Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) looks on in the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Raiders Wise to Not Invest in George Pickens

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated May 14, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys bolstered their wide receiver room by trading for George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers. They traded a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in exchange for Pickens, and the Steelers sent them a 2027 sixth-round pick.

The Las Vegas Raiders spent significant draft capital on getting new weapons for Geno Smith through the draft. Their first-round pick Ashton Jeanty will take a lot off his shoulders, but they also used their second-round pick on Jack Bech and a fourth-round pick on Dont'e Thornton Jr.

The Raiders' only reliable pass catchers before their incoming rookies got on the team were Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, so John Spytek and Pete Carroll did a good job at addressing their problems on the offensive side of the ball.

Just going off of pure talent, Pickens may have been the most athletic receiver the Raiders have on their roster if they traded for him. But there are a lot of resons the Steelers moved on and why the Raiders were smart to not address him in a trade.

He's a tenacious receiver who doesn't stop until the whistle is blown to get after the ball. In his three years with the Steelers, he's made incredible catch after incredible catch, and he'd be a valuable addition to most offenses. But he has also had his issues.

In 2024, he missed some time due to injury but was still able to catch 59 balls for 900 yards and three touchdowns. He only fumbled the ball once, and his longest catch went for 44 yards. As impressive as Pickens may be at times, there's certainly a reason why he got traded for so little.

The reason the Steelers were so eager to get Pickens out the door was his character problems, as well as his inconsistency on the field. While I do believe Pickens would fit in perfectly with the culture Carroll is trying to instill in Las Vegas, he's been shown to be overtly chirpy towards defenders and that leads to unnecessary flags.

Taking away character concerns, he's also had issues with dropped footballs and a lack of concentration at times on the field. If the Raiders were the team that traded for Pickens, it'd be with the expectation that they are going to extend his contract and that he is a part of their long-term future.

It's possible that Carroll and the new regime in Las Vegas weren't ready to commit to a player like that if they weren't sold on him. While Pickens would've been a talent upgrade for their wide receiver room, perhaps they'd prefer to see what they have in their rookies before they try to take away any opportunities for development for their younger players.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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