George Pickens

George Pickens

23-Year-Old Wide ReceiverWR
Pittsburgh Steelers
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
$Signed a four-year, $6.75 million contract with the Steelers in May of 2022.
Leading receiver for PIT
WRPittsburgh Steelers
October 28, 2024
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.
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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
91.5
 
Air Yards Per Snap
1.97
 
% Team Air Yards
44.4%
 
% Team Targets
28.2%
 
Avg Depth of Target
12.6 Yds
 
Catch Rate
60.3%
 
Drop Rate
3.4%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
3.2
 
% Targeted On Route
25.7%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
2.42
 
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2024
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Pittsburgh SteelersSteelers 2024 WR Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

37173%
14375%
33867%
13068%
26252%
9248%
11924%
3116%
61%
00%
51%
53%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where George Pickens lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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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.
WAS
@ 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 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
 
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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.
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
Breaks out with new starting QB
WRPittsburgh Steelers
October 20, 2024
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
WRPittsburgh Steelers
October 13, 2024
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?
WRPittsburgh Steelers
October 10, 2024
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
WRPittsburgh Steelers
October 6, 2024
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
WRPittsburgh Steelers
September 29, 2024
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
WRPittsburgh Steelers
October 18, 2024
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."
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