Steelers' decision to pass on a wide receiver in the NFL Draft looks even worse in hindsight after the George Pickens trade

George Pickens is one of the most dynamic wide receivers in the league, has produced a series of modest at best quarterbacks and just turned 24 years old. So why did the Steelers trade him to the Cowboys? Simple: Character.

Pickens was off teams’ boards when he came out of Georgia in 2022. The Steelers have a history of not only taking characters at the WR position but making them work. George Pickens tested their patience acordimng to league sources. 

Consistently late to team meetings, questionable effort in practice and during games, repeatedly being fined for in-game antics, even holding up team charters. You name it and he's probably done it. And if Pittsburgh says he's not worth the headache, a franchise that dealt with Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool and many more, it's bad.

But trading him without a plan at WR #2 is going to be an even bigger headache. The reason the Jack Sawyer selection was the riskiest by the Steelers was that Jack Sawyer is going to be a bad player. It's because the Steelers passed on multiple wide receivers to take Sawyer. 

And I'm sorry but Robert Woods, at this stage of his career is not a WR #2 that you can rely on. Maybe Calvin Austin III or Roman Wilson step up to assume that role, but it didn't make sense for a team with the track record that the Steelers have when it comes to drafting WRs to pass on one then, and it makes even less sense now.