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Cowboys Rival Assesses Pickens ‘Risks and Concerns’

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 12:04 PM ET

The longer the offseason goes, the more people we are seeing jump onto the George Pickens bandwagon after his trade to the Dallas Cowboys.

Initially seen as a big "risk" with his fiery on-field antics, coupled with some reported off-field issues regarding team meetings, Pickens has been a model citizen at The Star during OTAs and minicamp.

Granted, we haven't seen Pickens go through adversity on the field yet – that will come, but right now, there is a big shift in what people think Pickens can do in 2025.

For one AFC personnel man, Pickens might have landed in the exact right spot.

"He'll be a big piece there," the personnel man said via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "When he's covered, he's really open. I know the concerns are there, but I think having an already established passing game with veterans to help him along, and the fact he's in a contract year, will help keep him in line. If you can tap into what he can do fully, his major ability will shine through."

We have already seen Pickens' ability shine through at The Star, with his connection with Dak Prescott in good order, not to mention how he has attacked learning Brian Schottenheimer's scheme.

Training camp will provide a good checkpoint to re-evaluate Pickens, because as we know, once the pads come on and it gets a bit tense, that's where we will see if Pickens can demonstrate he has matured.

Still, many are coming around to what Pickens can do for Schottenheimer's offense, and if he can stay on the straight and narrow, along with CeeDee Lamb, Dallas' newest receiver might have many people eating humble pie come season's end.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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