Revisiting the George Pickens vs Kyler Gordon Discourse

Heading into the 2022 NFL draft, first-year General Manager Ryan Poles was already facing an uphill battle. The previous regime had traded away its first-round pick to move up the year before to select quarterback Justin Fields. With an aging roster on hand, the Bears had many needs and few draft picks to tackle them. One of the biggest challenges was adding another wide receiver to complement Darnell Mooney and help Justin Fields reach his potential.

Poles' first draft pick of his tenure was a controversial one, passing on talented wide receiver George Pickens in favor of undersized cornerback Kyler Gordon. While a defensive back was needed, many fans viewed it as a head-scratching pick. Then, Bears fans knew Poles had a method to his madness. While Pickens may have had the talent to get drafted in the first round, he fell to the second round due to a recent injury and character concerns. 

Fast forward three years, and it seems Poles was proven right. In his first three seasons, Gordon has 207 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, 17 pass deflections, five interceptions, and is one of the defensive leaders for this team. He also recently signed a three-year extension with the team, making him the highest-paid nickel cornerback in the league.

To his credit, Pickens has been no slouch. He has tallied 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and 12 touchdowns in his three seasons. He had 1,140 yards in 2023, but dropped to 801 yards last season. In addition to his dip in production, Pickens' character concerns from his college days seemed to be growing. So much so that the Pittsburgh Steelers traded him to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a third-round pick. Pickens will now face an uphill battle as he looks to break the recent trend of "receivers that the Steelers let go".