George Pickens
23-Year-Old
2024 Receiving Stats
REC
8
YDS
114
TD
0
AVG
14.3
TAR
11
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
Quiet against Denver
Pickens recorded two receptions on four targets for 29 yards in Sunday's 13-6 win over Denver.
ANALYSIS
The Steelers took an early lead and were content to rely on their defense and ground game to come away with a win. That, combined with a tough matchup against Patrick Surtain, limited Pickens' opportunity and production Sunday. Pittsburgh is likely to employ a similar game plan against the Chargers -- another conservative offensive team -- in Week 3, which could lead to a quiet performance from Pickens.
The Steelers took an early lead and were content to rely on their defense and ground game to come away with a win. That, combined with a tough matchup against Patrick Surtain, limited Pickens' opportunity and production Sunday. Pittsburgh is likely to employ a similar game plan against the Chargers -- another conservative offensive team -- in Week 3, which could lead to a quiet performance from Pickens.
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.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Air Yards Per Game
74.0Air Yards Per Snap
1.70% Team Air Yards
54.6%% Team Targets
27.5%Avg Depth of Target
13.5 YdsCatch Rate
72.7%Drop Rate
0.0%Avg Yds After Catch
1.1% Targeted On Route
23.4%Avg Yds Per Route Run
2.43Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2024
2023
2022
2024 NFL Game Log
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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
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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the Chargers 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 Chargers
Sunday, Sep 22nd at 1:00PM
Overall QB Rating Against
71.7
Cornerbacks
83.7
Safeties
67.1
Linebackers
77.1
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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 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
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Week 2 was memorably brutal for injuries, but it wasn't all bad news for fantasy thanks to some young WRs getting elite usage and taking advantage. Jerry Donabedian has the scoop on everything Week 2.
Amon-Ra St. Brown will likely torch a thin Buccaneers secondary playing without its star enforcer in Antoine Winfield.
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
Racks up 85 yards
Pickens recorded six receptions on seven targets for 85 yards in Sunday's 18-10 win over the Falcons.
ANALYSIS
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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
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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
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Catches two Fields passes
Pickens caught both of his targets for 25 yards in Friday's 20-12 preseason loss to the Texans.
ANALYSIS
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Tallies 65 total yards in loss
Pickens secured five of 11 targets for 50 yards and rushed once for 15 yards in the Steelers' 31-17 wild-card loss to the Bills on Monday afternoon. He also lost a fumble.
ANALYSIS
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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.