The common season is upon us as Pittsburgh closed out the preseason final weekend and has reduce its roster right down to the league-mandated 53. The Steelers nonetheless may sorely use some reinforcements at large receiver and slot cornerback as has been talked about all summer season. However with Pittsburgh being every week away from heading to Atlanta for its common season opener in opposition to the Falcons, we have now to presume that is the group that it’s rolling with until it makes a fast transfer previous to Week 1.
If nothing involves fruition earlier than then at wideout, third-year veteran George Pickens seems to be to be far and away Pittsburgh’s alpha receiver for the 2024 season. After Pittsburgh traded WR Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in trade for CB Donte Jackson, a large gap opened up at receiver behind Pickens on the depth chart. They did choose Michigan WR Roman Wilson within the third spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft, however he’s iffy to start out the season after coping with a hamstring damage for nearly all of coaching camp.
Exterior of Wilson, Pittsburgh solely has Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, and Scotty Miller behind Pickens. All have roles that they will play within the passing sport, however none completely match that WR2 position that Pittsburgh wants. Positive, Pittsburgh could have TE Pat Freiermuth contributing as a pumped-up receiver on offense. However Pickens is in prime place for a dominant 2024 season given the quantity of targets accessible in addition to the opposite choices round him not demanding that very same goal share that Pickens will with Russell Wilson beneath heart.
Final season, Pickens noticed 106 targets (20.9% goal share). He transformed that into 63 receptions for 1,140 yards (18.1 yards per reception) and 5 touchdowns whereas taking his YAC from actually the league worst as a rookie to high 10 within the league in his second season. He has proven within the preseason in 2024 that he’s nonetheless enhancing as a YAC receiver. He’s additionally enhancing his route working to enhance his deep-ball prowess, having the ability set to take the highest off the protection whereas additionally taking a brief slant the space as properly.
Pittsburgh misplaced 136 targets with Diontae Johnson and Allen Robinson II leaving city. Whereas that ought to get cut up up amongst Wilson, Jefferson, and Austin a great quantity, Russell Wilson will doubtless lean on Pickens extra as his clear finest goal within the passing sport whereas having room for extra passing quantity than the 506 makes an attempt Pittsburgh had final season, which ranked twenty ninth within the league.
Pickens’ goal share ought to improve alongside whereas his yards per reception nonetheless stays excessive as a big-play receiver. There’s a great likelihood he eclipses the 1,200-yard mark, one thing no receiver has performed in Pittsburgh since 2018 when each Antonio Brown (1,297) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (1,426) did in the identical season.
Ought to Pickens attain that 1,200-1,300-yard mark in 2024, he would put himself in line for an enormous contract extension. Expertise has by no means been the difficulty with Pickens, as he has the prototypical peak, weight, pace, and fingers you search for in a premier receiver.
Nevertheless, his maturity and character have typically been in query since coming into the league, making 2024 a pivotal yr for the 23-year-old receiver who’s simply coming into the prime of his profession. He wants to indicate progress in his maturity in addition to his play, however until Pittsburgh trades for a distinguished cross catcher — and that’s unlikely at finest with Brandon Aiyuk not accessible — search for Pickens to push for a yr just like the one Smith-Schuster and Brown every had over a half decade in the past.
