Steelers WR George Pickens Says He Was Clearly ‘Open’ Week 2
George Pickens is a rookie wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and he was selected in the second round with the 52 pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Steelers are now 1-1 after a tough loss to the New England Patriots in week 2 but they were only in that game because of the incredible Pittsburgh defense. The offense as a whole has been pretty stagnant and has not played well through the first two games of the 2022 season. George Pickens’ production is a great representation of the team’s lack of offense through two games as he has six targets for two catches and 26 yards.
George Pickens was a solid wide receiver coming out of Georgia who dealt with some injuries but he always had a high ceiling. He delivered on his high upside in the preseason as he was a fan favorite in training camp and one of the training camp standouts from across the league. Unfortunately, he has not seen a high level of success on the field but this may not be his fault. Pickens shared his thoughts about his game against the Patriots when he was speaking to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Pickens stated that he was open against the Patriots,
“90 percent of the time,”
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
This is a huge proclamation by the young rookie. Whether or not this is statistically true on the field, Pickens shared more reasoning behind his statement. He clarified,
“ I say that because I’m a big guy that runs in the low 4.4s, I always have a step on somebody and my step is naturally longer than the other person, and I’m actually fast. I’m always [going to] have a step”
(Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
It is clear that confidence is not his problem but the Steelers knew what type of ‘Dawg’ mentality they were getting when they drafted Pickens. Now, they just need to find a way to get him the ball more.
The Pittsburgh Problem
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense has not looked good to start the season. They do not have a good offensive line and quarterback Mitch Trubisky has not passed the eye test. He will need to pick up his performance or the cheers for backup quarterback rookie Kenny Pickett to start will only grow louder.
It is not all Trubisky’s fault as the Steelers’ run game has been virtually non-existent and once again the offensive line is doing him no favors. Pickens when speaking to media in the locker room alluded to overall problems of timing with the wide receivers and the new quarterback. It will be interesting to see if the Steelers offense can pick it up on Thursday against the Cleveland Browns and if George Pickens can finally have his breakout game.
