George Pickens
23-Year-Old
2024 Receiving Stats
REC
35
YDS
548
TD
1
AVG
15.7
TAR
58
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Pickens quickly earned a reputation for making difficult deep catches after the Steelers made him a second-round pick in 2022, and last season he took things to the next level with increased contributions on short and intermediate passes. His quantity of targets 20-plus yards downfield actually dropped by eight compared to his rookie season, but he caught 11 of the 22 for 405 yards and then saw 17 more looks in the range of 10-to-19 yards and 11 more within 10 yards of the line. When all was said and done, he'd topped his rookie-year totals by 22 targets, 11 catches, 339 yards and one TD. Pickens isn't quite an athletic freak -- he posted a 4.47 40 and 33-inch vertical at 6-3, 195 -- but he's smoother than most tall wideouts and already has a long highlight reel of contested catches. The question now is whether he'll progress to true No. 1 receiver volume/production, entering his age-23 season with a new coordinator (Arthur Smith), new QBs (Russell Wilson, Justin Fields) and no Diontae Johnson. Smith has a track record of directing run-heavy offenses and inherits a unit that finished 2023 ranked 29th in pass attempts (506) and ninth in rushes (487) . Wilson's preference for throwing to the perimeter and reputation for accurate deep passing would seem to make him a good fit for Pickens in particular, and Johnson's departure is also promising given that Pickens was targeted on 27.3 percent of his routes in the four games Johnson missed last year (17-357-2 on 33 targets). Pickens is a strong bet to improve on last year's 22.2 percent target share, but it won't necessarily equate to taking the next step in fantasy football if he's cutting his slice from one of the smallest passing-game pies in the league. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Leading receiver for PIT
Pickens finished with four receptions (on five targets) for 74 yards in Monday's 26-18 win over the Giants.
ANALYSIS
Pickens had a potential touchdown reception overturned by replay in the first half, but he still finished as the team's leading receiver while posting his fourth-highest receiving total through eight games. The 23-year-old has shown good rapport with new starting quarterback Russell Wilson, with the duo combining for a 9-185-1 receiving line over Wilson's two starts. Pickens' stock is trending in the right direction as Pittsburgh enters its bye, with the team resuming play against Washington on Sunday, Nov. 10.
Pickens had a potential touchdown reception overturned by replay in the first half, but he still finished as the team's leading receiver while posting his fourth-highest receiving total through eight games. The 23-year-old has shown good rapport with new starting quarterback Russell Wilson, with the duo combining for a 9-185-1 receiving line over Wilson's two starts. Pickens' stock is trending in the right direction as Pittsburgh enters its bye, with the team resuming play against Washington on Sunday, Nov. 10.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do George Pickens' 2024 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Air Yards Per Game
91.5Air Yards Per Snap
1.97% Team Air Yards
44.4%% Team Targets
28.2%Avg Depth of Target
12.6 YdsCatch Rate
60.3%Drop Rate
3.4%Avg Yds After Catch
3.2% Targeted On Route
25.7%Avg Yds Per Route Run
2.42Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2024
2023
2022
2024 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where George Pickens lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the Commanders pass defense compare to other NFL teams this season?
The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.
@ Commanders
Sunday, Nov 10th at 1:00PM
Overall QB Rating Against
91.5
Cornerbacks
94.7
Safeties
101.0
Linebackers
62.3
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2024 George Pickens Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do George Pickens' measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 3"Weight
200 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.47 secVertical Jump
33.0 inBroad Jump
125 inHand Length
8.75 inArm Length
32.38 in
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
A 2022 second-round pick, Pickens bounced back from a slow, injury-addled finish to his college career at Georgia and caught 52 passes for 801 yards and four touchdowns for the Steelers in his rookie season. He made a number of highlight-reel grabs and showed a particular affinity for contested catches, with the downside being that he struggled to gain separation and drew only 84 targets in 17 games. The Steelers seem to be expecting a step forward given their lack of noteworthy WR signings this offseason, and there's something to be said for not needing the smoothest route-running skills when you're 6-3 with 4.47 speed. Pickens, Diontae Johnson and TE Pat Freiermuth set up as the primary targets for second-year QB Kenny Pickett, who mostly struggled as a rookie but also showed progress as the year went along. It remains to be seen if Pickens can improve his agility and route-running now that he's more than two years removed from the ACL tear he suffered during a 2021 spring practice at UGA.
More Fantasy News
Breaks out with new starting QB
Pickens had five receptions (nine targets) for 111 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 37-15 win over the Jets.
ANALYSIS
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Another modest showing
Pickens recorded three receptions on eight targets for 53 yards in Sunday's 32-13 win over the Raiders.
ANALYSIS
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Frustrated with reduced snaps?
Pickens said Thursday that it was offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's decision to restrict his snaps during Sunday's 20-17 loss to Dallas, NFL.com's Nick Shook reports.
ANALYSIS
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Quiet against Cowboys
Pickens caught three of seven targets for 26 yards in Sunday's 20-17 loss to the Cowboys.
ANALYSIS
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Big plays against Colts
Pickens recorded seven receptions on 11 targets for 113 yards in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Colts.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Seems to confirm Week 8 starter
Pickens said in an interview Friday he'd been putting in extra work with Russell Wilson this week since "this is his first start," Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Through his comments, Pickens seemed to let out the proverbial cat that head coach Mike Tomlin has been dutifully trying to keep in the bag all week. Pickens noted he'd been trying to get in sync with Wilson every day after practice due to the veteran quarterback presumably being set for his first start of the season. However, shortly before that interview, Tomlin separately said he was keeping the decision on his Week 7 starter "in house."
Through his comments, Pickens seemed to let out the proverbial cat that head coach Mike Tomlin has been dutifully trying to keep in the bag all week. Pickens noted he'd been trying to get in sync with Wilson every day after practice due to the veteran quarterback presumably being set for his first start of the season. However, shortly before that interview, Tomlin separately said he was keeping the decision on his Week 7 starter "in house."