The Pittsburgh Steelers definitely have to be pleased with the performance of their rookie class through the first 14 weeks of the 2022 NFL season. While that may be one of the few areas they are pleased with thus far, it does mean the future can be bright and things could get better sooner rather than later.
Steelers rookies Kenny Pickett, George Pickens, and Connor Heyward. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
One rookie that is consistently giving the Steelers positive performances is second round pick, WR George Pickens.
Pickens has put together a solid rookie season thus far, accumulating a total of 40 receptions for 590 total receiving yards and 3 total touchdowns. Those stats have all come while seeing an inconsistent amount of targets in what has been a frustrating Steelers' offense to watch at times, including this past week's game against the Baltimore Ravens where Pickens saw a lowly 3 targets even though the team threw the ball 31 times. He also caught all 3 of those targets for 78 yards.
That performance along with the other 12 games thus far has resulted in him being ranked as the 10th best rookie so far in 2022 by NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah, who is a former NFL scout. Here is what Jeremiah commented on Pickens as we head into the final quarter of the season:
"Pickens plays with passion, and he has put together an impressive highlight reel of grabs this fall."
Earlier this season, Jeremiah put out this same list following the Week 9 slate of NFL games. In that rendition, Pickens found himself at 16th on the list around the NFL's halfway point.
"Looks like the Steelers unearthed yet another receiving gem beyond Round 1. Pickens has made several "wow" plays, and his role should continue to grow following the trade of Chase Claypool."
Jeremiah was definitely correct that trading away Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears would help Pickens have a larger role. Even before that however, Pickens managed to get a spot on Jeremiah's list after just the first four weeks of the NFL season debuting at 23rd overall. His first career 100-yard game had a lot to do with that.
"Pickens, coming off his first career 100-yard game, has produced a couple 'wow' highlights for the Steelers. He has extraordinary body control down the field."
The continued growth to rise up the rookie ranks from Pickens is definitely something a lot of Steeler Nation predicted, as he was probably the rookie with the most hype as the off-season progressed. That includes having more hype than first round pick, QB Kenny Pickett, which is kind of crazy to think about.
Even with Pickens' continued success and growth throughout the 2022 season, it hasn't come without its lumps and has shown some areas where he could definitely stand to improve.
Steelers Are Pleased With George Pickens' Success, But There Is Always Room For Improvement
We all know what the rookie wide receiver is good at. Pickens is an exceptional athlete with strong hands, and that allows him to excel in contested catch situations by utilizing his great body control. He also isn't afraid to get his nose dirty, as he is a very willing blocker, although he could be more consistent in that area.
Pickens has two main areas he needs to focus on going forward, both have to do with becoming a more mature NFL wide receiver. While he does well at making contested catches, Pickens needs to improve his route running and separation ability. This is a common area most young wide receivers need to work on, so this isn't a huge surprise. Improving in this area will likely help him out in the other area I am about to mention, and that is maturity.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation.com (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
As most people who follow the NFL regularly saw, during the Steelers Week 13 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Pickens came off the field visibly frustrated with his lack of involvement in the offense and appeared to be yelling to throw him the ball. While Pickens' competitive nature and desire to help his team win is a positive, he needs to learn how to control and refocus those emotions when the team isn't throwing the ball his way, especially when the team is winning which is the ultimate goal.
Yes, there likely are issues larger than Pickens' route running and separation skills contributing to his inconsistent targets, *cough Matt Canada cough*, but he also likely isn't getting as many targets as others like Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth because they're simply open more often and by larger margins. According to Next Gen Stats, Pickens is currently in the bottom 10 wide receivers in terms of average separation for those who qualify, so there is definitely room for improvement.
Regardless of some of the things he needs to improve on, the Steelers are undoubtedly happy with Pickens' success so far through his first 13 career NFL games. For them to get a rookie ranked in the top 10 that they selected in the 2nd round is impressive, and adds Pickens to a long list of successful wide receivers the team has selected on the second day of the draft in recent history.
What do you think about Pickens being the 10th ranked rookie so far this season? Should he be higher? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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