A household name in college after starring at Georgia, George Pickens hasn’t quite earned the same status yet in the NFL. But the second-year Pittsburgh Steelers receiver is trying to get there.
Eventually, he plans to let his play on the field do the talking, but since the games have yet to begin, Pickens is generating headlines by what he says away from the gridiron.
A recent interview with Kevin Clark from The Ringer should help Pickens get on the radar for many within the football community. In fact, he’s also providing plenty of bulletin board material for his opponents.
Even though he’s played just 17 games at the NFL level, Pickens speaks as if he’s a longtime vet who already has it all figured out. He even says he can dominate some of the best cornerbacks in the sport and specifically picked on a few elite athletes from the Miami Dolphins in the process.
“I always kill DBs who are overthinkers. And what’s crazy is the overthinkers are Xavien Howard or Jalen [Ramsey], and those are the best guys. And that’s why I think most DBs can’t really check me.”
George Pickens on his approach as a wide receiver
Another part of Pickens’ game is that he simply shoves cornerbacks who have their heels positioned in a seated chair position, or what he calls “the toilet” position.
“That’s part of my game, the absurdness. Nobody ever thought to do this. Cornerbacks are worried about their feet, their hand placement, and they don’t realize they are on their heels in a seated chair position. All I have to do is push. And that was a shock to everybody because people are like, ‘It’s not illegal, but I never thought to do it.’ So it’s become one of my go-tos.”
Here’s a clip of Pickens doing just that.
Remember, receivers and corners are allowed to make contact within five yards of the line of scrimmage. Pickens is just taking advantage of the NFL rules. There’s nothing wrong with what he’s doing. Still, seeing this advanced understanding of the game from a 22-year-old shows Pickens is wise beyond his years.
- George Pickens stats last season: 52 receptions, 802 receiving yards, 4 TD
What he did as a rookie may be just a stepping stone in the young Steelers receiver’s career. Now that he’s called out a couple of members of the Dolphins, Pickens should expect a lot more attention on a snap-by-snap basis heading into his second season.
Related: 2023 NFL defense rankings: Dolphins plummet after Jalen Ramsey injury