys would be the team to trade for Pickens.
It looks like the core of this move involves a third-round pick plus some swaps of late-round picks in 2026. This gives the team even more ammo to try and get their quarterback of the future during the draft in Pittsburgh next year.
While trading Pickens has its share of risks, Dallas was the perfect landing spot. Their desperation may have yielded a better haul while it gets a cancer out of your locker room. Assuming a capable veteran is added, this move makes a lot of sense for the team.