George Pickens
refer to caption
Pickens with Georgia in 2021
No. 14 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (2001-03-04) March 4, 2001
Hoover, Alabama, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Hoover
College:Georgia (2019–2021)
NFL Draft:2022 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Receptions:115
Receiving yards:1,941
Receiving touchdowns:9
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

George Malik Pickens Jr. (born March 4, 2001) is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia and was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Early years

Pickens attended Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama. As a senior, he had 69 receptions for 1,368 yards and 16 touchdowns.[1] He played in the 2019 Under Armour All-American Game.[2] A five star recruit, he originally committed to Auburn University to play college football before changing his commitment to the University of Georgia.[3][4]

College career

Pickens earned immediate playing time his freshman year at Georgia in 2019, leading the team in receptions (49), receiving yards (727) and receiving touchdowns (8).[5][6][7] In the following season Pickens caught 36 passes for 513 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns in an eight-game season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] In the spring of 2021, Pickens tore his ACL causing him to miss most of his junior season.[9] He returned to play in the final four games of the year, catching just five passes, but made an important 52-yard reception in Georgia's win over Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship game.[10][11] Pickens declared for the 2022 NFL Draft following the season.[12]

College statistics

Georgia Bulldogs
YearGPRecYardsTDs
201912497278
20208365136
2021451070
Career24901,34714

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard splitVertical jumpBroad jump
6 ft 3+1⁄4 in
(1.91 m)		 195 lb
(88 kg)		 32+3⁄8 in
(0.82 m)		 8+3⁄4 in
(0.22 m)		4.47 s1.50 s2.57 s34.5 in
(0.88 m)		10 ft 5 in
(3.18 m)
Sources:[13][14]

Pickens was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.[15]

In Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, Pickens corralled a one-handed catch while fully extending his body in the air. It was called by some the "Catch of the Year."[16] In Week 4, against the New York Jets, he had six receptions for 102 yards in the 24–20 loss.[17] Pickens scored his first professional touchdown during primetime in Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins.[18] In Week 16, Pickens caught the game-winning touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders with less than a minute remaining.[19]

He finished the 2022 season with 52 receptions for 801 yards and a team-high four receiving touchdowns.[20][21]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Led the league
Year Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GPGSRecYdsY/RLngTDAttYdsY/ALngTDFumLost
2022PIT 17125280115.44243248.022100
2023PIT 1716631,14018.18653186.016030
Career34281151,94116.98696427.022130

References

  1. ↑ Weiszer, Marc (August 16, 2019). "George Pickens' 'flair for the dramatic' established before buzzworthy Georgia football moment". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  2. ↑ Newman, Logan (October 26, 2018). "Ala. players Will Reichard, George Pickens will take their swag to the Under Armour game". USATodayHSS.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  3. ↑ Bean, Josh (February 6, 2019). "5-star Hoover WR George Pickens picks Georgia". AL.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  4. ↑ Sudge, Brandon (February 6, 2019). "What the addition of five-star wide receiver George Pickens means for Georgia". Macon.com. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  5. ↑ Jackson, Jordan (November 15, 2019). "George Pickens is Potentially UGA's biggest draft bust of all time". Maven. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  6. ↑ May, Jed (November 15, 2019). "He was an Auburn commit. Now rising star for Bulldogs, Pickens preps for SEC showdown". Macon.com. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  7. ↑ Sudge, Brandon (August 9, 2019). "UGA football: Receiver George Pickens compared to A.J. Green". Macon.com. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  8. ↑ "George Pickens 2020 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ Scarborough, Alex (March 24, 2021). "Georgia's Pickens injures ACL, to have surgery". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  10. ↑ "George Pickens 2021 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ Leigh, Savannah (January 10, 2022). "George Pickens reintroduces himself to the Tide with big catch". Dawn of the Dawg. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  12. ↑ Austin, Brooks (January 14, 2022). "BREAKING: George Pickens Declares for NFL Draft". SI.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  13. ↑ "George Pickens Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  14. ↑ "2022 Draft Scout George Pickens, Georgia NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  15. ↑ Varley, Teresa (April 29, 2022). "Steelers select George Pickens in the second round". Steelers.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  16. ↑ Baer, Jack (September 22, 2022). "Steelers rookie George Pickens delivers Odell Beckham-esque Catch of the Year candidate". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  17. ↑ "New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers - October 2nd, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  18. ↑ Pryor, Brooke (October 24, 2022). "George Pickens hauls in first NFL touchdown to cut Dolphins' lead". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Las Vegas Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers - December 24th, 2022". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  20. ↑ "George Pickens 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  21. ↑ "2022 Pittsburgh Steelers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
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