George Pickens
23-Year-Old
2024 Receiving Stats
REC
20
YDS
284
TD
0
AVG
14.2
TAR
29
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
Big plays against Colts
Pickens recorded seven receptions on 11 targets for 113 yards in Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Colts.
ANALYSIS
Pickens had a disastrous first half that was defined by a lost fumble near the end zone that cost the Steelers points. However, as Pittsburgh attempted to make a frantic comeback in the final two quarters, Pickens showcased his big-play ability with a pair of catches that went for 38 and 37 yards, respectively -- both of which helped set up touchdowns. The only thing missing from the performance was a touchdown, but Pickens dominated targets and illustrated his upside when the team was forced to take to the air more aggressively.
Pickens had a disastrous first half that was defined by a lost fumble near the end zone that cost the Steelers points. However, as Pittsburgh attempted to make a frantic comeback in the final two quarters, Pickens showcased his big-play ability with a pair of catches that went for 38 and 37 yards, respectively -- both of which helped set up touchdowns. The only thing missing from the performance was a touchdown, but Pickens dominated targets and illustrated his upside when the team was forced to take to the air more aggressively.
NFL Stats
Loading NFL Stats...
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.
Loading Fantasy/Red Zone Stats...
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
92.0Air Yards Per Snap
1.90% Team Air Yards
52.7%% Team Targets
28.2%Avg Depth of Target
12.7 YdsCatch Rate
69.0%Drop Rate
3.4%Avg Yds After Catch
1.6% Targeted On Route
24.6%Avg Yds Per Route Run
2.41Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2024
2023
2022
2024 NFL Game Log
Loading Game Log...
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
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Team Alignment Breakdown...
This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the Cowboys 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.
vs Cowboys
Sunday, Oct 6th at 8:20PM
Overall QB Rating Against
67.7
Cornerbacks
63.7
Safeties
69.1
Linebackers
70.3
Loading Opponent Pass Defense Stats...
2024 George Pickens Split Stats
Loading NFL Split Stats...
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
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring George Pickens See More
It's only a matter of time before Brock Purdy's prolific yardage production leads to more touchdowns, and RW's Jerry Donabedian expects it to happen this week in a home game against the slumping Cardinals.
Dan Marcus goes deep into the free-agent pool to find upside adds who could pay off down the road, if not this week.
Week 4 featured exciting usage for a bunch of young WRs, including Green Bay's Dontayvion Wicks and the Rams' Jordan Whittington. RW's Jerry Donabedian has the full scoop heading into Week 5.
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
Five catches in Week 3 win
Pickens caught five of seven targets for 57 yards in Sunday's 20-10 win over the Chargers.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Quiet against Denver
Pickens recorded two receptions on four targets for 29 yards in Sunday's 13-6 win over Denver.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Racks up 85 yards
Pickens recorded six receptions on seven targets for 85 yards in Sunday's 18-10 win over the Falcons.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Two catches in final rehearsal
Pickens recorded two catches on two targets for 26 yards in Saturday's 24-17 preseason loss to the Lions.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Narrowly misses acrobatic catch
Pickens recorded one reception on two targets for four yards in Saturday's 9-3 preseason loss to the Bills.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Won't get competition from Aiyuk
Pickens will remain the Steelers' unquestioned No. 1 receiver after Brandon Aiyuk agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension with the 49ers on Thursday, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
ANALYSIS
The Steelers were widely reported to be the last potential trade destination standing for Aiyuk had things not worked out between him and the 49ers, but that scenario has now officially gone by the wayside. As such, Pickens, who's navigated inconsistent quarterback play over his first two NFL seasons to generate a combined 115-1,941-9 receiving line in 34 regular-season contests, remains poised to be the unquestioned primary target for either of Pittsburgh's two new signal-callers, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, during the coming campaign.
The Steelers were widely reported to be the last potential trade destination standing for Aiyuk had things not worked out between him and the 49ers, but that scenario has now officially gone by the wayside. As such, Pickens, who's navigated inconsistent quarterback play over his first two NFL seasons to generate a combined 115-1,941-9 receiving line in 34 regular-season contests, remains poised to be the unquestioned primary target for either of Pittsburgh's two new signal-callers, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, during the coming campaign.