George Pickens

George Pickens

24-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Dallas Cowboys
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Statistically speaking, Pickens' third NFL season in 2024 looked a lot like his second, with the main difference being three missed games in December because of a hamstring injury. He thrived right before the absence while catching passes from Russell Wilson, averaging 4.8 catches for 81.2 yards and 0.5 TDs on 7.7 targets over a six-game stretch (compared to 4.3 catches for 60.5 yards and no TDs in Justin Fields' six starts beforehand). The Steelers apparently weren't all that impressed, considering they traded for WR DK Metcalf in March and sent Pickens packing to Dallas in May. The 24-year-old likely wanted an extension ahead of the final year of his rookie contract, but he may be more willing to play out the deal in Dallas, where the presence of QB Dak Prescott and lack of other secondary receiving options behind CeeDee Lamb gives Pickens a nice chance to improve on his numbers from Pittsburgh. The Cowboys' new head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, mostly oversaw balanced or run-first offenses in his previous stints as an NFL playcaller, but he was the offensive coordinator in Dallas the past two years when the team ranked third and eighth in pass attempts. It won't come as any surprise if Pickens exceeds some of his career highs, namely 106 targets and five TDs, even though he'll be a No. 2 WR rather than a No. 1 now. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a four-year, $6.75 million contract with the Steelers in May of 2022.
Traded to Dallas
WRDallas Cowboys
May 7, 2025
The Steelers are trading Pickens and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, Tommy Yarrish of the Cowboys' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
The Cowboys confirmed earlier reports of a trade, giving the team a huge upgrade at the No. 2 WR spot alongside superstar CeeDee Lamb. Fellow Dallas wideouts Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin drop down the depth chart, while Pittsburgh is left with Calvin Austin, Robert Woods and Roman Wilson as potential starters alongside March trade acquisition DK Metcalf. The trade is excellent news for Pickens' fantasy value, pairing him with QB Dak Prescott under new Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer in an offense that likely will throw the ball more often than the Steelers will. The 24-year-old Pickens topped 800 yards in each of his first three campaigns, including a career-high 1,140 in 2023, but he's never gone higher than 106 targets, 63 catches or five touchdowns in a single regular season.
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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. 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. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
95.4
 
Air Yards Per Snap
1.82
 
% Team Air Yards
37.1%
 
% Team Targets
22.2%
 
Avg Depth of Target
13.1 Yds
 
Catch Rate
57.3%
 
Drop Rate
2.9%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
4.0
 
% Targeted On Route
23.5%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
2.05
 
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2024
2023
2022
2024 NFL Game Log
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2023 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Dallas CowboysCowboys 2024 WR Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

84076%
77069%
43839%
34931%
30327%
15614%
14713%
121%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where George Pickens lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
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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 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.47 sec
 
Vertical Jump
33.0 in
 
Broad Jump
125 in
 
Hand Length
8.75 in
 
Arm Length
32.38 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring George Pickens See More
NFL Reactions: George Pickens Traded To Cowboys
2 days ago
Find out what George Pickens' trade to the Cowboys means for fantasy football, Dak Prescott, Jalen Tolbert and the remaining receivers on Pittsburgh's roster.
NFL Free Agency: Breaking Down All 32 Teams
51 days ago
A third-down back no more: Jaylen Warren should be the next starting runner in Pittsburgh with Najee Harris off to the Chargers.
Best Ball Journal: Post-Combine ADP Movement Among Rookies
61 days ago
Jerry Donabedian looks at rookies whose ADPs shifted after the NFL Scouting Combine, including some like Ashton Jeanty who didn't even go through workouts.
NFL Best Ball Strategy: Analyzing 2025 ADPs on Underdog and Drafters
80 days ago
The popularity of Cincinnati stacks seems to be inflating ADPs for Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow. RW's Jerry Donabedian has the full scoop, looking at early ADP results from two best-ball sites.
Fantasy Football Rankings: Initial PPR Top 200 for 2025
85 days ago
RotoWire's Jerry Donabedian compares his Top 200 to early ADP and finds that most drafters don't share his optimism about Bucky Irving and Courtland Sutton.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
2022
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.
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.
If you look at his college stats, you might think Pickens was a reach in the second round. If you remember how he was viewed a few years ago, you'd think he was a huge steal. The five-star recruit had 727 yards and eight TDs as a true freshman, followed by 514 and six in eight games as a sophomore, before an ACL tear last spring limited him to four appearances (and 107 yards) at the tail end of his junior season. Pickens could've returned to Georgia in 2022 to rehab his draft value, but he did a decent job of that anyway between the late-season return and his respectable showing at the combine (4.47 40). Pickens weighs only 195, quite thin for a 6-3 receiver, and he turned 21 shortly before the draft. He thus seems most likely to start off as Pittsburgh's third or fourth WR, but there's room to eventually make a move on No. 2 wide receiver Chase Claypool, the hyper-athletic 2020 second-rounder who disappointed last season.
More Fantasy News
Deal to Cowboys being finalized
WRPittsburgh Steelers
May 7, 2025
The Steelers are finalizing a trade to send Pickens to the Cowboys, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
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Target of trade interest
WRPittsburgh Steelers
April 23, 2025
The Steelers have received calls inquiring about trading for Pickens leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.
ANALYSIS
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May consider hold-in this summer
WRPittsburgh Steelers
February 25, 2025
Pickens is entering a contract year and may "hold in" if he doesn't have an extension before the summer, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
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Bright spot in playoff loss
WRPittsburgh Steelers
January 11, 2025
Pickens recorded five receptions on five targets for 87 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 28-14 loss to the Ravens.
ANALYSIS
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Disastrous Week 18 showing
WRPittsburgh Steelers
January 4, 2025
Pickens recorded one catch on six targets for zero yards in Saturday's 19-17 loss to the Bengals.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Upgrades outlook via trade
WRDallas Cowboys
May 7, 2025
Pickens' outlook for the 2025 season is considerably improved as a result of his trade to the Cowboys on Wednesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
The mercurial but talented wideout had been mired in uncertainty as part of the Steelers' roster, given the team's still unsettled situation at quarterback and coordinator Arthur Smith's reputation for relatively conservative attacks. However, with his move to Dallas, Pickens, who was exchanged for third- and fifth-round picks in 2026 and 2027, respectively, will be paired with an elite quarterback in Dak Prescott, as well as a perennial Pro Bowl receiver in CeeDee Lamb that should open up plenty of downfield opportunities.
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