George Pickens 40 time: How did he compare to other wide receivers?
By Justin Fried
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an excellent history of drafting and developing wide receivers, and George Pickens seems to be the next man up, in that regard.
The Steelers drafted Pickens with the 52nd overall pick in last year's draft, and it didn't take long for him to carve out an important role in the offense. By Week 4, Pickens had become a featured receiver for the team.
While the former Georgia standout still struggles with concentration drops from time to time, and his separation skills could continue to improve, Pickens put together a very promising rookie campaign.
He finished with 52 catches for 801 yards and a team-leading four receiving touchdowns. Pickens' 15.4 yards per reception ranked top-10 in the NFL ahead of the likes of Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill.
It's that dynamic playmaking ability and overall explosiveness that makes him such a dangerous weapon in the Steelers' receiving game. With the 2023 NFL Combine quickly approaching, it might be fun to take a look back at Pickens' performance at last year's Combine.
How did George Pickens' 40 time compare to the 10 fastest at the Combine last year?
Pickens clocked in at an official 4.47 40-yard dash at the 2022 Combine. That's an impressive feat given that he was just one year removed from tearing his ACL while at Georgia.
It's certainly fair to assume that a fully healthy Pickens could run an even faster time, but where doe that 40-yard dash mark rank among the top performers at last year's Combine? Here are the top 10 wide receivers with the fastest 40-yard dash times:
- Tyquan Thornton: 4.28 seconds
- Velus Jones Jr.: 4.31 seconds
- Calvin Austin III: 4.32 seconds
- Danny Gray: 4.33 seconds
- Bo Melton: 4.34 seconds
- Christian Watson: 4.36 seconds
- Garrett Wilson: 4.38 seconds
- Chris Olave: 4.39 seconds
- Alec Pierce: 4.41 seconds
- Skyy Moore: 4.41 seconds
Pickens' 4.47 40-yard dash time ranked 16th among wide receivers last year. Notably, fellow Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III was recorded as having the third-fastest 40-yard dash time among wide receivers at the 2022 NFL Combine.
Unfortunately, Steelers fans didn't get to see Austin in action in 2022 as he, of course, suffered a foot injury prior to Pittsburgh's preseason opener and would go on to miss his entire rookie season.
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The Steelers hope to see a healthy Austin return alongside Pickens in 2023. The future is bright for the Steelers at the wide receiver position, even given the uncertain future of Diontae Johnson. Pickens is a big part of that.