Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens celebrates after making a catch against the Washington Commanders during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

What impact will George Pickens have on the Dallas Cowboys offense?

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 5:12 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys struggled to find any consistent threats in the passing game outside of CeeDee Lamb in 2024. That led to a deep dive on several receiver prospects in the NFL draft, but when none were selected, they turned to the trade market.

Dallas landed George Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving them a legitimate starter on the opposite side of Lamb. The only question is what they can expect from Pickens as he moves from the WR1 role with the Steelers to a WR2 role with the Cowboys.

That’s the exact question the staff at DallasCowboys.com answered, with six of their writers saying they expect big things from Pickens. Tommy Yarrish even said he expects Pickens to make his first Pro Bowl appearance.

“I said a few weeks ago that I think Pickens gets his first Pro Bowl this year, so that's how well I think he's going to do in the Cowboys offense. I think the expectation is that he and CeeDee Lamb mesh well enough together to propel Dallas' passing game to the next level, and with Pickens specifically, give them a better threat in the vertical game.” — Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com

Others were just as high on Pickens, with Mickey Spagnola saying he sees him serving as “a co-No. 1 receiver.”

Kyle Youmans added that Pickens will be motivated by his expiring contract. He also stated that while he’s a clear No. 2 behind Lamb, he can take over if needed — something the other options Dallas considered couldn’t provide.

”When the Cowboys were surveying the wide receiver market this offseason, one of the questions they asked was 'could this receiver post a 150-yard game if Lamb is either shut down or out?' In the case of Pickens, the answer was yes. That's going to be the expectation.” — Youmans, DallasCowboys.com

It’s hard to put a number on what’s expected of Pickens, but the important thing is that he takes pressure off of Lamb. In the eyes of these writers, that’s exactly what will happen.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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