It didn’t take long for the Pittsburgh Steelers to realize they got a steal with the 52nd overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. George Pickens became a star at Georgia, but there was no guarantee the 6-foot-3 wide receiver would experience the same success in the pros, hence why he slipped to the second round.
But the Steelers saw his potential and quickly put Pickens on the field, where he ended up playing all 17 games, where he made 12 starts. Pittsburgh didn’t exactly have the smoothest quarterback situation last season, with Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett both receiving starting opportunities as the team finished 26th in points per game.
Yet, their inconsistency didn’t seem to slow down Pickens too much, as he still recorded the fourth-most receiving yards among rookie pass-catchers. There’s no question the 22-year-old had a strong first impression in the NFL, but he feels he was a Pro Bowl snub.
“Year two goals are Pro Bowl and I feel like last year I feel like I got snubbed. 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.”
George Pickens on being ‘snubbed’ for Pro Bowl in rookie season
- George Pickens stats last season: 52 receptions, 801 yards, 4 TD
For the record, the other Pro Bowl receivers last season were:
- AFC – Stefon Diggs, Buffalo – Starter
- Tyreek Hill, Miami – Starter
- Davante Adams, Las Vegas
- Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
- NFC – A.J. Brown, Philadelphia – Starter
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota – Starter
- CeeDee Lamb, Dallas
- Terry McLaurin, Washington
If Pickens were to crack the Pro Bowl roster, he would have had to beat out someone from the AFC squad, which means either Adams or Chase. Despite both earning consideration for the title of the best receiver in football, Pickens says there “wasn’t a lot of guys in the Pro Bowl that excited me.” Several members of the NFL community may disagree, as talented as Pickens is and may become.
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