2023 was a breakout season for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. Despite subpar quarterback play for much of the season, Pickens finished with an impressive 1,140 receiving yards on just 63 receptions.
Pickens might not have had great play at quarterback but what he did have was Diontae Johnson. Despite only having 51 receptions in 2023, Johnson did a great deal to pull coverage away from Pickens.
With Johnson off to the Carolina Panthers, all those double teams and bracket coverages now fall to Pickens. Unfortunately, as of now, the Steelers haven’t done a great job in replacing Johnson via free agency or the draft.
Last season, we saw Pickens display some serious immaturity issues on the field when things weren’t going his way and we worry the Steelers could be in for a repeat performance if new starting quarterback Russell Wilson can’t get him the football.
The new offense being implemented by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is going to highlight the run game which on its own isn’t ideal for Pickens but it will be up to Pickens to put in the work to make himself a target despite being treated like a No. 1 receiver.
