The summer is a time for setting goals for the upcoming NFL season. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens made his goals clear when speaking to NFL writer Bo Marchionte of College2pro.com.
Pickens wants to make “the two bowls” — the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl.
But interestingly, there was a hint of bitterness to the 22-year-old setting his first goal. Pickens argued that he should have already made the Pro Bowl in 2022.
“Year two goals are Pro Bowl, and I feel like last year I feel like I got snubbed,” Pickens said. “Cause there wasn’t a lot of guys in there at the Pro Bowl that excited me. Then the Super Bowl.
“The two bowls. A lot of RAC, run after catch. Two bowls for sure.”
Pickens recorded 52 receptions for 801 yards and 4 touchdowns as a rookie in 2022. He showed flashes of his talent early in the season but came on strongest toward the end of the campaign.
George Pickens a 2022 Pro Bowl Snub?
CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani wrote that Pickens calling himself a Pro Bowl snub and claiming that there weren’t many players who “excited” him at the event last year “is pretty interesting.”
It’s hard to argue with Danjani. The four receivers representing the AFC at the Pro Bowl were Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs, Ja’Marr Chase and Davante Adams.
There were so many great receivers in the AFC last season that New York Jets Offensive Rookie of the Year winner Garrett Wilson didn’t make the Pro Bowl.
For Pickens to make the Pro Bowl instead of any of those five receivers, he would have also been the top wideout choice for the All-Star game on his team. Pickens had a great season, but it was Diontae Johnson who led the Steelers in receptions and receiving yards.
The Pro Bowl voters probably correctly didn’t elect Pickens to the event last year. But it’s not a bad thing for Pickens to feel motivated to make the Pro Bowl in 2023.
Pickens Poised for Breakout Season in 2023?
Many analysts, including Dajani, have slotted Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett as a breakout candidate for the 2023 season.
If that prediction comes to fruition, Pickens will also very likely make a leap in Year 2.
The finish to Pickens’ rookie season suggests he will be even better this season. In the final five games last season, he caught 15 passes for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns. He averaged 57.8 receiving yards per game during that stretch after posting 42.7 receiving yards per contest in the first 12 games of 2022.
Pickens improved as the season went, but Pickett becoming the Steelers starter behind center helped too.
When Pickett didn’t play, Pickens averaged under 30 receiving yards per game. He registered 52.5 receiving yards per contest when Pickett played.
With both second-year players entering 2023 as starters, the two can hit the ground running together right from the start of this season.
Offensive coordinator Matt Canada might be the lone concern for Pickens’ chances at a Pro Bowl bid in 2023.
According to NFL analyst Warren Sharp, Pickens didn’t have a very developed route tree. Sharp tweeted that Pickens ran 221 go-routes last year, which was 44 more than any other pass catcher in the league.
most go routes run last year:
221 routes – George Pickens
<gap>
177 – Mike Evans
166 – Mack Hollins
162 – DK Metcalf
156 – Josh Palmer
152 – Ja’Marr Chase
149 – Davante Adams
Pickens was targeted on just 13% of these routes, despite delivering the #1 success rate in the NFL on…
Whether that was because of the second-year receiver’s lack of experience with other routes or the Steelers’ shortage of offensive imagination, Pickens probably ran too many of the same route as a rookie.
For Pickens to become a receiver vying for a Pro Bowl spot in the crowded AFC, he will have to develop as a complete receiver. But on paper, he seems to have the talent to accomplish the 2023 goals he has set for himself.
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Steelers’ George Pickens Issues Challenge After Self-Proclaimed Snub