George Pickens gets praised by AFC GM after dominant performances in training camp - “Gonna be a special player”
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a great tradition of prolific wide receivers, and George Pickens may be the newest member of that group.
Drafted No. 52 in 2022, Pickens has proven to be a valuable contributor in a rebuilding offense, recording 801 receiving yards and a team-best four receiving touchdowns, as well as a rushing touchdown last season.
His biggest highlight so far came in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, where he made this leaping one-hander:
That George Pickens kid can ball.
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And according to an anonymous AFC general manager, that is not the extent of his potential.
Speaking to Jordan Schultz, he said:
“He has so much talent. I’d argue he’s one of the more gifted receivers I’ve seen in the last 10 years… He’s gonna be a special player.”
Asked an AFC GM about #Steelers WR George Pickens: “He has so much talent. I’d argue he’s one of the more gifted receivers I’ve seen in the last 10 years… He’s gonna be a special player.” twitter.com/barstoolsports…
George Pickens feels that he is the best wide receiver in the NFL
If there is one person who shares that sentiment, it is George Pickens himself. Recently, he sat down with The Ringer's Kevin Clark for an interview, where he discussed, among many things, his "angry" playing style.
He said:
“That’s part of my game, the absurdness. Nobody ever thought to do this. Cornerbacks are worried about their feet, their hand placement, and they don’t realize they are on their heels in a seated chair position.
"All I have to do is push. And that was a shock to everybody because people are like, ‘It’s not illegal, but I never thought to do it.’ So it’s become one of my go-to's.”
He even called himself the league's best wide receiver and explained why:
“The stuff that I do, bro, I feel like I’m the best in the whole world. I’m big, I’m fast, low 4.4 [speed]. Catch radius is crazy.
"So every time I get out on the field, I do kind of play angry because I should get the ball on every play if you just look at the size and the frame... I basically draw attention to myself.
“Receiver in the world. I’m not going to lie to you. If you want a receiver, you create a player, it’s ‘Oh, I’m gonna put his blocking 99, catching 99, speed 99.’ That’s me.
"Anybody else, it’s almost like 85s, but they’ve got [Aaron Rodgers] as their quarterback; 90 but he’s got the old Patriots [offense]. This shit is rigged, bro... As far as what you’d use to build a receiver, I’m the ideal guy.”
George Pickens told me he's the best wide receiver in the world. He's certainly the most unique. I sat down with him at Steelers camp over the weekend and had the best conversation I've had about football this year. Read this:
theringer.com/nfl/2023/7/31/…
Pickens has a long way to go before fulfilling that ambition, but with Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson beside him, that task may be easier.