Watch out for George Pickens!
INSSSSSSAAAANNNNNNNE!!!!
— Baku (@Mazursky8895) August 1, 2023
The JPJ and Pickens competition heating UPPPP, Pickens does what Pickens does though and makes the craziest catch I’ve ever seen in person wow man! pic.twitter.com/XKTfOUYScK
The second-year wide receiver is part of a young Steelers offensive core with great things required from it to compete in a tough AFC North.
From the look of it, he's ready to deliver.
Both Pickens and quarterback Kenny Pickett are entering their second year in the league. Pickett was chosen in the first round (20th overall) and Pickens was selected in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Steelers also have Najee Harris, who they drafted in the first round (24th overall) in 2021.
The rest of the division is stacked with strong quarterback-wide receiver duos. Cincinnati's Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase are probably the best duo in the league. Lamar Jackson and Odell Beckham Jr. could be very good for Baltimore while Deshaun Watson-Amari Cooper (Cleveland) is capable of big things, too.
The Pickett-Pickens ticket is the division's youngest with the most to prove. After an inconsistent start to his rookie year, Pickens was much better in the second half of the season.
He had 29 receptions for 370 yards and one touchdown through his first nine games. Over his final eight, Pickens had 23 receptions for 431 yards and three touchdowns.
Pickett also showed improvement. He took much better care of the football as the season progressed. After throwing seven interceptions in his first 127 attempts (5.5% interception rate), Pickett threw only two interceptions over his last 262 attempts (0.8% interception rate).
Pickens' remarkable catch at training camp is a promising sign that both might be ready to build off their impressive finishes last season.
If so, watch out for the Steelers.
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